sigh
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sigh
A deep, audible exhalation that often expresses feelings such as sadness, relief, tiredness, or longing.
Mit einem tiefen Seufzer der Erleichterung ließ er sich in den Sessel fallen.
With a deep sigh of relief, he sank into the armchair.
The noun 'der Seufzer' (sigh) is derived directly from the verb 'seufzen' (to sigh). When someone sighs, the sound they make is a 'Seufzer' (sigh).
Man konnte hören, wie er leise seufzte.
You could hear him sigh quietly.
A 'Seufzer' (sigh) is often described with an adjective such as 'tief' (deep), 'leise' (quiet), or 'schwer' (heavy). To express the reason, a genitive construction is often used: 'ein Seufzer der Erleichterung' (a sigh of relief) or 'ein Seufzer der Enttäuschung' (a sigh of disappointment).
Als sie die Prüfungsergebnisse sah, stieß sie einen tiefen Seufzer der Erleichterung aus.
When she saw the exam results, she let out a deep sigh of relief.
You can recognize the meaning 'Gebäck' (pastry) from the context. If there is talk of 'backen' (baking), 'Kaffee' (coffee), 'Kuchen' (cake), 'süß' (sweet), or 'Bäckerei' (bakery), it probably refers to the small meringues and not the exhalation.
Meine Oma backt die besten Seufzer nach einem alten Familienrezept.
My grandma bakes the best meringues from an old family recipe.
The use of 'Seufzer' (sigh) for a meringue pastry is rather old-fashioned or regionally limited. In most parts of Germany, the term 'Baiser' (meringue) is more common for it.
In dem alten Kochbuch fand sie ein Rezept für „Seufzer mit Schokolade“.
In the old cookbook, she found a recipe for 'Seufzer mit Schokolade' (meringues with chocolate).
breath
'der Atemzug' and 'der Seufzer' both have to do with breathing, but they are not the same thing. An 'Atemzug' is neutral and means one act of breathing in and out. A 'Seufzer' is an audible, deep exhalation and often shows a feeling, for example relief, tiredness, or sadness. The words can be confused because a sigh is also part of breathing. If only the physical action is meant, 'Atemzug' fits. If a feeling becomes audible, 'Seufzer' fits.
Mit einem langen Seufzer legte Anna den schweren Brief auf den Tisch.
With a long sigh, Anna placed the heavy letter on the table.
Nach dem schnellen Lauf brauchte er ein paar ruhige Atemzüge.
After the fast run, he needed a few calm breaths.