An internal combustion engine (1), preferably for a motor vehicle, having at least one cylinder (2) which encloses a combustion chamber (3) and in which a piston (4) is situated in such a way that it may perform a stroke movement, and having at least one injector (5) per cylinder for injecting fuel into the combustion chamber (3). The respective injector (5) has multiple injection openings (9, 10) through which the fuel exits from the injector (5) and enters into the combustion chamber (3).To be able to react more fuel, first injection openings (9) and second injection openings (10) are situated relative to one another in such a way that first injection jets (15) from the first injection openings (9) reach the piston (4) essentially without contacting second injection jets (18) from the second injection openings (10).