autobahn / motorway
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autobahn / motorway
A large, multi-lane road for fast long-distance traffic by motor vehicles, usually built without intersections and with separate carriageways for the two directions.
Wegen eines Unfalls gab es auf der Autobahn A5 einen langen Stau.
Because of an accident, there was a long traffic jam on the A5 autobahn.
The word is a simple compound of 'Auto' (car) and 'Bahn' (track/road). So it literally describes a 'Bahn' for cars.
Die erste Autobahn der Welt wurde in Berlin eröffnet.
The first autobahn in the world was opened in Berlin.
Pay attention to the prepositions: You drive 'auf der Autobahn' (on the autobahn; dative, location), you drive 'auf die Autobahn' (onto the autobahn; accusative, direction), and you drive 'von der Autobahn' ab (off the autobahn; dative, origin).
Vorsicht, es sind Tiere auf der Autobahn!
Careful, there are animals on the autobahn!
In everyday language, autobahns are often abbreviated with the letter 'A' and their number. For example, people talk about 'der A8' (the A8) or 'der A9' (the A9).
Wir nehmen die A7 Richtung Norden.
We're taking the A7 north.
A well-known feature of German autobahns is that on many sections there is no general speed limit. Instead, a 'Richtgeschwindigkeit' (recommended speed) of 130 km/h applies.
Viele Touristen kommen nach Deutschland, um einmal ohne Tempolimit auf der Autobahn zu fahren.
Many tourists come to Germany to drive on the autobahn without a speed limit once.
highway
Autobahn and Highway both refer to major long-distance roads for fast traffic. Autobahn is the German term for a specific type of road, usually without intersections and with separate carriageways for each direction. Highway is used especially for important long-distance roads in North America and can refer there to roads with other structural designs as well.
Wir fuhren auf der Autobahn ohne Kreuzungen schnell von München nach Nürnberg.
We drove quickly from Munich to Nuremberg on the motorway, without encountering any intersections.
Wir fuhren auf dem Highway schnell von Toronto in eine benachbarte Stadt.
We drove quickly from Toronto to a neighboring city on the highway.
