German word

tanken

Pronunciation

IPA/ˈtaŋkən/

Meaning

  • verbfill up

Example

Ich tanke gleich an der Tankstelle.

I'll fill up at the gas station shortly.

Illustration for tanken (fill up)

More examples

Nach dem langen Lauf konnte er neue Energie tanken.

After the long run, he could replenish his energy.

Core concept

A nearly empty gauge is restored at a station, whether a vehicle receives fuel or a person regains energy.

Common phrases

  • Benzin tanken

    fill up with gasoline

  • Energie tanken

    replenish one's energy

  • tanken an der Zapfsäule

    fill up at the gas pump

Similar words

volltanken: Filling a vehicle's fuel tank completely.
nachtanken: Adding fuel again when a vehicle's supply is running low.
auftanken: Replenishing a vehicle's fuel for continued travel.

Definition in German

tanken bedeutet, an einer Tankstelle Kraftstoff in den Tank eines Fahrzeugs zu füllen.

Word origin

German formed tanken from the noun Tank by adding the verb ending -en; Tank entered German from English for a large container.

Usage tips

  • Tanken often appears without an object when the vehicle and fuel are clear, as in Ich muss noch tanken.

Other meanings

  • refuelverb

Opposites

  • entleerenemptyverb
  • ablassendrainverb

Related words

  • auftankenrefuelverb
  • betankenfuelverb
  • Tankstellegas stationnoun

Word lists with this word