Gasgeben

Gas geben is a common German expression meaning to accelerate or to increase speed, and by extension to put more effort into an activity. It is used in driving contexts as well as in everyday speech to convey urgency, speed, or intensified effort. The phrase is often translated as “step on the gas” or “step up the pace.”

Etymology and grammar: The expression combines Gas, referring to the gas pedal, with geben, the verb “to give.” Gas geben is a separable verb; in present tense the prefix splits: ich gebe Gas, du gibst Gas, er gibt Gas. The imperative form is Gib Gas! or Gebt Gas! The past tense is Ich habe Gas gegeben. Standard orthography writes it as two words; the single-word form Gasgeben is not the normal spelling in German, though you may encounter it as a noun-like or product-name variant in rare contexts.

Usage and nuance: In driving, Gas geben means to accelerate, often to avoid being late or to overtake. Figuratively, it denotes increasing effort, speed, or intensity—e.g., a team that needs to “Gas geben” to close the gap, or someone who “gibt richtig Gas” in a competition or project. The tone is typically informal and energetic, widely understood across German-speaking regions.

See also: Beschleunigen, Beschleunigung, Gas pedal, idiomatic German expressions.