German · Nature, Animals & Weather

"Air" in German: Luft

die Luft

Say it: looftfeminine · die Luftnoun/lʊft/

Air in German is die Luft. Everyday lines include frische Luft and Die Luft ist schlecht. Opening a window often means wir brauchen Luft.

Stuffy room

Mach das Fenster auf die Luft ist stickig.
Open the window — the air is stuffy.
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How to pronounce Luft

Say it

looft

/lʊft/

looft. Long oo as in "food", clear f, soft stop.

"Air" in German: quick reference

GermanEnglish
die Luftthe air

Default noun.

frische Luftfresh air

Going outside.

an die frische Luftout into the fresh air

Suggestion to go out.

dicke Lufttense atmosphere

Figurative tension.

How to use Luft in real life

  1. 1Stuffy room

    Mach das Fenster auf die Luft ist stickig.

    Open the window — the air is stuffy.

    Indoor air quality.

  2. 2Walk break

    Komm, wir holen frische Luft.

    Come on, let's get some fresh air.

    Common break phrase.

  3. 3Mountain view

    Hier oben ist die Luft klar und kühl.

    Up here the air is clear and cool.

    Outdoor description.

Mistakes English speakers make with Luft

Incorrect: Der Luft ist kalt.

Correct: Die Luft ist kalt.

Luft is feminine: die Luft.

Incorrect: Ich brauche Air.

Correct: Ich brauche Luft. / Ich brauche frische Luft.

Use Luft, not the English word.

Good to know

Frische Luft is a classic German remedy for tiredness: a short walk or an open window. Dicke Luft means social tension, not weather. On trains, people still debate whether to kippen the window for more Luft.

Try it in a ChatPal conversation

Opening the office window

  1. ChatPal

    Ist die Luft hier nicht zu warm?

    Isn't the air here too warm?

  2. You

    Doch. Ohne frische Luft kann ich nicht denken.

    Yes. Without fresh air I can't think.

  3. ChatPal

    Dann Fenster auf. Mehr Luft für alle.

    Then open the window. More air for everyone.

  4. You

    Perfekt. Jetzt fühlt sich die Luft besser an.

    Perfect. Now the air feels better.

This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.

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"Air" in other languages

FAQ

Common questions about "Air" in German

How do you say air?

Die Luft.

Fresh air?

Frische Luft.

Gender?

Feminine: die Luft.

What is dicke Luft?

Figurative: a tense atmosphere between people.

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