The verb fahren means "to drive" or "to travel" in German. It is an irregular verb and changes stem vowels in certain tenses (e.g., fahre, fährst, fuhr). Fahren always takes the auxiliary verb sein in the perfect tense because it indicates movement.
Conjugation Table
The following are the conjugations of fahren in the most common tenses:
| Tense | German Example | English Example | German Pronoun | English Pronoun |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Present | Ich fahre jeden Tag zur Arbeit. | I drive to work every day. | Ich | I |
| Simple Past (Präteritum) | Gestern fuhr ich nach Berlin. | Yesterday I drove to Berlin. | Ich | I |
| Present Perfect (Perfekt) | Ich bin nach München gefahren. | I have traveled to Munich. | Ich | I |
| Future | Ich werde morgen nach Hamburg fahren. | I will travel to Hamburg tomorrow. | Ich | I |
Choose the correct German conjugation of 'fahren' for 'I have traveled to Munich.'
Ich bin nach München gefahren.
In the present perfect tense, 'fahren' uses the auxiliary verb 'sein,' not 'haben.' The past participle is 'gefahren.'
Usage Tips
- Subject-Verb Agreement: Use the correct form of fahren based on the subject.
- Stem Vowel Change: In the present tense, du and er/sie/es forms change to fährst and fährt.
- Auxiliary Verb in Perfect: Always use sein (nicht haben) because the verb denotes movement or change of location.
Additional Examples
| Example | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Fährst du mit dem Zug? | Are you traveling by train? |
| Wir fahren morgen ans Meer. | We are traveling to the sea tomorrow. |
| Er fährt sehr schnell. | He drives very fast. |
| Sie sind nach Italien gefahren. | They traveled to Italy. |
Fill in the blank: Ich ___ jeden Tag zur Arbeit. (I drive to work every day.)
fahre
The subject 'Ich' requires the first-person singular form 'fahre.'
Flashcards (1 of 4)
- Tense: Present
- English Example: I drive to work every day.
- English Pronoun: I
Last updated: Wed Jun 18, 2025
