four-cylinder
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four-cylinder engine
An internal combustion engine that has four cylinders. This design is common in many compact and mid-size cars.
Der neue Kleinwagen wird von einem sparsamen Vierzylinder angetrieben.
The new small car is powered by an economical four-cylinder engine.
This word is a clear compound of the number word 'vier' (four) and the noun 'der Zylinder' (cylinder). So it literally refers to an engine made up of four cylinders.
Moderne Vierzylinder sind oft sehr effizient.
Modern four-cylinder engines are often very efficient.
The pattern '[number] + zylinder' is used for different engine types. There are also 'Sechszylinder' (six-cylinder), 'Achtzylinder' (eight-cylinder), and 'Zwölfzylinder' (twelve-cylinder), which are often found in larger and more powerful cars.
Ein Sportwagen hat oft einen Achtzylinder-Motor.
A sports car often has an eight-cylinder engine.
You can tell whether the engine or the whole car is meant from the verb. If it is about driving or buying, the car is usually meant. If the engine is being described, it is about the technology.
Mein erstes Auto war ein alter, aber zuverlässiger Vierzylinder.
My first car was an old but reliable four-cylinder.
Using 'Vierzylinder' (four-cylinder) for an entire car is typical of colloquial language. In technical data sheets or formal texts, one would more likely say 'Fahrzeug mit Vierzylindermotor' (vehicle with a four-cylinder engine).
Er fährt einen kleinen Vierzylinder, um Sprit zu sparen.
He drives a small four-cylinder to save fuel.
cylinder / top hat
'der Zylinder' and 'der Vierzylinder' can both appear in connection with engines. A 'Zylinder' is a single component in an engine in which the piston moves. A 'Vierzylinder', on the other hand, is an engine with four such cylinders, or colloquially also a vehicle with that kind of engine. The words can be confused because 'Vierzylinder' contains the word 'Zylinder'. When you are talking about a single engine component, you say 'Zylinder'. When you are describing the type of engine or the car, you say 'Vierzylinder'.
Der neue Wagen ist ein sparsamer Vierzylinder.
The new car is an economical four-cylinder.
In der Werkstatt wurde ein Zylinder des Motors überprüft.
At the workshop, one cylinder of the engine was inspected.