German Phrase
Hast du gestern Nacht den Donner gehört?
Meaning
The speaker is asking whether the listener heard the sound of thunder during the night that just passed. It implies there was a storm or heavy weather the previous evening.
When to use
Use this sentence after a thunderstorm, in casual conversation, or when you want to check if someone noticed the thunder. It works well in informal settings among friends or family.
✦Grammar Breakdown
HastdugesternNachtdenDonnergehört?
Perfekt with 'haben'
The perfect tense for most verbs uses 'haben' as the auxiliary and the past participle at the end of the clause.
Verb‑first in yes/no questions
In a yes/no question the finite verb moves to the first position, followed by the subject.
Accusative object
'Den Donner' is accusative because it is the direct object of the verb 'hören'.
Time expression 'gestern Nacht'
'Gestern Nacht' is a colloquial way to say 'last night'; more formal is 'in der letzten Nacht' or 'letzte Nacht'.
🗨In Conversation
Hast du gestern Nacht den Donner gehört?
Did you hear the thunder last night?
Ja, das war ziemlich laut! Ich habe sogar das Blitzlicht gesehen.
Yes, it was quite loud! I even saw the lightning.
✕Common Mistakes
War du gestern Nacht den Donner?
Use the perfect tense with 'gehört', not the simple past 'hörte' or 'war' which means 'was'.
Hast du gestern Nacht der Donner gehört?
The object is accusative, so it must be 'den Donner', not the nominative 'der Donner'.
Hast du gestern Abend den Donner gehört?
'Gestern Abend' means 'last evening' and does not convey the night time; use 'gestern Nacht' or 'letzte Nacht'.
↔Alternatives
Hast du letzte Nacht den Donner gehört?
Did you hear the thunder last night?
Hast du gestern Abend den Donner vernommen?
Did you perceive the thunder last night?
Hast du in der letzten Nacht den Donner gehört?
Did you hear the thunder during the last night?
Cultural Tip
Talking about the weather is a common ice‑breaker in German culture. When mentioning thunder, Germans often say 'es hat gedonnert' (it thundered) or refer to the whole event as a 'Gewitter'. In formal writing you would avoid the colloquial 'gestern Nacht' and prefer 'letzte Nacht' or 'in der letzten Nacht'.