01
der Qualm
smoke
Thick, often acrid or foul-smelling smoke that results from incomplete combustion.
example
Der dichte Qualm aus dem Kamin zog durch das ganze Zimmer.
The thick smoke from the fireplace drifted through the whole room.
der Qualm
smoke
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Meanings
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Usage tips
Uncountable noun
'Qualm' (smoke) is almost always used as an uncountable noun in the singular. You do not say 'vielen Qualmen', but rather 'viel Qualm' (a lot of smoke). If you want to express a quantity, you often use compounds like 'Qualmwolke' (cloud of smoke).
EXAMPLE
Dichte Qualmwolken stiegen vom Fabrikschornstein auf.
Thick clouds of smoke rose from the factory chimney.
Typical adjectives
'Qualm' (smoke) is often combined with adjectives that describe its unpleasant qualities. Common examples are 'dichter Qualm' (thick smoke), 'schwarzer Qualm' (black smoke), or 'beißender Qualm' (acrid smoke).
EXAMPLE
Wegen des beißenden Qualms mussten die Anwohner ihre Fenster schließen.
Because of the acrid smoke, the residents had to close their windows.
Register: colloquial
When 'Qualm' (smoke) is used for the smoke from cigarettes or cigars, this is usually colloquial. In this context, the word often has a slightly negative note and describes an unpleasantly smoky atmosphere.
EXAMPLE
Können wir das Fenster aufmachen? Der ganze Qualm stört mich.
Can we open the window? All this smoke is bothering me.
Compare with
Qualm vs Rauch
smoke
'Rauch' and 'Qualm' both mean visible air with gases and small particles that forms during combustion. 'Rauch' is the more general and neutral word. 'Qualm' sounds stronger: it is often dense, unpleasant, acrid, or bad-smelling. With cigarettes, people also often use 'Qualm' colloquially. If you simply want to describe neutrally that something is smoking, 'Rauch' fits. If you want to emphasize that there is a lot of it and that it is unpleasant, 'Qualm' fits better.
Qualm
Im kleinen Raum war so viel Qualm, dass wir das Fenster öffnen mussten.
There was so much smoke in the small room that we had to open the window.
Rauch
Der Rauch vom Lagerfeuer zog langsam durch den Garten.
The smoke from the campfire drifted slowly through the garden.
In real life
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