01
der Sprit
fuel
Colloquial term for fuel, especially gasoline or diesel, used to power vehicles.
example
Ich muss noch tanken, der Sprit ist fast alle.
I still need to fill up; the fuel is almost gone.
der Sprit
fuel / booze
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Meanings
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Usage tips
Register: colloquial
The word 'Sprit' is colloquial in both meanings: fuel and alcohol. It is usually avoided in formal or written contexts.
EXAMPLE
Kannst du auf dem Rückweg noch Sprit für den Grillanzünder mitbringen?
Can you bring some fuel for the grill lighter on your way back?
Context clue
You can easily recognize the meaning of 'Sprit' from the context. Verbs like 'tanken' (to fill up) and nouns like 'Auto' (car) or 'Preise' (prices) point to fuel. Words like 'Party' (party), 'trinken' (to drink), or 'Flasche' (bottle) point to alcohol.
EXAMPLE
Die Spritpreise sind schon wieder gestiegen.
Fuel prices have gone up again.
Uncountable noun
In both meanings, 'Sprit' is used as an uncountable noun. You say 'viel Sprit' (a lot of fuel/booze) or 'wenig Sprit' (little fuel/booze), but not 'ein Sprit' or 'zwei Sprite'.
EXAMPLE
Wir haben nicht mehr genug Sprit, um nach Hause zu kommen.
We don't have enough fuel left to get home.
Typical collocations
For the meaning 'Kraftstoff' (fuel), fixed expressions such as 'Sprit sparen' (to save fuel), 'jemandem geht der Sprit aus' (someone is running out of fuel), or complaints about 'hohe Spritpreise' (high fuel prices) are very common.
EXAMPLE
Mit einem modernen Auto kann man viel Sprit sparen.
With a modern car, you can save a lot of fuel.
Compare with
Sprit vs Alkohol
alcohol
'der Alkohol' and 'der Sprit' can both mean alcoholic drinks in colloquial language. 'Alkohol' is more neutral and general. 'Sprit' is colloquial and, when talking about drinks, often means strong alcohol. The risk of confusion is especially high because 'Sprit' can also mean fuel for cars. That is why context is important: at the gas station, 'Sprit' means gasoline or diesel; at a party, it can mean alcohol. In neutral or official situations, 'Alkohol' is clearer.
Sprit
Für die lange Fahrt müssen wir noch Sprit tanken.
We still need to fill up with fuel for the long drive.
Alkohol
Nach der Arbeit hat der Fahrer keinen Alkohol getrunken.
After work, the driver did not drink any alcohol.
In real life
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