fahren is a core German verb expressing motion by vehicle or conveyance, whether you drive, ride, or are transported.
- Root: fahr-
- Meanings: to drive, to ride, to go (by vehicle)
- Usage: For cars, bikes, trains, buses — anyone moving or making others move.
- Forms focus on movement and travel.
Basic Meaning
fahren means:
- to drive (a vehicle)
- to ride (a bike, motorcycle)
- to be transported (by vehicle)
It’s used whenever someone is moving or facilitating movement via a vehicle or similar means of transport.
- A person can drive a car (Auto fahren).
- The same person can ride a bike (Fahrrad fahren).
- You can travel by train or bus (mit dem Zug/Bus fahren).
Yes, 'fahren' covers driving, riding, and being transported.
'fahren' is used for motorized and non-motorized vehicles, not for walking.
Conjugation Pattern
fahren is irregular.
Present tense:
ich fahre
du fährst
er/sie/es fährt
wir fahren
ihr fahrt
sie/Sie fahren
Note the vowel changes (a → ä) for du/er/sie/es.
| Pronoun | Conjugation | English |
|---|---|---|
| ich | fahre | I drive/ride |
| du | fährst | you drive/ride |
| er/sie/es | fährt | he/she/it... |
| wir | fahren | we drive/ride |
| ihr | fahrt | you all... |
| sie/Sie | fahren | they/you (formal)... |
The 'du' form is 'fährst', with a vowel change.
Usage Examples
| German | English |
|---|---|
| Ich fahre zur Arbeit. | I drive to work. |
| Er fährt ein Auto. | He drives a car. |
| Wir fahren Fahrrad. | We ride (drive) bikes. |
| Sie fährt mit dem Zug. | She travels by train. |
Important: Use mit + dative for the vehicle you’re passenger of — mit dem Auto/Bus/Zug fahren.
The correct is 'Sie fährt mit dem Zug.' (with the train).
Summary
- fahren = to drive, ride, or be transported (by vehicle)
- Works for cars, bikes, trains, buses, etc.
- Conjugates with vowel changes in present (du: fährst, er: fährt)
- Use mit + dative for passenger travel
'fahren' means to drive, ride, or travel by vehicle.
Yes, 'fahren' is used for driving and for traveling as a passenger.
'fahren' covers car, bike, train, bus, etc.—not walking or flying as a passenger (then you use 'fahren' only for ground transport).