German word

Highway

Pronunciation

IPA/ˈhaɪ̯veː/

Meaning

  • masculine nounhighway

Example

Der Highway war am Wochenende sehr voll.

The highway was very busy over the weekend.

Illustration for Highway (highway)

More examples

Wir sind gestern auf den Highway aufgefahren.

We got onto the highway yesterday.

Core concept

A broad road stretching between distant cities, often evoking the open American road.

Common phrases

  • auf dem Highway fahren

    drive on the highway

  • auf den Highway auffahren

    get onto the highway

  • die Ausfahrt vom Highway

    highway exit

Similar words

Autobahn: A high-speed, multi-lane motorway reserved for motor vehicles.
Schnellstraße: A main road allowing fast driving with few junctions and signals.
Bundesstraße: A federally maintained, numbered main road linking cities and regions.
Landstraße: A countryside road commonly used to connect towns and rural places.

Definition in German

ein im Deutschen als Lehnwort gebrauchtes Wort für lange, oft mehrspurige Fernstraßen, das besonders eine amerikanische Vorstellung von Schnellstraßen vermittelt.

Word origin

The German noun is borrowed directly from English highway, which descends from Old English hēahweg, a compound of hēah ('high') and weg ('way').

Usage tips

  • Highway is masculine in German: der Highway, with the plural die Highways.

Opposites

Word lists with this word