Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA |
|---|---|
| gasolina | /ɡasoˈlina/ |
| bencina | /benˈθina/ /benˈsina/ |
| nafta | /ˈnafta/ |
This term refers to the liquid fuel used in vehicles. If you want to express the action of filling a vehicle's fuel tank, you can use the phrases echar gasolina, llenar el tanque or repostar. The related verb gasear means to kill with poisonous gas.
Which one should you use?
While gasolina is the most universally understood term for gasoline, regional terms like bencina or nafta are preferred in specific countries.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Chile, bencina is used specifically for gasoline. In Argentina and Uruguay, nafta is used instead of gasolina. In Spain or parts of Latin America, note that gasoil refers specifically to diesel fuel.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
/ɡasoˈlina/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use the literal translation of 'gas' (referring to the gaseous state) when they actually mean the liquid fuel gasolina.
Did you know?
- The phrase echar gasolina literally translates to 'throw gasoline', rather than 'fill' or 'put'.
- The Spanish term gasolina is actually a loanword from English, unlike many other Spanish words which have Latin roots.
- If you are in Spain and ask for 'gas', you might be asking for the heating fuel for a stove rather than the liquid fuel for a car.
Examples in context
- La moto se quedó sin nafta.The motorcycle ran out of gas.Tatoeba #4507318 by emanuel81, translation #4506189 by Jesse
- Tom le puso gasolina al auto.Tom put gas in the car.Tatoeba #1173945 by marcelostockle, translation #1164304 by CK
- ¿Quién va a pagar la gasolina?Who's paying for the gas?Tatoeba #5056328 by don_ramon, translation #3150473 by CK
- Necesito llenar el tanque de gasolina de mi coche.I need to fill up my car's gasoline tank.
- Recuerda que debes utilizar un combustible de calidad en el generador.Remember to use high-quality fuel in the generator.
- Tenemos que cargar nafta en el coche antes de viajar.We have to fill up the car with gasoline before traveling.
- El camión necesita gasoil para recorrer largas distancias.The truck needs diesel fuel for long trips.
- Disculpe, ¿dónde puedo encontrar una gasolinera cerca de aquí?Excuse me, where can I find a gas station nearby?
- 34 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Alejandro and Sofía are sitting in a car during a road trip.
- AlejandroSofía, ¿sabes cuánto cuesta la gasolina?Sofía, do you know how much the gasoline costs?
- SofíaNo estoy segura, pero es muy cara.I am not sure, but it is very expensive.
- AlejandroNecesitamos poner gasolina pronto.We need to put gasoline in soon.
- SofíaTienes razón, busquemos una estación.You are right, let's look for a station.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “gas” translations and entries gasolina, bencina, nafta, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bencina, gasolina, nafta, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
