A chemical compound of nitrogen and hydrogen (NH₃) that occurs as a pungent-smelling, colorless gas. Ammonia is used, among other things, to produce fertilizers and in cleaning products.
example
Der scharfe Geruch in dem alten Badezimmer erinnerte ihn an Reinigungsmittel mit Ammoniak.
The sharp smell in the old bathroom reminded him of cleaning products with ammonia.
Usage tips
Technical language
'Ammoniak' (ammonia) is a technical term from chemistry. In everyday life, you usually find the word in connection with cleaning products or as a description of a very pungent smell.
EXAMPLE
Im Chemieunterricht haben wir die Eigenschaften von Ammoniak besprochen.
In chemistry class, we discussed the properties of ammonia.
Typical association
A very common association with ammonia is its intense, pungent smell. It is therefore often combined with verbs and adjectives that describe smell.
EXAMPLE
Als er die Flasche öffnete, stieg ihm sofort der stechende Geruch von Ammoniak in die Nase.
When he opened the bottle, the pungent smell of ammonia immediately hit his nose.
Use without an article
As the name of a chemical substance, 'Ammoniak' (ammonia) is often used without an article, especially after prepositions such as 'mit' (with), 'ohne' (without), or 'nach' (of/like, for smells).
EXAMPLE
Das Fensterputzmittel wurde mit Ammoniak hergestellt.