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What does “den Atem anhalten” mean in German?

When someone says “Das Publikum hielt den Atem an,” no one actually stopped breathing. The phrase means the audience froze in suspense, waiting to see what would happen next. German uses “den Atem anhalten” for any moment of tense waiting — before a result, a reveal, or a big announcement. Once you know it, you will catch this pause in any story.

In the clip: “Das Publikum hielt den Atem an.” — “The audience held its breath.” The verb “anhalten” (to stop/hold) breaks in two: “halten” comes first, “an” moves to the end — so you get “hielten den Atem an.” The image is a crowd frozen still, not literally breathless. Examples: “Alle hielten den Atem an, als die Namen vorgelesen wurden.” (Everyone held their breath as the names were read out.) “Ich hielt den Atem an und wartete auf die Antwort.” (I held my breath and waited for the answer.) Usage note: very common in news, sports and storytelling. You will often hear it right before a big result or surprise — the moment just before the outcome.