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
das Benzin, die Benzine
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Meanings
Forms
Forms adapted from the German Wiktionary entry Benzin, by Wiktionary contributors, licence CC BY-SA 4.0.
At a glance
| gender | neuter das |
|---|---|
| plural | die Benzine |
| genitive | des Benzins |
The four cases
| singular | plural | |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | das Benzin | die Benzine |
| accusative | das Benzin | die Benzine |
| dative | dem Benzin | den Benzinen |
| genitive | des Benzins | der Benzine |
The article changes with the case; it is shown in colour.
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.
Unsere Heizung funktioniert mit Gas.
Our heating system runs on gas.
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.
Fährt dein Auto mit Benzin oder Diesel?
Does your car run on gasoline or diesel?
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 gasoline are fuels for vehicles, but they are used with different types of engines. Diesel is used for a vehicle with a diesel engine, while gasoline is used for a vehicle with a spark-ignition engine. What matters, therefore, is which engine your car has.
Benzin
Für unser Auto mit Ottomotor tanken wir Benzin.
We fill our car with a spark-ignition engine with gasoline.
Diesel
Für unser Auto mit Dieselmotor tanken wir Diesel.
We fill our diesel-powered car with diesel.
In real life
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