All German word comparisons · Back to the topic overview
Meaning, sentence patterns and examples
| Word | Core meaning | Typical context | Grammar |
|---|---|---|---|
| laufen | run; go on foot | Running, walking contexts and operation | Nonseparable, irregular: läuft, lief, ist gelaufen for ordinary movement. |
| gehen | walk; go | Walking and going somewhere | Nonseparable, irregular: geht, ging, ist gegangen. |
| fahren | travel by vehicle; drive | Cars, trains, buses and bicycles | Nonseparable, irregular: fährt, fuhr, ist gefahren for intransitive travel. |
| reisen | travel | A trip and travel as an activity | Regular, nonseparable: reist, reiste, ist gereist. |
laufen
Meaning and usage: Laufen often describes running, particularly when speed or exercise is clear. However, German also uses it for going on foot. Asking whether someone walked or drove can produce laufen as the walking option. It additionally describes operation: a machine or project can laufen. Look at context before inferring speed from the verb.
Grammar: Nonseparable, irregular: läuft, lief, ist gelaufen for ordinary movement. Often no direct object; route or distance phrases are possible.
Zum Training laufe ich fünf Kilometer.
For training I run five kilometers.
gehen
Meaning and usage: Gehen is the neutral everyday choice for walking. It also appears in broad going expressions, such as going to school or to work. Those uses do not always specify how the entire journey is made. For a clear vehicle description, fahren supplies the missing detail. Gehen has many further senses, so it is not limited to footsteps.
Grammar: Nonseparable, irregular: geht, ging, ist gegangen. Destination prepositions depend on the destination; zu + dative or directional in + accusative are common.
Wir gehen zu Fuß zur Bibliothek.
We walk to the library.
fahren
Meaning and usage: Fahren covers movement with vehicles and other transport. The subject may be the driver, passenger or vehicle itself. Ich fahre mit dem Bus does not mean that you drive the bus. Cycling also uses fahren. If you specifically mean operate a vehicle, a direct object or the wider situation can make that clear.
Grammar: Nonseparable, irregular: fährt, fuhr, ist gefahren for intransitive travel. Driving a vehicle transitively can take haben: hat den Wagen gefahren.
Meine Schwester fährt jeden Morgen mit dem Fahrrad.
My sister cycles every morning.
reisen
Meaning and usage: Reisen emphasizes traveling rather than the particular mode of transport. A person can reisen by train, plane or several means. It is useful for longer journeys, holidays and regular travel, but distance alone does not impose a strict boundary. A short trip can still be described as a Reise.
Grammar: Regular, nonseparable: reist, reiste, ist gereist. Common additions identify destination, origin or transport; generally intransitive.
Nächstes Jahr reisen wir gemeinsam durch Österreich.
Next year we will travel through Austria together.
Overlap and context
A traveler can reisen by train, fahren to the station and gehen through the city. Laufen can overlap with gehen for going on foot. Specify zu Fuß, mit dem Auto or a running distance when the distinction matters, rather than expecting one verb to convey every detail.
Common mistakes
- Do not translate laufen as run automatically. A contrast with taking a bus may mean walk.
- Use Fahrrad fahren, not a rule that reserves fahren for motor vehicles.
- For ordinary movement, the perfect is ich bin gegangen/gefahren/gereist. Do not apply haben indiscriminately.
Memory aid: Choose the lens: footsteps, running context, vehicle or the broader journey. Add transport details when needed.
Try it
Complete: Ich ___ mit der Straßenbahn zur Arbeit: fahre or gehe?
Show the answer
fahre
The sentence explicitly names tram travel. Fahren is the natural transport verb.