Fahren Conjugation in German
fahren means “to drive” in English, and it is one of the first verbs German learners meet — it sits at number 26 in VerbFlow’s frequency list for German verbs. You will meet it in everyday sentences such as “Ich fahre nach Berlin.” — “I drive to Berlin.” — and because it comes up in everyday conversation so often, learning its forms properly pays off from the very first week. This page gives you the complete conjugation of fahren — every tense, every person, the present participle and the past participle — with notes, examples, common mistakes and a quiz.
Quick facts
- Infinitive: fahren
- English: to drive
- Verb type: Irregular
- Irregular in: present, preterite, past-participle, imperative
- Present participle (Partizip I): fahrend
- Past participle (Partizip II): gefahren
- Auxiliary: sein (all perfect tenses are formed with sein + the past participle)
- Pattern: strong in the verified tables
Pronunciation
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for fahren, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Learn the spelling of the forms first, and listen to a native speaker for the sounds rather than trusting an invented transcription. The forms below are the ones that matter: once you can read fahren in every tense, you can recognise it in speech even before you can pronounce every form perfectly.
Three things to remember about fahren
- It is irregular in 4 tense(s): present, preterite, past-participle, imperative. Learn those forms as a set rather than guessing them from the infinitive, because the regular pattern will not produce them.
- The perfect tenses use sein: the Perfekt is formed with sein in the present plus the past participle gefahren. The tables on this page give the participle in the form exactly as it appears in the verified dump; the participle itself does not change for person, only the auxiliary does.
- The participles are fahrend and gefahren: keep both in mind as you read the tables, because the present participle appears as an adjective and the past participle appears in every perfect tense. If you know those two forms and the present tense, you already know the skeleton of the whole conjugation.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from VerbFlow’s verified conjugation tables for fahren. Learn the present tense first, then the Perfekt and the preterite, and add the remaining tenses one at a time.
Present (Präsens)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| ich | fahre |
| du | fährst |
| er/sie/es | fährt |
| wir | fahren |
| ihr | fahrt |
| sie/Sie | fahren |
The present (Präsens) is used for habits, facts and things happening now. With fahren this tense is irregular, so the forms do not follow the regular pattern — learn them as a set rather than guessing from the infinitive. For example: “Ich fahre mit dem Auto zur Arbeit.” — “I drive to work by car.”
Preterite (Präteritum)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| ich | fuhr |
| du | fuhrst |
| er/sie/es | fuhr |
| wir | fuhren |
| ihr | fuhrt |
| sie/Sie | fuhren |
The preterite (Präteritum) is used for completed actions in the past, mostly in written German and in stories. With fahren this tense is irregular, so the forms do not follow the regular pattern — learn them as a set rather than guessing from the infinitive. For example: “Du fuhrst mit dem Auto zur Arbeit.” — “You drove to work by car.”
Perfect (Perfekt)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| ich | bin gefahren |
| du | bist gefahren |
| er/sie/es | ist gefahren |
| wir | sind gefahren |
| ihr | seid gefahren |
| sie/Sie | sind gefahren |
The perfect (Perfekt) is used for completed actions in the past, especially in spoken German. For example: “Er ist mit dem Auto zur Arbeit gefahren.” — “He has driven to work by car.”
Pluperfect (Plusquamperfekt)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| ich | war gefahren |
| du | warst gefahren |
| er/sie/es | war gefahren |
| wir | waren gefahren |
| ihr | wart gefahren |
| sie/Sie | waren gefahren |
The pluperfect (Plusquamperfekt) is used for an action completed before another past action. For example: “Ich war mit dem Auto zur Arbeit gefahren.” — “I had driven to work by car.”
Future (Futur I)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| ich | werde fahren |
| du | wirst fahren |
| er/sie/es | wird fahren |
| wir | werden fahren |
| ihr | werdet fahren |
| sie/Sie | werden fahren |
The future (Futur I) is used for what will happen, for predictions and for intentions. For example: “Ich werde mit dem Auto zur Arbeit fahren.” — “I will drive to work by car.”
Future perfect (Futur II)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| ich | werde gefahren sein |
| du | wirst gefahren sein |
| er/sie/es | wird gefahren sein |
| wir | werden gefahren sein |
| ihr | werdet gefahren sein |
| sie/Sie | werden gefahren sein |
The future perfect (Futur II) is used for what will have happened by a point in the future. For example: “Du wirst mit dem Auto zur Arbeit gefahren sein.” — “You will have driven to work by car.”
Konjunktiv I
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| ich | fahre |
| du | fahrest |
| er/sie/es | fahre |
| wir | fahren |
| ihr | fahret |
| sie/Sie | fahren |
Konjunktiv I is used for reported speech — reporting what someone else said — and in formal written German. For example: “Er fahre mit dem Auto zur Arbeit.” — “He drives to work by car.”
