No. 754 in Afrikaans

asem

Breath.

In a sentence

Sy asem was sigbaar in die koue lug.
Her breath was visible in the cold air.
In this sentence, 'asem' represents 'breath', referring to the air exhaled by a person, particularly visible in cold conditions.
Hy het diep asem gehaal voor hy begin praat.
He took a deep breath before he started speaking.
Here, 'asem' again means 'breath' but is part of the expression 'asemhaal', literally meaning to 'breathe'.
'n Netjiese huis kan mense se asem wegslaan.
A tidy house can take people's breath away.
In this sentence, 'asem' figuratively refers to 'breath' in the idiomatic expression 'asem wegslaan', used metaphorically to indicate astonishment or admiration.

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