At a Gas Station in Brazil: Ask About Fuel in Portuguese — Practice

Ask for the fuel your car requires

Abastecer means to fuel a vehicle, and tanque is the tank. If you are using a rental car, check the rental instructions before choosing gasoline, ethanol, or diesel. Ask the attendant or rental company when you are unsure; do not guess from the model name.

Some stations have attendants who fuel the car, while others may work differently. You can state the fuel type you need, ask whether the tank can be filled completely, and confirm which pump or payment step to use.

Confirm the pump, payment, and receipt

After fueling, ask whether you should pay at the pump or inside the shop. Caixa means cashier or checkout, and nota fiscal is the tax receipt. Keep your rental agreement and station receipt together in case you need to document the purchase.

If you need fuel for a rental return, check the contract for its instructions and ask the rental company if anything is unclear. A language guide can help you ask the question, but the rental company sets the return requirements.

Remember: Check the required fuel first, ask the attendant which step to follow, and confirm rental return rules with the rental company.

Check your understanding

Choose the English meaning of each Portuguese example. Answer before looking back at the tables. These questions check the written examples in this guide; they are not a listening or proficiency test.

Recall the Portuguese, then say it

Read the English prompt and say a Portuguese version before opening the answer. The answer shows the example from the lesson; other natural translations may also work. Compare the meaning and the situation rather than counting a different word as automatically wrong.

1. Could you fill it with gasoline, please?

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Pode abastecer com gasolina, por favor?

2. Which fuel does this car use?

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Qual combustível este carro usa?

3. Could you fill the tank?

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Pode completar o tanque?

4. Do I pay at the cashier or here?

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Eu pago no caixa ou aqui?

5. Could you give me the receipt?

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Você pode me dar a nota fiscal?

6. Do I need to return the car with a full tank?

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Preciso devolver o carro com o tanque cheio?

Make the phrase useful to you

Choose one example you could actually use. Say it once from memory, then change one detail that fits your life, such as the person, place, time, or object. Check whether your change also needs a different verb form, article, or adjective ending. If it does, compare it with the pattern in the explanation.

Check the required fuel first, ask the attendant which step to follow, and confirm rental return rules with the rental company.

Return to two prompts tomorrow without opening the answers first. If a phrase still feels difficult, shorten it to a useful chunk and build the complete sentence again.

Sources and your next lesson

This I Speak Portuguese practice guide builds on our At a Gas Station in Brazil: Ask About Fuel in Portuguese lesson on Real Life Portuguese, with written recall tasks and additional speaking practice. The explanations and examples are teaching material; the practice questions are exercises, not a transcript of a recording.

To add Brazilian audio to your routine, choose a lesson in the Real Life Portuguese app. The app offers its own lessons and practice; this page does not imply that every example here has an app recording.