to run over / cross over
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to run over
To drive a vehicle over someone or something, often resulting in injury or damage. In this meaning, the verb is not separable.
Die Katze wurde leider von einem Auto überfahren.
Unfortunately, the cat was run over by a car.
This verb has a different structure depending on its meaning. Inseparable, with the stress on '-fahren', it means 'to hit someone/something with a vehicle' or 'to ignore a red light'. Separable, with the stress on 'über-', it means 'to cross over by ferry'.
Der Autofahrer hat das Stoppschild überfahren.
The driver ran the stop sign.
The auxiliary verb for the perfect tense depends on separability. The inseparable meanings form the perfect with 'haben' (hat überfahren). The separable meaning forms it with 'sein', because it describes movement from A to B (ist übergefahren).
Er hat leider einen Igel überfahren.
Unfortunately, he ran over a hedgehog.
In the meaning 'to hit someone with a vehicle', the passive is used very often. The focus is then on the victim of the action.
Der Radfahrer wurde beinahe von einem LKW überfahren.
The cyclist was nearly run over by a truck.
When referring to ignoring signals, 'überfahren' is almost always used with 'eine rote Ampel' (a red light) or 'ein Stoppschild' (a stop sign).
Wer eine rote Ampel überfährt, riskiert einen hohen Bußgeldbescheid.
Anyone who runs a red light risks a large fine notice.
In the separable meaning, the means of transport is often given with 'mit' and the destination of the journey is stated. The prefix 'über' stands at the end in a main clause.
Die Touristen setzen mit der kleinen Fähre zum anderen Ufer über.
The tourists cross over to the other shore on the small ferry.
to translate
'übersetzen' and 'überfahren' can easily be confused because of the form with 'über-', but in the relevant meanings they refer to completely different things. 'übersetzen' is used for language: a text or conversation is transferred into another language. 'überfahren' can be separable and then means to cross from one shore to the other by ferry or boat. So the risk of confusion is mainly in the similar form, not in the normal meaning. Memory tip: you translate words and sentences; you cross over by ferry.
Morgen fahren wir mit der Fähre auf die andere Seite über.
Tomorrow we will cross over to the other side by ferry.
Im Kurs übersetzt Maria den kurzen Text ins Deutsche.
In the course, Maria translates the short text into German.