to drive around / to knock over
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to drive around
To go around an obstacle, a place, or a traffic jam in a vehicle in order to avoid it. The stress is on the second syllable, '-fah-'.
Wegen der Demonstration mussten wir die Innenstadt weiträumig umfahren.
Because of the demonstration, we had to drive well around the city center.
to knock over
To hit or run into someone or something with a vehicle and thereby knock them or it over. The stress is on the first syllable, 'um-'.
Pass auf, dass du beim Ausparken nicht den Mülleimer umfährst!
Be careful not to knock over the trash can while pulling out of the parking space!
This verb has two opposite meanings, depending on whether it is separable (stress on 'um') or inseparable (stress on '-fah-'). The stress and sentence structure are crucial for understanding it.
Er hat das Schild umgefahren. (trennbar = er hat es getroffen)
Er hat das Schild umgefahren. (separable = he hit it)
The inseparable version is stressed 'um-FAH-ren' and means to drive around an obstacle. The prefix 'um-' always stays attached to the verb, and the past participle is formed without 'ge-': umfahren.
Wir haben den Stau großräumig umfahren.
We drove a long way around the traffic jam.
The separable version is stressed 'UM-fah-ren' and means to hit something and knock it over. In a main clause, the prefix 'um-' comes at the end. The past participle is 'umgefahren'.
Der LKW fuhr den kleinen Baum am Straßenrand um.
The truck knocked over the small tree at the side of the road.
to dodge / avoid
When there is an obstacle, both verbs can express wanting to avoid a collision. „Ausweichen“ usually means making an immediate movement to the side. „Umfahren“, on the other hand, means driving around a place, a traffic jam, or an obstacle by taking another route.
Der Autofahrer umfuhr den Stau über eine Nebenstraße.
The driver went around the traffic jam via a side road.
Der Autofahrer wich dem Ball auf der Straße sofort aus.
The driver immediately swerved to avoid the ball in the road.
