Get ready to dive into the exciting world of German verbs and discover the significance of the verb “fahren” when it comes to discussing travel and transportation. Brace yourself, because “fahren” is a verb you’re going to be encountering a lot in German conversations!
When it comes to discussing different modes of transportation and making travel plans, “fahren” is an essential verb in the German language. Whether you’re talking about your daily commutes, weekend getaways, or even your dream vacations, understanding and mastering the conjugation of “fahren” will be the key to effortlessly expressing yourself.
In this article, we’ll give you a crash course on how to conjugate “fahren”. We’ll cover everything from the present to the past and the future, equipping you with the knowledge to navigate travel-related conversations with confidence. So get ready to effortlessly share your travel experiences in German using the versatile verb “fahren”!
“Fahren” in the Present Tense (Präsens)
Knowing the German verb “fahren” in the present tense is like having a linguistic vehicle that takes you anywhere you need to go.
Here are some practical examples to help you out:
Ich fahre jeden Tag zur Arbeit. → I drive to work every day.
Fährst du heute mit dem Roller? → Are you riding your scooter today?
Maria fährt gerne in den Urlaub. → Maria likes to go on vacation.
Wir fahren oft zusammen. → We often travel/drive together.
Fahrt ihr mit dem Zug? → Are you guys taking the train?
Since “fahren” is an irregular verb, you’ll need to memorize its conjugation in the present tense which you can find below:
| Präsens | |
|---|---|
| ich fahre | I drive |
| du fährst | you (informal) drive |
| er/sie/es fährt | he/she/it drives |
| wir fahren | we drive |
| ihr fahrt | you guys/you all drive |
| sie/Sie fahren | they/you (formal) drive |
You may have noticed that the vowel in the verb stem changes from a to ä in the second and third person singular (the du and er/sie/es conjugation). The reason for this is that “fahren” is a stem-changing verb. This is a group of verbs that come with a vowel change in the second and third person singular.
Other verbs that belong to this group are: essen, lesen, geben, nehmen, sehen, laufen, tragen, and schlafen.
“Fahren” in the Present Perfect (Perfekt)
Are you ready to chat about all the places you’ve driven to or traveled?
So, without further ado, let’s explore how the verb “fahren” can be used in a sentence in the present perfect tense. “Fahren” is used with the auxiliary verb “sein” in the perfect tense.
Wir sind nach Berlin gefahren. → We have driven/traveled to Berlin.
Bist du schon einmal nach München gefahren? → Have you ever driven/traveled to Munich?
Er ist gestern nicht nach Hause gefahren. → He didn’t drive home yesterday.
Ich bin dieses Jahr viel gefahren. → I have driven a lot this year.
Let’s dive into the conjugation of “fahren” in the present perfect tense. Don’t worry, once you get the hang of it, it’ll be smooth sailing!
| Perfekt | |
|---|---|
| ich bin gefahren | I have driven / I drove |
| du bist gefahren | you (informal) have driven / you drove |
| er/sie/es ist gefahren | he/she/it has driven / he drove |
| wir sind gefahren | we have driven / we drove |
| ihr seid gefahren | you guys/you all have driven / you drove |
| sie/Sie sind gefahren | they/you (formal) have driven / they drove |
“Fahren” in the Simple Past (Präteritum)
When it comes to most verbs, you probably won’t be using the German simple past in spoken language. However, there are a few exceptions like the verbs “sein” and “haben,” as well as German modal verbs. Don’t worry though, you’ll still encounter the simple past forms in literature, storytelling, and newspapers. So, keep an eye out for them!
Let’s see how you may encounter the simple past tense of the verb fahren when reading German books, stories, or articles:
Ich fuhr mit dem Auto nach Hamburg. → I drove to Hamburg by car.
Sie fuhren in den Ferien immer an die Ostsee. → They always drove to the Baltic Sea for vacation.
Sie fuhr den ganzen Weg alleine. → She drove the whole way by herself.
Now that we’ve got a handle on how to use the verb “fahren” in the simple past, let’s dive into its conjugation. Take a look at the conjugation table provided below.
| Präteritum | |
|---|---|
| ich fuhr | I drove |
| du fuhrst | you (informal) drove |
| er/sie/es fuhr | he/she/it drove |
| wir fuhren | we drove |
| ihr fuhrt | you guys/you all drove |
| sie/Sie fuhren | they/you (formal) drove |
“Fahren” in the Imperative (Imperativ)
Let’s have a little chat about the imperative, shall we? It’s something we use every day to give instructions or orders, just like in English. Take a quick peek at these examples:
Fahr vorsichtig! → Drive carefully!
Fahrt nicht so schnell! → Don’t drive so fast, you guys!
Fahren Sie bitte langsamer! → Please drive slower!
“Fahren” in the Future I Tense (Futur I)
The future tense in German is really easy, I promise! All you need to do is conjugate the auxiliary verb “werden” and combine it with the infinitive form of the main verb. Let’s check out some examples to make it even clearer for you:
Wir werden morgen nach Köln fahren. → We will drive to Cologne tomorrow.
