Breakdown of Wir fahren mit der Fähre in die Stadt.
in
in
mit
with
wir
we
die Stadt
the city
fahren
to travel
die Fähre
the ferry
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Questions & Answers about Wir fahren mit der Fähre in die Stadt.
Why is mit used before der Fähre and what case does it require?
mit is a preposition indicating the means of transport (“by”). It always takes the dative case. Since Fähre is feminine (die Fähre), it becomes der Fähre in the dative singular.
Why is in die Stadt accusative instead of dative?
The preposition in can govern either case. With the dative it indicates location (static: “in the city”), with the accusative it indicates movement toward something. Because we are traveling into the city, we use the accusative: in die Stadt.
What is the gender of Fähre and how do you know to use der as the article?
Fähre is a feminine noun (its nominative singular article is die). In the singular dative, feminine die changes to der, hence mit der Fähre.
Can I change the word order of the sentence?
Yes. German allows you to front elements for emphasis. For example: Mit der Fähre fahren wir in die Stadt. The finite verb (fahren) still stays in second position.
Why do we use fahren instead of verbs like gehen or laufen?
fahren is used for traveling by vehicle—car, train, ferry, etc. gehen or laufen mean going on foot, so they don’t fit when you’re taking a ferry.
Which auxiliary verb is used with fahren for the perfect tense here?
When fahren expresses movement from one place to another, it takes sein as its auxiliary. You’d say: Wir sind mit der Fähre in die Stadt gefahren.
How do you pronounce Fähre?
Fähre is pronounced [ˈfɛːʁə]. The ä is a long “e” sound, similar to the English word air.
Could I use mit einer Fähre instead of mit der Fähre?
Yes. If you mean “by a ferry” in a non-specific sense, you’d use the indefinite article in dative: mit einer Fähre.
What is the best English translation for Wir fahren mit der Fähre in die Stadt?
Literally, “We travel by ferry into the city.” More naturally: We go into the city by ferry or We take the ferry into town.