Breakdown of La macchina è senza benzina.
essere
to be
la macchina
the car
senza
without
la benzina
the petrol, the gasoline
Questions & Answers about La macchina è senza benzina.
Why does Italian use senza here instead of translating 'out of'?
In English, you say a car is 'out of' gas, but Italian expresses this condition more literally: the car is 'without' gas (è senza benzina). You cannot translate the English phrase 'out of' word-for-word in this context.
Why is there no definite article before benzina? Shouldn't it be senza la benzina?
When using the preposition senza (without) with uncountable, general nouns like benzina (petrol/gas), Italian usually drops the definite article, just like in English.
Does macchina mean 'car' or 'machine'?
Macchina literally translates to 'machine', but in everyday conversation, it is the most common word for 'car'. You will also hear l'auto, but macchina is the standard choice in informal, daily situations.
If the car is out of gas, how would I say 'It is necessary to get gas' using bisogna?
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