Verb

um|fahren / umfahren

to knock over, to drive around, to run down, to bypass

Er hat das Verkehrsschild umgefahren.

He ran over the traffic sign.

Wir müssen die Baustelle umfahren.

We have to drive around the construction site.

((sth.)) umfahren (separable) to run sth. over He runs the bollard over.

((sth.)) umfahren (inseparable) to drive around sth. She drives around the traffic jam.

Separable: überfahren (to run over); Inseparable: ausweichen (to avoid)

From 'um-' (around/over) and 'fahren' (to drive). Its meaning depends on stress and whether it's separable.

If you stress 'UM' (UM-fahren), you knock it over. If you stress 'FAH' (um-FAH-ren), you drive around it.

This page is designed for learning support. Please use it as a learning reference, not as a formal reference.