01
der Taxifahrer
taxi driver
A person who drives a taxi professionally and takes passengers to their destination for payment.
example
Der Taxifahrer kannte eine Abkürzung zum Flughafen.
The taxi driver knew a shortcut to the airport.
der Taxifahrer
taxi driver
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Meanings
Usage tips
Word composition
The word is made up of 'das Taxi' (taxi) and 'der Fahrer' (driver). As with many German compounds, the last word ('Fahrer') determines the article 'der'.
EXAMPLE
Ein freundlicher Taxifahrer hat mir mit meinem Gepäck geholfen.
A friendly taxi driver helped me with my luggage.
Productive pattern
The structure 'Transportmittel + Fahrer' (means of transport + driver) is a very common pattern for forming job titles in German. Other examples are 'Busfahrer' (bus driver), 'LKW-Fahrer' (truck driver), or 'Zugfahrer' (train driver).
EXAMPLE
Mein Onkel ist seit zwanzig Jahren Busfahrer in Berlin.
My uncle has been a bus driver in Berlin for twenty years.
Typical interactions
In everyday life, the word is often used in sentences that describe typical actions. These include 'einen Taxifahrer rufen' (to call a taxi driver), 'dem Taxifahrer das Ziel nennen' (to tell the taxi driver the destination), or 'dem Taxifahrer ein Trinkgeld geben' (to give the taxi driver a tip).
EXAMPLE
Ich habe dem Taxifahrer gesagt, dass er am Bahnhof halten soll.
I told the taxi driver to stop at the train station.
Compare with
Taxifahrer vs Fahrer
driver
'der Fahrer' and 'der Taxifahrer' can both mean a person who operates a vehicle. 'Der Fahrer' is general and can fit many types of vehicles. 'Der Taxifahrer' is more specific: he drives a taxi professionally and takes passengers to their destination for payment. Learners may confuse the words because a taxi driver is, of course, also a driver. When talking about the profession or a taxi ride, 'Taxifahrer' is more natural. In other situations, 'Fahrer' is often enough.
Taxifahrer
Wegen des Regens rufen wir einen Taxifahrer.
Because of the rain, we call a taxi driver.
Fahrer
Nach der Arbeit wartet der Fahrer kurz vor dem Büro.
After work, the driver waits briefly outside the office.
In real life
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