A chemical element with the symbol S that occurs as a yellow solid and is known for its characteristic smell when burned.
example
Schwefel wird in der chemischen Industrie unter anderem zur Herstellung von Schwefelsäure benötigt.
Sulfur is needed in the chemical industry, among other things, to produce sulfuric acid.
Usage tips
Word family
'Schwefel' (sulfur) is the basis for the adjective 'schweflig' (sulfurous) and for many chemical terms. If you see 'schwefel-' in a word, it often has to do with this element.
EXAMPLE
Der Geruch war leicht schweflig.
The smell was slightly sulfurous.
Typical collocation
A very common phrase is 'nach Schwefel riechen' (to smell of sulfur) or 'nach Schwefel stinken' (to stink of sulfur). This describes the characteristic smell often associated with volcanoes or rotten eggs.
EXAMPLE
Aus dem Vulkankrater stieg ein Dampf auf, der stark nach Schwefel roch.
Steam rose from the volcanic crater and smelled strongly of sulfur.
Technical language
'Schwefel' (sulfur) is a technical term from chemistry. In everyday language, the word is used almost only in connection with its typical smell.
EXAMPLE
Im Chemieunterricht haben wir die Eigenschaften von Schwefel besprochen.
In chemistry class, we discussed the properties of sulfur.