Frame description

Words in this frame refer to Vehicles that people use to travel and for transportation. The subframe Vehicle Parts contains words that name parts of the whole Vehicle, i.e. those that appear as the frame element Vehicle_parts, and the subframe General terms includes terms that are related to vehicles and traffic in general.

Because of the close real-world relationship between this frame and the related frames Vehicle: Operate and Vehicle: Ride, which deal with using vehicles as transportation, the frame elements Driver and Passenger from those frames are included here (after all, it wouldn't be a vehicle at all if it couldn't be used for transportation).

Examples:

1. Ich bin am Freitag mit dem Auto zur Arbeit gefahren.1. I drove on Friday by car to work.
2. Der Sicherheitsgurt ist noch immer Lebensretter Nummer Eins – noch vor dem Airbag.  2. The seatbelt is still lifesaver number one - even before the airbag. 
3. Wenn der Verkehr besser fließt, dann fahren ja wieder mehr Leute mit dem Auto.3. When the traffic flows better, then go again more people by car.

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Details
Examples
Grammar Notes
Sentence Templates
Alternate Forms

Frame Elements

Frame Element descriptions (on hover):

Vehicle_part

The Vehicle_part is part of the Vehicle.

Vehicle

The Vehicle is the device that Drivers and Passengers use for transportation.

Driver

The Driver is the being, typically human, that controls the Vehicle as it moves.

 

Passenger

The Passenger is a being that is being moved by means of the Vehicle.

Details
Examples
Grammar Notes
Sentence Templates
Alternate Forms
See All Information
Auto, das noun car

Details:

car

"Auto" is short for "das Automobil" ("automobile"). It refers like its English counterpart to a mostly closed, motorized vehicle with tires used for individual transport. It is used as in English. Note that Germans neither "ride" ("reiten") a car nor "go" ("gehen") by car, instead they "drive" ("fahren") the car or "drive with the car" ("mit dem Auto fahren").

Pixabay license, via Pixabay.com

Further details:

Word formation:

Some common compound nouns using this lexical unit are "das Zweitauto" ("second car"), "das Elektroauto" ("electric car"), "das Polizeiauto" ("police car"), "der Autounfall" ("car accident"), and "die Autoversicherung" ("car insurance").

Synonyms:

"das Automobil" (formal), "der Kraftwagen" (formal), "der Wagen," "der Motorwagen" (Switzerland)

More information in DWDS, the digital dictionary of the German language:

„Auto“, bereitgestellt durch das Digitale Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache, <https://www.dwds.de/wb/Auto>, abgerufen am 11.10.2021.

 

This word is part of the vocabulary for the Goethe-Zertifikat A1.

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Example Sentences:

  1. Sie fahren zu zweit in einem Auto.
  2. Bis zum Fuß der Berge fahren wir mit dem Auto.
  3. Ich bin am Freitag mit dem Auto zur Arbeit gefahren.
  4. Mir fällt nicht mehr ein, wo ich heute Morgen mein Auto geparkt habe.
  5. Das Auto von Felix ist kaputt.
  6. Vorsicht! Da kommt ein Auto.
  7. Er kommt mit dem Auto.
  8. Sie wollen ein größeres Haus, ein teureres Auto, eine schönere Wohnung.
  9. Das ist einer der schönsten Gründe, endlich ein sicheres Auto zu fahren.
  10. Welche Route fährt das Auto, wo tankt es, welche Musik hören die Insassen?
  11. Beim nächsten Mal nehmen wir aber mein Auto.
  1. They travel by two in a car. [The two of them travel in a car.]
  2. Up until the foot of the mountain we are driving by car.
  3. I drove on Friday by car to work.
  4. I don't remember where I parked my car this morning.
  5. The car of Felix is broken down.
  6. Careful! There comes a car.
  7. He comes by car.
  8. They want a bigger house, a more expensive car, a nicer apartment.
  9. That is one of the nicest reasons to finally drive a safe car.
  10. Which route does the car drive, where does it fuel up, which music do the passengers hear?
  11. Next time, however, we will take my car.
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Templates with Frame Elements:

  1. Das Auto fährt (nicht).
  2. PASSENGER fährt mit dem Auto.
  3. DRIVER fährt mit dem Auto.
  4. DRIVER fährt das Auto.
  5. DRIVER fährt Auto.
  6. PASSENGER fährt Auto.
  1. The car runs / drives (not).
  2. PASSENGER goes / travels by car.
  3. DRIVER drives by car.
  4. DRIVER drives the car.
  5. DRIVER drives a car.
  6. PASSENGER rides in a car.
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Details:

car

"Auto" is short for "das Automobil" ("automobile"). It refers like its English counterpart to a mostly closed, motorized vehicle with tires used for individual transport. It is used as in English. Note that Germans neither "ride" ("reiten") a car nor "go" ("gehen") by car, instead they "drive" ("fahren") the car or "drive with the car" ("mit dem Auto fahren").

Pixabay license, via Pixabay.com

Further details:

Word formation:

Some common compound nouns using this lexical unit are "das Zweitauto" ("second car"), "das Elektroauto" ("electric car"), "das Polizeiauto" ("police car"), "der Autounfall" ("car accident"), and "die Autoversicherung" ("car insurance").

Synonyms:

"das Automobil" (formal), "der Kraftwagen" (formal), "der Wagen," "der Motorwagen" (Switzerland)

More information in DWDS, the digital dictionary of the German language:

„Auto“, bereitgestellt durch das Digitale Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache, <https://www.dwds.de/wb/Auto>, abgerufen am 11.10.2021.

