Why is it das Erstaunen?
Erstaunen is the verb erstaunen used as a noun, and verbs used as nouns are always neuter: das Erstaunen.
More verbs used as nouns das
Meaning
[1] Constitution of a person to have to be amazed at something
[1] Verfassung einer Person, über etwas staunen zu müssenExamples
[1] The magician put his audience in astonishment
[1] Der Magier versetzte sein Publikum in Erstaunen.
[1] The astonishment stood in the face of her face
[1] Das Erstaunen stand ihr ins Gesicht geschrieben.
More source examples (2)
These dictionary examples can include historical and less common uses.
[1] "Schlump looked at him with limitless astonishment and did not answer"
[1] „Schlump sah ihn mit grenzenlosem Erstaunen an und antwortete nicht.“
[1] "To my astonishment, I also found him in a kind of farewell mood"
[1] „Zu meinem Erstaunen fand ich auch ihn in einer Art Abschiedsstimmung.“
Declension
| 1 | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominativ | das Erstaunen | — |
| Genitiv | des Erstaunens | — |
| Dativ | dem Erstaunen | — |
| Akkusativ | das Erstaunen | — |
Pronunciation
Dictionary entries include material from Wiktionary. Wiktionary