Ich atme frische Luft ein.

I breathe in fresh air.

Breakdown of Ich atme frische Luft ein.

• ich: I
• frisch: fresh
• die Luft: the air
• einatmen: to breathe in

Questions & Answers about Ich atme frische Luft ein.

Why is ein placed at the end of the sentence instead of Ich einatme frische Luft?

Because einatmen is a separable‐prefix verb. In a main clause, the conjugated part (atme) occupies the second position and the prefix (ein) “detaches” and moves to the very end of the clause.

What exactly is a separable‐prefix verb, and how do I recognize one?

A separable‐prefix verb combines a base verb and a small prefix (e.g. ein-, aus-, mit-, zu-). In the infinitive they’re written together (e.g. einatmen). In main clauses, you conjugate the base verb and send the prefix to the end: • Infinitive: einatmen (“to inhale”)
• Present: ich atme … ein

What is the difference between atmen and einatmen?

atmen simply means “to breathe” (inhale and exhale).
einatmen specifically means “to inhale” (to breathe in).
Conversely, ausatmen means “to exhale” (to breathe out).

What case is frische Luft in, and how can I tell?

It’s in the accusative case because it functions as the direct object of atmen/einatmen. You know it’s accusative here because the verb is acting upon frische Luft (you breathe in fresh air).

Why is there no article before frische Luft?

Luft is an uncountable (mass) noun when talking generally, so German often drops the article for a general statement. You could add an article for specificity (“Ich atme die frische Luft ein” – “I inhale the fresh air [e.g. the cool air outside]”), but it’s omitted when speaking of fresh air in general.

Why does frische end in -e instead of -er or -es?

With no article before a feminine noun in accusative, you use the strong adjective ending -e: • Feminine singular (nominative or accusative) → -e
Hence frisch → frische before the feminine noun Luft.

How would I express “I breathed in fresh air” in the past tense?

In spoken German you usually use the perfect tense. The past participle of einatmen is eingeatmet, so: “Ich habe frische Luft eingeatmet.”

How do I pronounce atme and ein in this sentence?

• atme: [ˈʔatmə] – stress on the first syllable, vowel like English “a” in “father,” final “e” is a schwa (“uh”).
• ein: [aɪn] – exactly like English “ine” in “mine.”
When saying the full sentence, keep the prefix ein clipped and light at the end.