diésel
/dje.zɛl/masculine
The English word 'diesel' can be translated into French as diésel or gazole.
Meaning: fuel (noun)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| diésel | /dje.zɛl/ | masculine |
| gazole | /ɡa.zɔl/ /ɡɑ.zɔl/ |
masculine |
Both terms refer to the fuel used in engines. gazole is the most common word used by French speakers when referring to the fuel they are buying or putting into a vehicle.
How does it change in a sentence?
Both diésel and gazole are masculine nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
diésel is pronounced /dje.zɛl/ and has two syllables.
Did you know?
- The term gazole is a corruption of 'gas oil', a term used by the British military during the world wars.
- In French, the word diésel is generally reserved for the engine type moteur diesel, whereas gazole is used for the actual liquid fuel.
- In France, you must be careful not to confuse gazole with gaz, as the latter refers to natural gas or the car's accelerator pedal.
Examples in context
- En France, beaucoup de voitures roulent au gazole.In France, a lot of cars run on diesel.This sentence is useful for seeing how gazole is used when discussing the fuel cars run on in France.Tatoeba #9626103 by carlosalberto, translation #9626053 by carlosalberto
- Cette voiture est équipée d'un moteur diesel très performant.This car is equipped with a very efficient diesel engine.
- Je préfère les voitures qui fonctionnent au gasoil.I prefer cars that run on diesel.
- Le prix du diésel a beaucoup augmenté.The price of diesel has increased a lot.
Example conversation
Hugo and Léa are at a gas station in their car.
- HugoEst-ce que ta voiture prend du diésel ?Does your car take diesel?
- LéaOui, je dois faire le plein de diésel.Yes, I need to fill up with diesel.
- HugoIl y a une pompe juste là-bas.There is a pump right over there.
- LéaParfait, merci Hugo.Perfect, thanks Hugo.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “diesel” translations and entries diésel, gazole, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
