German Conversation · Level 142
30 words
German word
anfahren
Pronunciation
IPA/ˈanˌfaːʁən/
Meaning
- verbpull away
Example
Das Auto fährt jetzt an.
The car is pulling away now.
More examples
Das Auto fährt vorsichtig an, da die Straße glatt ist.
The car pulls away carefully because the road is slippery.
Core concept
One abrupt push forward either gets a vehicle moving, brings it against an object, or delivers a sharp verbal attack.
Common phrases
vorsichtig anfahren
pull away carefully
bei dichtem Verkehr anfahren
pull away in heavy traffic
Similar words
losfahren: To set off and begin driving away from a place.
starten: To start an engine so a vehicle can begin moving.
wegfahren: To drive away from a place.
abfahren: To depart according to a schedule or set time.
Definition in German
(intransitiv) mit einem Fahrzeug losfahren; (transitiv) ein Fahrzeug gegen etwas oder jemanden stoßen; umgangssprachlich jemanden plötzlich und scharf anreden
Word origin
Anfahren is a separable compound of "an-" and "fahren"; "an-" contributes the ideas of starting, approaching, and making contact, which support its related senses.
Usage tips
- With a person as the accusative object, "jemanden anfahren" often means speaking sharply to that person, while "jemanden anfahren" can also mean hitting them with a vehicle, so context is essential.