Ultimate Guide To German Transportation Vocabulary
Lindsay Lalonde
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Traveling in, around, or through Germany? Then you must get to know German transportation vocabulary! Knowing terms and phrases related to how to get around in the German language will really help make all your travel desires easier.
The German word for transportation is Transport. In fact, a number of German words for transportation sound like they do in English translations, or very similar anyways.
Let’s begin by learning a bit about Germany and why you might want to travel there. Afterward, you can be sure we’ll cover the most important German transportation vocabulary you need to know!
In order to visit each of these attractions, you’ll need to know some German language to get around. Let’s get learning!
Common Modes Of Transportation In Germany
Even though the majority of people in the larger cities get around on bus or public transport, it’s handy to know familiar and new words related to transportation. Here are some common types of transportation in German.
English Word
German Word
Pronunciation
Airplane
das Flugzeug
Bike/bicycle
das Fahrrad
Boat
das Boot
Bus
der Bus
Car
das Auto / der Wagen
Container Ship
das Containerschiff
Cruise Ship
das Kreuzfahrtschiff
Ferry
die Fähre
Helicopter
der Hubschrauber
Moped
das Moped
Motorcycle
das Motorrad
On foot
zu Fuss
Sailboat
das Segelboot
Scooter
der Roller
Ship
das Schiff
Streetcar
die Straßenbahn
Subway/Metro
die U-Bahn
Taxi
das Taxi
Tractor
der Traktor
Train
der Zug
Tram
die Straßenbahn
Trolleybus
der Oberleitungs-Bus
Places To Get Transportation
It’s important to know the names of the places where you need to catch your bus, plane, or train! So here they are!
English Word
German Word
Pronunciation
Airport
der Flughafen
Bus station / Bus stop
die Bushaltestelle
Highway
die Autobahn
Metro Station
die U-Bahn Station
Metro stop
die U-Bahn-Haltestelle
Road / Street
die Straße
Train station
der Bahnhof
Tram stop
die Straßenbahnhaltestelle
S-Bahn Station
die S-Bahn Station
S-Bahn stop
die S-Bahn-Haltestelle
How To Ask About Transportation In German
What do you do if you can’t find the place you need or if you aren’t sure what to do when you get there? Ask! Here are some useful questions to help you get around Germany.
English Question
German Question
Pronunciation
Where is the train station?
Wo ist der Bahnhof?
Which train station do I get off at?
An welchem Bahnhof steige ich aus?
Where is the nearest metro station?
Wo ist die nächste U-Bahn-Haltstelle?
How can I get to the airport?
Wie komme ich zum Flughafen?
What’s the quickest way to get to the train station?
Wie komme ich am schnellsten zum Bahnhof?
Where is the entrance to the highway?
Wo ist die Einfahrt zur Autobahn?
I’ll take my bike
Ich nehme das Fahrrad.
Where does the bus leave from?
Von wo fährt der Bus ab?
Can I get off at the next station?
Kann ich an der nächsten Station aussteigen?
Where is the next bus stop?
Wo ist die nächste Bushaltestelle?
Different Kinds Of Transportation Tickets
You can’t go anywhere without a ticket! Make sure you know how to ask for one and understand if people are asking you to show your ticket.
English Question
German Question
Pronunciation
Bus ticket
der Busfahrschein
Metro ticket
das U-Bahn-Ticket
One-way street
die Einbahnstraße
Plane ticket
das Flugzeugticket
Round trip
die Rundfahrt
Ticket
die Fahrkarte
Ticket office
der Fahrkartenschalter
Train ticket
die Fahrkarte
Tram ticket
das Straßenbahnticket
How To Ask About Transportation Tickets In German
English Question
German Question
Pronunciation
How much is the bus ticket?
Wie viel kostet das Busticket?
How much for a one-way ticket?
Wie viel kostet eine einfache Fahrt?
How much for a round-trip ticket?
Wie viel kostet ein Hin- und Rückfahrticket?
Do you have discounts for students?
Haben Sie Ermäßigungen für Studenten?
Where can I buy a train ticket?
Wo kann ich ein Zugticket kaufen?
Are there any tickets available?
Sind noch Tickets erhältlich?
Public Transport Related Vocabulary In German
Seeing as public transportation is so incredible in Germany, you’ll be using it a lot. Here are some words you can use to help you find and use public transportation in Germany.
English Word
German Word
Pronunciation
Passenger
der Fahrgast
Public transportation
die öffentlichen Verkehrsmittel
The bus
der Bus
The platform
der Bahnsteig
The stop
die Haltestelle
The subway
die U-Bahn
The ticket
die Fahrkarte
The timetable
der Fahrplan
The train
der Zug
The train station
der Bahnhof
The tram
die Straßenbahn
To catch
erwischen / kriegen
To change
umsteigen
To reserve
reservieren
To stand
stehen
To validate
entwerten
Car Related Vocabulary In German
You may find that you’d rather rent a car than take the train or other modes of transport to get around. Here are some useful terms you should know when driving a car.
English Word
German Word
Pronunciation
to drive
fahren
Driver’s license
der Führerschein
Fuel/gas
das Benzin
Gas tank
der Benzintank
Number plate (license plate)
das Kennzeichen
to park
parken
The brake
die Bremse
The bumper
die Stoßstange
The car
das Auto
The door
die Autotür
The driver
der Fahrer / die Fahrerin
The engine
der Motor
The gas station
die Tankstelle
The gears
der Gang
The headlight
der Scheinwerfer
The pedal
das Pedal
The seat
der Sitz
The steering wheel
das Lenkrad
The tire
das Rad
Turn signal (blinker)
der Blinker
Windscreen
die Windschutzscheibe
Car Related Conversational Phrases In German
English Phrase
German Phrase
Pronunciation
Where can I rent a car?
Wo kann ich ein Auto mieten?
How much is the car rental?
Wie viel kostet die Autovermietung?
The engine has stopped working
Der Motor funktioniert nicht mehr.
The car won’t start
Das Auto springt nicht an.
Where’s the nearest gas station?
Wo ist die nächste Tankstelle?
What kind of fuel does it use?
Welche Art von Kraftstoff wird verwendet?
The car has a flat tire
Das Auto hat einen platten Reifen.
Bicycle-Related Vocabulary In German
After public transport, cycling is the German’s favorite way to get around. Here are the words to help your bicycle around too.
English Word
German Word
Pronunciation
Bicycle
das Fahrrad
Cyclist
der Radfahrer / die Radfahrerin
The pedal
das Pedal
The tire
der Reifen
Helmet
der Helm
To ride
fahren
Airplane-Related Vocabulary In German
Airplanes are most commonly taken to fly in and out of Germany rather than within it. It’s most likely that you’ll be traveling by train, but just in case, here is vocabulary relating to plane travel.
Now that you’ve learned some German transportation vocabulary, Ling is here for you to help you know even more!
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