noun
breath, respiration
B1
Means 'breath' or 'respiration' (also 'breath' as a noun). German gender masculine: der Atem. Plural is die Atemzüge (not Atems). Genitive singular des Atems. Common collocations: einen Atemzug, den Atem anhalten. No specific preposition required; regular declension patterns with umlaut in plural.
Examples
Der Arzt hörte den Atem des Patienten.
The doctor listened to the patient's respiration.
Nach dem Lauf war sein Atem schnell.
After the run his breath was rapid.
Nach dem langen Lauf war sein Atem schnell und flach.
After the long run, his breathing was fast and shallow.
Details
Mnemonics
Imagine seeing a visible breath in cold air — that is your 'Atem'.
A-tem — say 'a temp' to remember the pause of a breath.
der — associate it with 'der Mann' (the man) breathing; Atem is masculine.
Notes
Often used both literally ('breath') and in fixed expressions (e.g., 'ohne Atem' = 'out of breath').