German Phrase
Das nervt mich.
Meaning
Literally 'That annoys me.' It expresses personal irritation or frustration about something that is bothering you. The tone is informal and can refer to anything from a noisy neighbor to a minor inconvenience.
When to use
Use this phrase in casual conversation when you want to vent about something that is irritating you. It’s common among friends, family, or colleagues in a relaxed setting, but avoid it in very formal or professional contexts.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Dasnervtmich
Das (demonstrative pronoun)
Used here as a neutral subject meaning 'that' or 'this'. It agrees with neuter nouns or abstract ideas.
nervt (verb nerven)
Third‑person singular present of 'nerven' (to annoy). The verb takes a direct object in the accusative.
mich (accusative personal pronoun)
Accusative form of 'ich' used as the object of 'nerven'.
🗨In Conversation
Das nervt mich.
That annoys me.
Was genau nervt dich?
What exactly is annoying you?
✕Common Mistakes
Das nervt mir.
The verb 'nerven' takes a direct object in the accusative, not dative.
Das ist nervt mich.
Do not use the copula 'ist' with 'nerven'; the verb itself conveys the action.
↔Alternatives
Das ärgert mich.
That irritates me.
Das geht mir auf die Nerven.
That gets on my nerves.
Das stört mich.
That disturbs me.
Cultural Tip
In German, 'nerven' is a fairly strong word for annoyance, but still everyday language. For milder irritation, speakers often say 'ärgern' or 'stören'. The idiom 'auf die Nerven gehen' (literally 'to go onto the nerves') is very common and can be used to describe something that repeatedly bothers you. Keep the phrase informal; in a business meeting you would more likely say 'Das ist störend' or 'Das bereitet mir Unbehagen'.