Konjunktiv II (conditional)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| ich | führe |
| du | führest |
| er/sie/es | führe |
| wir | führen |
| ihr | führet |
| sie/Sie | führen |
Konjunktiv II is used for hypothetical situations, wishes and polite requests. It doubles as the German conditional: there is no separate conditional tense, and the periphrastic alternative with würde + infinitive is not an engine tense. For example: “Ich führe mit dem Auto zur Arbeit.” — “I would drive to work by car.”
Conditional perfect (Konjunktiv II + participle)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| ich | wäre gefahren |
| du | wärst gefahren |
| er/sie/es | wäre gefahren |
| wir | wären gefahren |
| ihr | wärt gefahren |
| sie/Sie | wären gefahren |
The conditional perfect (Konjunktiv II + past participle) is used for what would have happened in a different past. For example: “Er wäre mit dem Auto zur Arbeit gefahren.” — “He would have driven to work by car.”
Imperative (Imperativ)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| du | fahr |
| wir | fahren |
| ihr | fahrt |
| sie/Sie | fahren |
The imperative (Imperativ) is used for direct commands, requests and instructions. With fahren this tense is irregular, so the forms do not follow the regular pattern — learn them as a set rather than guessing from the infinitive. For example: “Fahr mit dem Auto zur Arbeit!” — “Drive to work by car!”
Present participle (Partizip I)
| Form | German |
|---|---|
| Present participle (Partizip I) | fahrend |
The present participle (Partizip I) is used as an adjective or adverb, describing an ongoing action. For example, the participle fahrend is used to describe something that is happening at the same time as the main action, much like an English -ing adjective.
Past participle (Partizip II)
| Form | German |
|---|---|
| Past participle (Partizip II) | gefahren |
The past participle (Partizip II) is used with an auxiliary to form the perfect tenses, and as an adjective. For example: “Ich bin nach Berlin gefahren.” — “I have driven to Berlin.”
Infinitive (Infinitiv)
| Form | German |
|---|---|
| Infinitive | fahren |
The infinitive is the dictionary form of the verb, used after modal verbs and other verbs that take an infinitive. The infinitive is the dictionary form of the verb: it is the form you look up, and the form that follows modal verbs and other verbs that take an infinitive.
Example sentences
Ten natural sentences with fahren, covering different tenses and persons. Say each one aloud, then cover the German and try to produce it from the English.
- “Ich fahre nach Berlin.” — “I drive to Berlin.”
- “Du fuhrst mit dem Auto zur Arbeit.” — “You drove to work by car.”
- “Er ist jeden Tag mit dem Bus gefahren.” — “He has driven by bus every day.”
- “Ich werde nach Berlin fahren.” — “I will drive to Berlin.”
- “Du führest mit dem Auto zur Arbeit.” — “You would drive to work by car.”
- “Ich war jeden Tag mit dem Bus gefahren.” — “I had driven by bus every day.”
- “Du wirst mit dem Auto zur Arbeit gefahren sein.” — “You will have driven to work by car.”
- “Er fahre jeden Tag mit dem Bus.” — “He drives by bus every day.”
- “Ich wäre nach Berlin gefahren.” — “I would have driven to Berlin.”
- “Fahr nach Berlin!” — “Drive to Berlin!”
Common mistakes
1. Using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form
✗ Wrong: “Ich fahren nach Berlin.”
✓ Right: “Ich fahre nach Berlin.”
The infinitive fahren never takes a subject. After ich you need the conjugated present form fahre.
2. Using the wrong person’s form
✗ Wrong: “Ich fahren nach Berlin.”
✓ Right: “Ich fahre nach Berlin.”
fahren is the sie form, not the ich form. Match the verb to the subject every time: ich goes with fahre.
3. Using the present for a finished past action
✗ Wrong: “Ich fahre nach Berlin gestern.”
✓ Right: “Ich bin nach Berlin gefahren.”
The time word gestern points to the past, so a finished action needs the Perfekt bin gefahren, not the present.
4. Using the wrong auxiliary in the Perfekt
✗ Wrong: “Ich habe nach Berlin gefahren.”
✓ Right: “Ich bin nach Berlin gefahren.”
The Perfekt of fahren is formed with sein plus the past participle gefahren: the ich form is bin gefahren. Check the auxiliary in the table above before you build a perfect tense.
5. Using the preterite where spoken German prefers the Perfekt
✗ Wrong: “Ich fuhr nach Berlin gestern.” (in everyday speech)
✓ Right: “Ich bin nach Berlin gefahren.”
