German word

befahren

Pronunciation

IPA/bəˈfaːʁən/

Meaning

  • verbdrive along

Example

In der Nacht darf man die Einbahnstraße nicht befahren.

At night, you must not drive along the one-way street.

Illustration for befahren (drive along)

More examples

Lkw dürfen die schmale Küstenstrecke nicht befahren.

Trucks must not drive along the narrow coastal stretch.

Core concept

A car, boat, or other vehicle follows the length of a designated route.

Common phrases

  • eine Autobahn befahren

    drive along a motorway

  • die Küstenstrecke befahren

    drive along the coastal stretch

  • ein Gewässer befahren

    navigate a body of water

Similar words

fahren: Travel from place to place by car, bus, train, or another vehicle.
passieren: Go past a specific place or thing.
benutzen: Use a road or facility for a particular purpose.
durchfahren: Pass through a region or along a route without stopping.

Definition in German

ein Gebiet, eine Straße oder einen Wasserweg mit Fahrzeugen oder Schiffen nutzen, indem man darüber fährt

Word origin

The prefix be- turns inherited Germanic fahren into the transitive verb befahren, which focuses on using a route rather than merely moving.

Usage tips

  • Befahren is common in official, legal, and technical language, whereas everyday speech often uses fahren or entlangfahren instead.

Other meanings

  • navigateverb

Opposites

Related words

  • Befahrungdrivingnoun
  • befahrbarpassableadjective
  • Befahrerroad usernoun

Word lists with this word