German Conversation · Level 67
60 words
German word
Atem
Pronunciation
IPA/ˈaːtəm/
Meaning
- masculine nounbreath
Example
Ich halte den Atem an.
I hold my breath.
More examples
Das Feuerwerk raubte den Zuschauern den Atem.
The fireworks took the spectators' breath away.
Core concept
A stream of air moving into and out of the lungs, also held or released as a person's breath.
Common phrases
jemandem den Atem rauben
take ___'s breath away
den Atem verlieren
lose one's breath
Similar words
Atemzug: One complete cycle of breathing in and breathing out.
Atmung: The body's ongoing process of taking in and releasing air.
Luft: The gas surrounding people and animals, including air used for breathing.
Lunge: An organ in the chest that takes in air and exchanges gases.
Definition in German
Atem bezeichnet die Bewegung der Luft beim Ein- und Ausatmen.
Word origin
German Atem continues Middle High German ātem and Old High German ātum, an inherited Germanic noun related to atmen, 'to breathe'.
Usage tips
- Atem is masculine, so the usual article is der; 'den Atem anhalten' uses the accusative after the separable verb anhalten.
Other meanings
- breathingnoun
Opposites
- Atemstillstandrespiratory arrestnoun
Related words
- Atemzugbreathnoun
- atemberaubendbreathtakingadjective
- Atmungbreathingnoun