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A Word on the Move

At first glance, fahren just means to go or to drive.
Simple enough — until you realize how many lives this word actually leads.
In German, fahren can describe movement, travel, emotion — even chemistry and the body.

The Literal Meaning

fahren = to go / to drive / to travel.

• Ich fahre nach Berlin. — I’m going to Berlin.
• Wir fahren mit dem Auto. — We’re driving by car.
• Der Zug fährt um acht Uhr. — The train leaves at eight.

It’s all about motion — but not just physical.

The Emotional Shift

In spoken German, fahren can also express excitement, arousal, or being carried away.
It’s part of phrases that sound neutral on paper but are full of energy in real life:

• Er fährt voll auf sie ab. — He’s really into her.
• Ich fahre total auf Schokolade ab. — I’m crazy about chocolate.
• Da fährt er voll drauf! — He’s totally turned on by it.

Here, fahren moves from travel to emotion — from motion to passion.

Idioms and Expressions

• auf etwas abfahren — to be crazy about something (literally “to drive off on something”).
• jemanden anfahren — to snap at someone (literally “to drive at someone”).
• durchdrehen / durchfahren — to lose control, to go wild.

So, the same root describes speed, loss of control, and desire —
a perfect metaphor for how language reflects emotion.

What This Says About German

German often builds new meanings through direction and intensity.
“Movement” in verbs like fahren, laufen, gehen becomes “emotion,”
because both involve energy — one physical, one inner.

That’s why Er fährt auf sie ab sounds both vivid and logical:
he’s literally “driving toward” something that excites him.

Cross-Language Echoes

• English: He’s into her — same metaphor of direction.
• French: Il est fou d’elle — uses emotion instead of motion.
• Russian: «тащится» (slang: “gets high on”) — literally “to pull oneself,” same logic.
• Ukrainian: «кайфує від неї» — “enjoys / gets high from her,” also movement through feeling.

Conclusion

Fahren shows how German turns logic into life.
It starts with movement and ends with emotion — from “going somewhere” to “being moved.”
That’s why language learning isn’t just memorizing words — it’s learning how people think.

So the next time you hear Ich fahre total auf das ab,
remember: sometimes, motion speaks louder than words.

🔗 Related articles

• Ich komme gleich: When “I’m Coming Soon” Means More Than You Think
• Blasen: From Blowing to Slang in German
• Lecken: From Licking to Slang in German

Series: Words with a Double Life
👤 Author: Tymur Levitin — founder, director & lead teacher, Levitin Language School
© Tymur Levitin, Levitin Language School