01
das Benzin
gasoline
A liquid fuel made from petroleum that is used to power vehicles with a spark-ignition engine.
example
Die Preise für Benzin sind in letzter Zeit stark gestiegen.
Gasoline prices have risen sharply recently.
das Benzin
gasoline
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Meanings
Usage tips
False friend
Careful: 'Benzin' (gasoline) is the fuel for cars. The German word 'Gas' refers to a substance in a gaseous state (e.g., natural gas for heating) and not to fuel, unlike the English word 'gas' (short for 'gasoline').
EXAMPLE
Ich muss an der nächsten Tankstelle anhalten, um Benzin zu tanken.
I have to stop at the next gas station to get gasoline.
Typical collocations
Common and useful everyday phrases are 'Benzin tanken' (to fill up with gasoline), 'das Benzin ist leer/alle' (the gasoline is gone/empty), and 'mit Benzin fahren' (to run on gasoline). 'Benzinpreise' (gasoline prices) are also a common topic of conversation.
EXAMPLE
Mist, das Benzin ist fast alle, wir müssen bald tanken.
Damn, we're almost out of gas; we need to fill up soon.
Compound words
'Benzin' (gasoline) is a very productive word and forms many useful compound nouns. Examples include 'der Benzinpreis' (gasoline price), 'der Benzinverbrauch' (fuel consumption), 'der Benzinmotor' (gasoline engine), or 'der Benzinkanister' (gasoline can).
EXAMPLE
Der hohe Benzinverbrauch meines alten Autos ist ein Problem.
The high fuel consumption of my old car is a problem.
Compare with
Benzin vs Diesel
diesel
'Diesel' and 'Benzin' are both fuels for vehicles, but they belong to different engines. You need 'Diesel' for a diesel engine, and 'Benzin' for a gasoline engine. The words are easy to confuse because you fill up with both at the gas station and both power cars. The important point is: choose the word based on the vehicle's engine. Using the wrong fuel can be a problem for the car.
Benzin
Meine Mutter hat am Morgen Benzin getankt, weil ihr Auto fast leer war.
My mother filled up with gasoline in the morning because her car was almost empty.
Diesel
An der Tankstelle prüft Ali zuerst, ob die Säule wirklich Diesel hat.
At the gas station, Ali first checks whether the pump really has diesel.
In real life
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