befahren
to travel on
To travel on a road, path, river, or another traffic route by vehicle or ship.
EXAMPLE
Diese Straße ist stark befahren, besonders im Berufsverkehr.
This road is heavily traveled, especially during rush hour.
befahren
to travel on / explore
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Meanings
befahren
to explore
In the technical language of mining or cave exploration, it means to enter and explore a mine, pit, or cave.
EXAMPLE
Nur erfahrene Höhlenforscher dürfen diese Gänge befahren.
Only experienced cave explorers are allowed to explore these passages.
Usage tips
Inseparable verb
'Befahren' is an inseparable verb with the prefix 'be-'. This prefix makes the verb transitive, so it always needs a direct accusative object without a preposition.
EXAMPLE
Man darf diesen Feldweg nicht mit dem Auto befahren.
You are not allowed to drive on this dirt road by car.
Participle as adjective
The past participle 'befahren' is very often used as an adjective to describe a road or path. A 'stark befahrene Straße' (heavily traveled road) is a road with a lot of traffic.
EXAMPLE
Wir wohnen an einer viel befahrenen Hauptstraße.
We live on a heavily traveled main road.
Context clue
You can recognize the meaning 'erkunden' (to explore) from the context. It is used almost exclusively in connection with words like 'Höhle' (cave), 'Bergwerk' (mine), 'Stollen' (mining tunnel), or 'Grube' (pit).
EXAMPLE
Das alte Bergwerk wurde seit Jahrzehnten nicht mehr befahren.
The old mine had not been explored for decades.
Register
In the meaning 'eine Höhle oder ein Bergwerk erkunden' (to explore a cave or mine), 'befahren' is technical language. It is used by miners, geologists, or cave explorers (speleologists).
EXAMPLE
Die Gruppe bereitete sich darauf vor, die neu entdeckte Höhle zu befahren.
The group prepared to explore the newly discovered cave.
Compare with
befahren vs begehen
to commit / to celebrate
Begehen refers to entering and walking through a place, making it clear that the movement is on foot. Befahren is a technical term used for mines and caves to mean entering and exploring them; no vehicle necessarily has to be used. In general usage, begehen is more suitable for walking through a place.
befahren
Vor der Öffnung befahren die Bergleute den alten Stollen zur Kontrolle.
Before it opens, the miners explore the old mine tunnel to inspect it.
begehen
Vor der Öffnung begehen die Fachleute den alten Stollen zu Fuß.
Before it opens, the experts walk through the old mine tunnel on foot.
In real life
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