 

This word is part of the vocabulary for the Goethe-Zertifikat A1.

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Alternate Forms:

(pl.) die Autos
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Bahn, die noun train, railroad, railway

Details:

train, rail, railroad, railway

In contrast to "der Zug" ("train"), which focuses on the train itself (the vehicle, with its engine at the front and a series of cars pulled along behind), "die Bahn" focuses on the path taken by the train: the rail. Despite this difference in focus, "Bahn" can still be used to refer to the train itself; its meaning is just broader than "Zug." Note that German speakers neither "ride" ("reiten") a train nor "go" ("gehen") by train, instead they "ride" ("fahren") the train or "ride with" ("fahren mit") the train. As in English, they can also "take" ("nehmen") the train.

Additionally, like English "railroad," this term can also be extended to the rail company (this is an example of metonymy, a common way that languages extend the meaning of terms). Major rail companies in the German speaking countries use "Bahn" in their titles:

  • Deutsche Bundesbahn (DB, "German Federal Railway")
  • Schweizerische Bundesbahnen (SBB, "Swiss Federal Railways")
  • Österreichische Bundesbahnen (ÖBB, "Austrian Federal Railways")
  • "Bayerische Regiobahn" ("Bavarian regional railway," a private railway company)

"Bahn" is also used to form compound nouns for other means of transportation: "die Straßenbahn" ("tram," "streetcar"), "die Seilbahn" ("cable car," "funicular"), "die Schwebebahn" ("suspended railway"), "die S-Bahn" ("suburban train," "commuter railway"), "die U-Bahn" ("subway"). 

Pixabay license, via Pixabay.com

Further details:

Word formation:

"der Bahnsteig" ("platform"), "das Bahnabteil" ("train compartment"), "die Bahnauskunf" ("train information"), "der Bahndamm" ("railroad embankment"), "die Bahnschranke" ("railway crossing gate"), "der Bahnübergang" ("railway crossing," "grade crossing"), "die Bahnunterführung" ("railroad underbridge," "undergrade crossing"), among many others.

Synonyms:

"die Eisenbahn," "der Zug," "der Eisenbahnzug"

More information in DWDS, the digital dictionary of the German language:

„Bahn“, bereitgestellt durch das Digitale Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache, <https://www.dwds.de/wb/Bahn>, abgerufen am 13.10.2021.

„Eisenbahn“, bereitgestellt durch das Digitale Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache, <https://www.dwds.de/wb/Eisenbahn>, abgerufen am 13.10.2021.

„Bahngesellschaft“, bereitgestellt durch das Digitale Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache, <https://www.dwds.de/wb/Bahngesellschaft>, abgerufen am 13.10.2021.

„Eisenbahngesellschaft“, bereitgestellt durch das Digitale Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache, <https://www.dwds.de/wb/Eisenbahngesellschaft>, abgerufen am 13.10.2021.

 

This word is part of the vocabulary for the Goethe-Zertifikat A1.

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Example Sentences:

  1. Die Bahn fuhr los.
  2. Wir fuhren mit der Bahn nach Hause.
  3. Ich fahre nicht oft mit der Bahn, aber wenn, dann ist alles in Ordnung.
  4. Ich nehme die nächste Bahn.
  5. Die Bahn spricht von stundenlangen Verspätungen.
  6. Nur wenn man selber verspätet ist, ist die Deutsche Bahn pünktlich.
  7. Die Deutsche Bahn erhöht zum Fahrplanwechsel am Sonntag ihre Ticketpreise.
  1. The train departed.
  2. We went home by train.
  3. I don't often travel by train, but when I do, then everything is fine.
  4. I am taking the next train.
  5. The railroad company speaks of hours-long delays.
  6. Only when you yourself are late is  the German railroad punctual.
  7. The German railroad company is raising their ticket prices with the schedule change on Sunday.
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Templates with Frame Elements:

  1. Die Bahn fährt (nicht).
  2. PASSENGER fährt mit der Bahn.
  3. PASSENGER fährt Bahn.
  4. PASSENGER nimmt die Bahn.
  1. The train runs (not).
  2. PASSENGER goes by train.
  3. PASSENGER rides the train.
  4. PASSENGER takes the train.
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Details:

train, rail, railroad, railway

In contrast to "der Zug" ("train"), which focuses on the train itself (the vehicle, with its engine at the front and a series of cars pulled along behind), "die Bahn" focuses on the path taken by the train: the rail. Despite this difference in focus, "Bahn" can still be used to refer to the train itself; its meaning is just broader than "Zug." Note that German speakers neither "ride" ("reiten") a train nor "go" ("gehen") by train, instead they "ride" ("fahren") the train or "ride with" ("fahren mit") the train. As in English, they can also "take" ("nehmen") the train.

Additionally, like English "railroad," this term can also be extended to the rail company (this is an example of metonymy, a common way that languages extend the meaning of terms). Major rail companies in the German speaking countries use "Bahn" in their titles:

  • Deutsche Bundesbahn (DB, "German Federal Railway")
  • Schweizerische Bundesbahnen (SBB, "Swiss Federal Railways")
  • Österreichische Bundesbahnen (ÖBB, "Austrian Federal Railways")
  • "Bayerische Regiobahn" ("Bavarian regional railway," a private railway company)

"Bahn" is also used to form compound nouns for other means of transportation: "die Straßenbahn" ("tram," "streetcar"), "die Seilbahn" ("cable car," "funicular"), "die Schwebebahn" ("suspended railway"), "die S-Bahn" ("suburban train," "commuter railway"), "die U-Bahn" ("subway").