Abstract: In an internal combustion engine with two or more inlet valves for each engine cylinder and roof-shaped boundary surfaces of the combustion chamber in the cylinder head--the main flow directions of the partial streams admitted into the combustion chamber by the inlet valves each forming an acute angle with the plane defined by the cylinder axes of a cylinder bank, i.e., the symmetry plane--, a strong torque of the charge in the combustion chamber is obtained at partial load without impairing the intake of charge at full load due to a deterioration of flow characteristics, by providing that the angle of at least one partial stream on one side of a plane going through the cylinder axis and being normal to the symmetry plane, be made larger by 10 to 40 degrees than the angle of at least one corresponding partial stream on the other side of this normal plane.