Quick answer
¿El depósito está lleno?
Is the tank full? Fuel policy is the single most common argument at a Spanish rental desk.
The words
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| el coche | the car |
| el volante | the steering wheel |
| el depósito | the fuel tank |
| la gasolina | the petrol |
| el gasóleo | the diesel |
| la gasolinera | the petrol station |
| el carné de conducir | the driving licence |
| el seguro | the insurance |
| la autopista | the motorway |
| el peaje | the toll |
| la rotonda | the roundabout |
| el aparcamiento | the car park |
| la multa | the fine |
| el límite de velocidad | the speed limit |
| alquilar | to hire |
The phrases you will actually say
Worth knowing
Diesel is gasóleo or, on the pump, diésel, and petrol is gasolina — asking for "gas" gets you nothing, and filling a diesel hire car with gasolina 95 is an expensive mistake. On the road, an AP road is a toll motorway with a peaje, while an A road is free; many former toll stretches were made free in 2020, so old signs and old advice conflict. Speed cameras are everywhere and fines arrive at the hire company, which charges you an admin fee on top. Two legal points catch visitors: parking bays painted blue are paid and need a ticket from a nearby machine, and Spain requires a reflective vest kept inside the cabin, not the boot, so you can put it on before getting out.
Practice
Practise your driving and car hire words
0/8 matched — tap a Spanish word, then its translation
Check yourself
Which word means diesel at a Spanish petrol station?