der Schaum
foam
A mass of many small gas bubbles that forms on or in a liquid, for example with soap, beer, or on ocean waves.
EXAMPLE
Das Badewasser war voller duftendem Schaum.
The bathwater was full of fragrant foam.
der Schaum
foam
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Meanings
der Schaum
foam
A porous, lightweight material that is manufactured industrially and used for insulation, cushioning, or packaging.
EXAMPLE
Die neue Matratze ist aus einem speziellen Kaltschaum gefertigt.
The new mattress is made from a special cold foam.
Schaum vor dem Mund haben
to foam at the mouth
A fixed expression meaning that someone is extremely angry or furious.
EXAMPLE
Als er die Kratzer an seinem neuen Auto sah, hatte er Schaum vor dem Mund.
When he saw the scratches on his new car, he was foaming at the mouth.
der Schaum
mousse
A light, airy dish that is often served as a dessert; a mousse.
EXAMPLE
Zum Nachtisch gab es einen leichten Schaum von dunkler Schokolade.
For dessert, there was a light dark chocolate mousse.
Usage tips
Word family
The noun 'der Schaum' (foam) is the basis for the verb 'schäumen' (to foam) and the adjective 'schaumig' (foamy). When a liquid foams, it forms foam.
EXAMPLE
Die Seife schäumt gut, wenn man sie mit Wasser mischt.
The soap foams well when you mix it with water.
Fixed expression
The idiom 'Schaum vor dem Mund haben' (to foam at the mouth) means to be extremely angry. The phrase is fixed and is always used in this form to express great rage.
EXAMPLE
Als der Chef die schlechten Zahlen sah, hatte er Schaum vor dem Mund.
When the boss saw the bad numbers, he was foaming at the mouth.
Context clue
You can easily recognize the meaning of 'Schaum' (foam) from context. In the bath or on drinks, it is a liquid mass (m01), in mattresses or packaging a solid material (m02), and on menus a dessert (m04).
EXAMPLE
Auf meinem Cappuccino ist immer viel Milchschaum.
There is always a lot of milk foam on my cappuccino.
Typical verbs
When foam is actively produced, the verb 'schlagen' (to beat/whip) is often used. For example, you can beat cream or egg whites into foam.
EXAMPLE
Für den Kuchen muss man das Eiweiß zu steifem Schaum schlagen.
For the cake, you have to beat the egg whites into a stiff foam.
Compare with
Schaum vs Creme
cream
The Creme on an espresso is a distinctive, dense, golden-brown layer of foam and its usual designation. Schaum is the more general term for a mass of small gas bubbles. For espresso, Schaum is understandable in objective terms, but Creme describes the typical layer more precisely.
Schaum
Beim Brühen bildet sich feiner Schaum auf dem Espresso.
Fine foam forms on the espresso while it is brewing.
Creme
Auf dem frisch gebrühten Espresso liegt eine dichte, goldbraune Creme.
A dense, golden-brown layer of crema sits on the freshly brewed espresso.
In real life
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