German word

Personenwagen

Pronunciation

IPA/pɛɐ̯ˈzoːnənˌvaːgn̩/

Meaning

  • masculine nouncar

Example

Ich habe einen neuen Personenwagen gekauft.

I bought a new car.

Illustration for Personenwagen (car)

More examples

Er hat den Personenwagen beim Amt zugelassen.

He registered the car at the office.

Core concept

A wheeled vehicle built to carry passengers rather than goods, from a private car to a railway coach.

Common phrases

  • einen Personenwagen zulassen

    register a car

  • den Personenwagen versichern

    insure the car

  • mit einem Personenwagen pendeln

    commute by car

Similar words

Auto: A common spoken term for a small private passenger car.
Fahrzeug: A general term for any vehicle used to carry people or goods.
Pkw: A shortened term for a passenger car.
Waggon: A railway vehicle used to carry passengers or goods.

Definition in German

Ein Fahrzeug zur Beförderung von Personen; im Alltag meist ein Pkw, in technischen Kontexten auch ein Reisezugwagen.

Word origin

The compound joins Personen, meaning people or passengers, with Wagen, meaning vehicle or carriage, and denotes a vehicle for people.

Usage tips

  • In everyday German, Auto or Pkw is more usual for a car, while Personenwagen often has a technical or railway-related tone.

Other meanings

  • passenger coachnoun

Opposites

Word lists with this word