Wirst du mit uns fahren? → Will you drive with us?
Ich werde später nicht nach Hause fahren. → I will not drive home later.
“Fahren” in the Future II Tense (Futur II)
The Future II Tense is like a magical time machine, giving you the ability to talk about events that will be completed in the future. But wait, there’s more! The Future II tense is also great for making educated guesses about past events. It’s like having a crystal ball that lets you imagine what might have happened. By using the conjugated form of “werden,” adding the past participle of the main verb, and including “sein” in the infinitive form, you can elevate your conversations to a whole new level. Take a look at these examples to see how it’s done:
Sie wird bis 19 Uhr gefahren sein. → She will have left by 7pm. (She is making a guess about what will happen in the future.)
Er wird schon nach Hause gefahren sein. → He will have already gone/driven home. (He is making a guess about what happened in the past.)
“Fahren” in the Subjunctive Present (Konjunktiv II in der Gegenwart)
Chatting about hypothetical scenarios, sharing your travel dreams, or speculating about future trips? Well, you’re in luck! The subjunctive present of the verb “fahren” is what you need to master for all those polite requests and important questions about travel. Ready to spice up your everyday conversations? Let’s dive into some German sentences and take your travel talk to the next level!
Ich würde gerne nach Paris fahren. → I would like to drive to Paris.
Sie würde gerne mit dem Zug fahren. → She would like to travel by train.
Würden Sie heute Abend mit uns fahren? → Would you travel with us tonight?
Würdest du gerne mit mir ans Mittelmeer fahren? → Would you like to drive to the Mediterranean Sea with me?
Now, let’s tackle the last step: memorizing the not-so-super-complicated conjugation of “fahren” in the present subjunctive.
| Konjunktiv II in der Gegenwart | |
|---|---|
| ich würde fahren | I would drive |
| du würdest fahren | you (informal) would drive |
| er/sie/es würde fahren | he/she/it would drive |
| wir würden fahren | we would drive |
| ihr würdet fahren | you guys/you all would drive |
| sie/Sie würden fahren | they/you (formal) would drive |
“Fahren” in the Subjunctive Past (Konjunktiv II in der Vergangenheit)
Imagine a scenario where you’re discussing trips you could have taken, but didn’t. In German, we use the Subjunctive Past (Konjunktiv II in der Vergangenheit) for this purpose. It’s used to talk about travel experiences that will never actually come true. To create this structure, you’ll need to use the verb “sein” in the Subjunctive Present forms and add the past participle “gefahren”.
Let’s take a look at the following verb table which will help you memorize the forms of the verb fahren in the subjunctive past.
| Konjunktiv II in der Vergangenheit | |
|---|---|
| ich wäre gefahren | I would have driven |
| du wärest/wärst gefahren | you (informal) would have driven |
| er/sie/es wäre gefahren | he/she/it would have driven |
| wir wären gefahren | we would have driven |
| ihr wäret gefahren | you guys/you all would have driven |
| sie/Sie wären gefahren | they/you (formal) would have driven |
Here are examples using “fahren” in the subjunctive past:
Ich wäre gerne nach Berlin gefahren, wenn ich mehr Zeit gehabt hätte. → I would have liked to drive to Berlin if I had had more time.
In meinem Urlaub wäre ich gerne durch Europa gefahren. → On my vacation, I would have liked to travel through Europe.
Wärst du mit dem Fahrrad gefahren, wenn das Wetter besser gewesen wäre? → Would you have ridden your bike if the weather had been better?
Wir wären nach Spanien gefahren, wenn wir nicht arbeiten müssten. → We would have driven to Spain if we didn’t have to work.
“Fahren” in the Infinitive Form (Infinitiv)
When you want to talk about the future, all you have to do is conjugate the verb “werden” and pair it with the infinitive “fahren”. Simple, isn’t it? Now, let’s dive into some examples to see how it all comes together:
Sie wird morgen viel fahren. → She will drive a lot tomorrow.
In combination with modal verbs, the infinitive “fahren” is frequently used. Let’s take a look at a few examples:
Du musst langsamer fahren! → You have to drive slower!
Wir dürfen nicht so schnell fahren. → We must not drive so fast.
Sie will alleine fahren. → She wants to drive alone.
Final Thoughts
The verb “fahren” is absolutely essential in the German language. It allows you to talk about your travel habits, preferences, and plans.
Since “fahren” is an irregular verb, you’ll need to commit its conjugated forms to memory in various verb tenses.
But don’t worry, we’ve got you covered! To make learning easier, check out examples and German texts, and practice using the verb in your own sentences. And if you want some extra practice, our online language course is here to help! It offers downloadable worksheets, quizzes, verb lessons, and even podcasts featuring native speakers using German verbs.
With these resources, you’ll soon become a pro at using this essential German verb that’s all about travel and transportation!
