draft / passage
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draft
A noticeable current of air that moves through a room or building, typically when opposite windows or doors are open.
Mach bitte das Fenster zu, es herrscht ein unangenehmer Durchzug!
Please close the window; there's an unpleasant draft!
The word is made up of the preposition 'durch' (through) and the noun 'Zug' (from 'ziehen' [to pull]). So it literally describes a movement that goes through something, whether air or a crowd of people.
Der Zug der Vögel nach Süden ist ein beeindruckendes Schauspiel.
The migration of birds to the south is an impressive spectacle.
You can easily recognize the meaning from the context. If it is about rooms, windows, doors, and cold air, it refers to the air current. In historical or news texts about soldiers, refugees, or large groups, it refers to the movement of people.
Schließ die Balkontür, der Durchzug ist ja eiskalt!
Close the balcony door; the draft is freezing!
In connection with an air current, typical phrases are 'Durchzug machen' (to create a cross-draft / air out), 'es herrscht Durchzug' (there is a draft), or 'einen (kalten) Durchzug spüren' (to feel a [cold] draft).
Ich mache morgens immer für fünf Minuten Durchzug im Schlafzimmer.
I always create a draft in the bedroom for five minutes in the morning.
In German-speaking countries, many people find a 'Durchzug' (draft) very unpleasant and believe that it can make you catch a cold. The word therefore often has a negative connotation.
Setz dich nicht in den Durchzug, sonst wirst du krank!
Don't sit in the draft, or you'll get sick!
train / move / draft
'der Zug' and 'der Durchzug' can both mean a noticeable current of air in a room. 'Zug' is more general and can simply refer to cold air that you feel somewhere. 'Durchzug' is more specific: it means that air is moving through a room, usually because windows or doors on different sides are open. Learners may confuse the words because both come up in everyday situations involving cold air in a room. If you only want to say that there is a draft, 'Zug' fits. If the air is really flowing through the room, 'Durchzug' is more precise.
Wegen des Durchzugs knallte die Tür plötzlich zu.
Because of the draft, the door suddenly slammed shut.
Mach bitte das Fenster zu, ich spüre hier einen kalten Zug.
Please close the window; I can feel a cold draft here.