In everyday spoken German the Perfekt bin gefahren is the usual past tense. The preterite fuhr is correct in writing and in stories, but it sounds formal in conversation.
6. Using the du form when talking to a group
✗ Wrong: “Fahr nach Berlin!” (said to several people)
✓ Right: “Fahrt nach Berlin!”
The du imperative fahr is for one person you know well. For a group, use the ihr form fahrt.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on fahren. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
What is the ich form of fahren in the Present (Präsens)?
- A) fährt
- B) fahren
- C) fahre
- D) fährst
What is the er/sie/es form of fahren in the Preterite (Präteritum)?
- A) fuhrst
- B) fuhren
- C) fuhrt
- D) fuhr
What is the er/sie/es form of fahren in the Perfect (Perfekt)?
- A) ist gefahren
- B) bin gefahren
- C) bist gefahren
- D) sind gefahren
What is the du form of fahren in the Future (Futur I)?
- A) werde fahren
- B) wird fahren
- C) werden fahren
- D) wirst fahren
What is the ich form of fahren in the Konjunktiv II (conditional)?
- A) führest
- B) führen
- C) führet
- D) führe
What is the wir form of fahren in the Pluperfect (Plusquamperfekt)?
- A) war gefahren
- B) warst gefahren
- C) wart gefahren
- D) waren gefahren
What is the er/sie/es form of fahren in the Konjunktiv I?
- A) fahren
- B) fahret
- C) fahre
- D) fahrest
What is the du form of fahren in the Imperative (Imperativ)?
- A) fahren
- B) fahrt
- C) fährst
- D) fahr
What is the past participle of fahren?
- A) gefahren
- B) gelassen
- C) gebracht
- D) gearbeitet
What does fahren mean in English?
- A) to let, to leave
- B) to bring
- C) to work
- D) to drive
Answer key
- C) fahre — the ich form of fahren in the Present (Präsens) is fahre. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- D) fuhr — the er/sie/es form of fahren in the Preterite (Präteritum) is fuhr. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- A) ist gefahren — the er/sie/es form of fahren in the Perfect (Perfekt) is ist gefahren. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- D) wirst fahren — the du form of fahren in the Future (Futur I) is wirst fahren. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- D) führe — the ich form of fahren in the Konjunktiv II (conditional) is führe. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- D) waren gefahren — the wir form of fahren in the Pluperfect (Plusquamperfekt) is waren gefahren. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) fahre — the er/sie/es form of fahren in the Konjunktiv I is fahre. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- D) fahr — the du form of fahren in the Imperative (Imperativ) is fahr. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- A) gefahren — the past participle of fahren is gefahren; it is used with sein in the perfect tenses. The other options are the participles of neighbouring verbs.
- D) to drive — fahren means “to drive” in English. The other options are the meanings of neighbouring verbs.
Frequently asked questions
What does fahren mean in English?
fahren means “to drive”. It is a core everyday verb, so its present-tense forms are worth learning first.
Is fahren regular or irregular?
fahren is irregular, and it is irregular in these tenses: present, preterite, past-participle, imperative. The present participle is fahrend and the past participle is gefahren.
What are the participles of fahren?
The present participle (Partizip I) is fahrend — use it as an adjective for an ongoing action. The past participle (Partizip II) is gefahren — use it with sein for the perfect tenses, as in bin gefahren.
Which auxiliary does fahren take in the Perfekt?
fahren takes sein in the Perfekt: the ich form is bin gefahren. All four perfect tenses on this page are built with sein plus the past participle gefahren.
Does German have a separate conditional tense?
No. Konjunktiv II doubles as the conditional: the ich form führe is the form you use for “would” meanings, and the periphrastic alternative with würde + infinitive is not a separate engine tense. The conditional perfect wäre gefahren covers “would have” meanings.
How do I say “I drive to Berlin” in German?
Say “Ich fahre nach Berlin.” — “I drive to Berlin.” The ich form of the present is fahre, and it is the form you will use most often.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of fahren — every tense of fahren in one place.
- Fahren in the Perfekt tense — the full table and usage rules for one tense.
- Fahren examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice questions for this verb.
- Lassen conjugation — another everyday German verb.
- Bringen conjugation — another everyday German verb.
- Arbeiten conjugation — another everyday German verb.
- German irregular verbs — every common irregular German verb, grouped by pattern.
- German verbs — the full hub of German conjugation pages.
- Spanish verbs — the full hub of Spanish conjugation pages.
- French verbs — the full hub of French conjugation pages.
- VerbFlow home — all languages, tools and verb lists.
- Spanish Verb Conjugator — practise fahren with the interactive tool.
- Conjugation Chart Printer — practise fahren with the interactive tool.
- Tense Finder — practise fahren with the interactive tool.