losfahren

to set off by vehicle, to drive away

verb LOS-fah-ren Rare

Usage Note

losfahren is the vehicle counterpart to losgehen (set off on foot) — it means to begin a journey by car, bus, bike, or train. Wann fahren wir los? ('when do we set off?') is one of the most common travel questions in German.

Examples

"Wir fahren um sieben Uhr los, damit wir den Stau vermeiden."

Natural Translation

We set off at seven to avoid the traffic jam.

Literal Translation

We drive at seven o'clock off so that we the traffic-jam avoid.

Free starter pack

Building your German vocabulary?

Get the 100 most common German words as a free PDF — one email, no spam.

Related Words

Explore German by topic

GermanNow

Tipping in Germany: A Visitor's Etiquette Guide

Tipping in Germany means saying your total out loud, not leaving coins. Learn the exact phrases, how much to tip, and the Sie-vs-du etiquette travelers need.

June 5, 2026 6 min read

GermanNow

Weil vs Denn vs Da: "Because" in German

Weil and da send the verb to the end; denn keeps it in second position. Here's how to pick the right German "because" and place the verb correctly.

June 5, 2026 6 min read

GermanNow

Der, Die, Das: Rules to Guess German Gender

German noun gender rules made simple: check the suffix first, then meaning. Endings like -ung, -chen, and -ling predict der, die, or das with ~90% accuracy.

June 5, 2026 6 min read

GermanNow

German Word Order: The Verb Rules That Trip You Up

German word order comes down to three verb-position rules: the verb is second in main clauses, last after weil and dass, and time comes before place.

June 5, 2026 6 min read