Autos
The English phrase 'cars' is translated into German as Autos.
Autos refers to road vehicles with four wheels and an engine used for transporting people. While Autos is the standard way to refer to these vehicles, you may encounter the generic term Fahrzeug, which means 'vehicle' and can refer to any type of transport, though it is commonly used to talk about cars.
Which one should you use?
Depending on the context, different words are used: Autos is the standard term, whereas Kraftwagen is used in technical or legal settings and Karre is a slang term used colloquially.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of the word is Autos.
Did you know?
- When talking about cars in a way that emphasizes their elegance or luxury, Germans might use the word Schlitten, which actually means 'sled'.
- In some regions of Germany, people use the word Kiste meaning 'box' as a slang synonym for Auto.
- German uses the word PKW, an abbreviation for Personenkraftwagen, on parking signs and official forms to specifically distinguish 'passenger cars' from commercial vehicles.
Examples in context
- Er hat zwei Autos.He's got two cars.This sentence is useful for showing how to express possession of Autos.Tatoeba #2160483 by freddy1, translation #1585709 by Gulliver
- Er hat drei Autos.He has three cars.This sentence is useful for expressing possession of multiple Autos.Tatoeba #8875664 by wolfgangth, translation #8480974 by CH
- Er mag Autos sehr.He really likes cars.This sentence is useful for expressing a preference for Autos.Tatoeba #12928317 by mhr, translation #13597480 by araneo
- Ich habe ein neues Auto.I have a new car.
- Er fährt seinen Wagen gerne schnell.He likes to drive his car fast.
- Dieses Fahrzeug hat ein gutes Sicherheitssystem.This vehicle has a good safety system.
- Ich habe meine Karre gestern gewaschen.I washed my car yesterday.
- Er hat sich ein gebrauchtes Auto gekauft.He bought a used car.
- 242 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Maximilian and Sarah are talking about their parking space.
- MaximilianHier stehen zu viele Autos.There are too many cars standing here.
- SarahWir brauchen mehr Platz für unsere Autos.We need more space for our cars.
- MaximilianStimmt, die Autos blockieren die Einfahrt.True, the cars are blocking the driveway.
- SarahIch rufe die Polizei an.I will call the police.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
