Meaning and Usage
The German verb fahren means to drive or to travel. It is commonly used when referring to operating a vehicle or moving from one place to another by some mode of transportation. Depending on context, it can imply driving a car, riding a bike, or traveling by bus, train, or other transport.
Verb Type and Stem Change
Fahren is an irregular verb with a stem vowel change in the present tense singular and second person plural forms. The vowel changes from a to ä in these forms. It is a strong verb, so the past participle and simple past forms also change.
Present Tense Conjugation
Here is the present tense conjugation of fahren with examples:
| German Pronoun | German Conjugation | English Conjugation | German Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ich | fahre | I drive / I am driving | Ich fahre jeden Tag zur Arbeit. | I drive to work every day. |
| du | fährst | you drive (informal) | Du fährst zu schnell. | You drive too fast. |
| er/sie/es | fährt | he/she/it drives | Er fährt mit dem Auto. | He drives by car. |
| wir | fahren | we drive | Wir fahren morgen nach Berlin. | We are traveling to Berlin tomorrow. |
| ihr | fahrt | you (plural) drive | Ihr fahrt mit dem Bus. | You (all) drive by bus. |
| sie/Sie | fahren | they/you (formal) drive | Sie fahren oft Fahrrad. | They often ride a bike. |
Simple Past and Past Participle
- Simple past: fuhr
- Past participle: gefahren
These forms are used in past tense narratives or with perfect tense constructions. For example:
Ich fuhr gestern nach München. (I drove to Munich yesterday.)
Er ist mit dem Zug gefahren. (He traveled by train.)
Usage Notes
- Fahren is a verb of motion, so it often uses sein as an auxiliary verb in perfect tenses (e.g., Ich bin gefahren).
- It is frequently combined with prepositions and destinations, such as nach (to) or mit (with/by certain transport).
- It can be reflexive in some dialects or constructions but generally is not reflexive.
Related Verbs
- reiten (to ride a horse)
- gehen (to go, to walk)
- laufen (to run, to walk)
- fliegen (to fly)
These verbs describe different kinds of movement and complement the use of fahren.
