passenger car / coach
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passenger car
A motor vehicle designed primarily for transporting people; a car. The official abbreviation is PKW.
Für die Urlaubsreise mit der Familie mieteten sie einen geräumigen Personenwagen.
For the family vacation trip, they rented a spacious passenger car.
passenger coach
A train car equipped for carrying passengers.
Der Schaffner ging durch alle Personenwagen, um die Fahrkarten zu kontrollieren.
The conductor walked through all the passenger coaches to check the tickets.
The word is a compound of 'Personen' (people; plural of Person) and 'Wagen' (car/coach). So it literally describes a vehicle intended for transporting people.
Ein Personenwagen bietet in der Regel Platz für vier bis fünf Leute.
A passenger car usually has room for four to five people.
You can clearly tell which meaning is intended from the context. In connection with 'Zug' (train), 'Bahn' (railway), or 'Gleisen' (tracks), it always means a railway coach. In the context of 'Straße' (road), 'Verkehr' (traffic), or 'fahren' (to drive), it means a car.
Der Zug bestand aus einem Speisewagen und sieben Personenwagen.
The train consisted of a dining car and seven passenger coaches.
In the meaning 'Auto' (car), 'Personenwagen' (passenger car) is a formal, official term. It is rarely used in everyday language. The abbreviation 'PKW' or 'Pkw' is very common in official texts.
Bitte geben Sie im Formular die Marke Ihres Personenwagens an.
Please enter the make of your passenger car on the form.
In a railway context, the word is often used with verbs such as 'einsteigen' (to get on), 'aussteigen' (to get off), or 'durchqueren' (to pass through). People also speak of 'Personenwagen der ersten oder zweiten Klasse' (first- or second-class passenger coaches).
Die Reisenden stiegen in die bereits wartenden Personenwagen ein.
The travelers boarded the passenger coaches that were already waiting.
car
Auto and Personenwagen can refer to the same motor vehicle. Auto is neutral and common in everyday use. In this sense, Personenwagen sounds more technical, official, or regional, so it is particularly suitable for formal descriptions.
Im Gutachten wird der beschädigte Personenwagen genau beschrieben.
The report gives a detailed description of the damaged passenger car.
Nach dem Unfall steht mein Auto in der Werkstatt.
After the accident, my car is at the repair shop.
