noun
air, atmosphere
B1
Luft (die) means 'air' or 'atmosphere', referring to the gas around us or the general atmosphere. Typically uncountable; plural 'Lüfte' is rare/poetic. Declension: die Luft (nom. sg.). Use in phrases like 'an der frischen Luft'. No special preposition required, but 'an der Luft'/'an der frischen Luft' common.
Examples
Die frische Luft in den Bergen tut gut.
The fresh air in the mountains does you good.
Die Luft ist heute sehr frisch.
The air is very fresh today.
In der Stadt ist die Luft manchmal verschmutzt.
In the city the air is sometimes polluted.
Details
Mnemonics
Picture lungs filling with fresh air and the word 'Luft' floating around
sounds like English 'loft' (swap letters)
die - think of 'die Luft' as 'she' (feminine) carrying clouds like a dress
Notes
Usually used uncountably (no plural) in everyday contexts; 'Lüfte' is a poetic/rare plural. Common collocations: 'frische Luft', 'saubere Luft', 'Luft verschmutzen'. | Singular-only noun; plural declension forms are not applicable.