das Surren
hum
A steady, usually quiet sound produced, for example, by a motor, an electrical device, or an insect.
EXAMPLE
Das Surren des Kühlschranks war im ganzen Zimmer zu hören.
The hum of the refrigerator could be heard throughout the room.
das Surren
hum
das Surren
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Meanings
Forms
Forms adapted from the German Wiktionary entry Surren, by Wiktionary contributors, licence CC BY-SA 4.0.
At a glance
| gender | neuter das |
|---|---|
| genitive | des Surrens |
The four cases
| singular | plural | |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | das Surren | – |
| accusative | das Surren | – |
| dative | dem Surren | – |
| genitive | des Surrens | – |
The article changes with the case; it is shown in colour.
Usage tips
Word family
'Surren' (hum) is the nominalized form of the verb 'surren' (to hum). The word therefore usually refers to a sound as an ongoing process or as the perceptible result of a movement.
EXAMPLE
Das Surren der kleinen Drohne wurde plötzlich lauter.
The hum of the small drone suddenly grew louder.
Typical collocations
'Surren' (hum) is often used with adjectives such as 'leise' (quiet), 'gleichmäßig' (steady), or 'ununterbrochen' (continuous). Combinations with 'hören' (to hear) and 'wahrnehmen' (to perceive) are also very common.
EXAMPLE
Im Hintergrund hörte man ein leises Surren.
In the background, you could hear a quiet hum.
Source of the sound
The source of the sound is often introduced with 'von' (from/of) or the genitive. This allows you to express which device, motor, or animal is humming.
EXAMPLE
Das Surren von zwei Ventilatoren erfüllte den Raum.
The hum of two fans filled the room.
In real life
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