accelerator pedal
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accelerator pedal
The pedal in a motor vehicle that controls the engine's speed by regulating the fuel supply.
Um zu beschleunigen, musst du das Gaspedal durchtreten.
To accelerate, you have to press the accelerator pedal all the way down.
The word consists of 'Gas' (gas/throttle) and 'Pedal' (pedal). It is the pedal with which you give the engine 'Gas' (gas/throttle), meaning you increase the fuel supply in order to accelerate.
Als Fahranfänger war er anfangs sehr vorsichtig mit dem Gaspedal.
As a learner driver, he was very cautious with the accelerator pedal at first.
The most common verbs used in connection with the accelerator pedal are 'treten' (to step on), 'drücken' (to press), or 'durchtreten' (to press all the way down), in order to accelerate. To slow down, you 'geht man vom Gaspedal' (take your foot off the accelerator pedal).
Er trat auf das Gaspedal, um das andere Auto zu überholen.
He stepped on the accelerator pedal to overtake the other car.
The expression 'aufs Gaspedal treten' (to step on the accelerator pedal) or 'Gas geben' (to give it gas) is also used figuratively. It then means to speed something up or to try harder.
Wenn wir das Projekt rechtzeitig fertigstellen wollen, müssen wir jetzt aufs Gaspedal treten.
If we want to finish the project on time, we need to step on the accelerator now.
