Word
Die Fahrt in die Innenstadt dauert circa zwanzig Minuten.
Meaning
The trip to the city center takes about twenty minutes.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Lesson
Breakdown of Die Fahrt in die Innenstadt dauert circa zwanzig Minuten.
in
in
zwanzig
twenty
die Minute
the minute
dauern
to last
Questions & Answers about Die Fahrt in die Innenstadt dauert circa zwanzig Minuten.
Why is it in die Innenstadt and not in der Innenstadt?
Because in takes the accusative when it expresses motion into something, and the dative when it expresses location. Here it’s motion (you’re going into the city center), so accusative.
- Motion: Ich fahre in die Innenstadt. (accusative, feminine: die)
- Location: Ich bin in der Innenstadt. (dative, feminine: der)
What exactly does Fahrt mean, and how is it different from Reise or Strecke?
- Fahrt: a ride/drive/trip by some vehicle (car, bus, train, etc.). Neutral about the means of transport unless specified. Very common for everyday trips.
- Reise: a journey or trip that’s typically longer, planned, or more substantial (holidays, business trips).
- Strecke: the route, stretch, or distance (the physical path between A and B), not the act of traveling it.
Why use dauert here? Could I say something like English “takes,” e.g., nimmt?
German uses:
- dauern for durations: Die Fahrt dauert 20 Minuten.
- brauchen “to need (time)” with a subject: Wir/Man braucht 20 Minuten (für die Fahrt / bis zur Innenstadt). Using nehmen for time (e.g., Die Fahrt nimmt 20 Minuten) sounds non-native; avoid it.