German Cycling & Walking Vocabulary List
This set covers the vocabulary you need to talk about getting around on foot or by bike: laufen (to walk or run), der Radweg (bike path), and der Fußgänger (pedestrian) sit alongside the parts of the bike itself, like der Lenker and der Sattel. One trap for English speakers: laufen can mean either "walk" or "run" depending on region and context, so German doesn't force the same distinction English does.
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Learn these 15 words
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All 15 words
- laufenA1
run, walk
Ich möchte nicht Auto fahren, ich möchte laufen. — I don't want to drive a car, I want to walk.
cycle, ride bicycle
Das Kind kann schon Rad fahren. — The child can already ride a bicycle.
plural: die Helme
helmet
Trag bitte immer einen Helm beim Radfahren. — Please always wear a helmet when cycling.
plural: die Fahrräder
bicycle, bike
Sie fährt jeden Morgen mit dem Fahrrad zur Arbeit. — She cycles to work every morning.
plural: die Fahrradschlösser
bike lock
Ohne Fahrradschloss lässt du das Rad nicht stehen. — You don't leave the bike without a bike lock.
plural: die Fußgänger
pedestrian
Dieser Weg ist nur für Fußgänger. — This path is only for pedestrians.
plural: die Fußgängerinnen
pedestrian (female)
Wir treffen uns um 15 Uhr in der Fußgängerzone. — We meet at 3 p.m. in the pedestrian zone.
plural: die Lenker
handlebars
Er hält den Lenker mit beiden Händen. — He holds the handlebars with both hands.
plural: die Pedale
pedal
Er tritt kräftig in die Pedale. — He pedals hard.
plural: die Räder
wheel, bicycle
Hast du noch ein Rad? Ich bin durch Glas gefahren und jetzt ist mein Rad kaputt. — Do you have another bicycle? I rode through glass and now my bicycle is broken.
plural: die Radfahrer
cyclist
Der Radfahrer ist auf der Straße unterwegs. — The cyclist is on the street.
plural: die Sättel
saddle
Der Sattel ist mir zu niedrig eingestellt. — The saddle is set too low for me.
plural: die Velos
bicycle
Sie fährt jeden Morgen mit dem Velo zur Arbeit. — She rides her bicycle to work every morning.
plural: die Drahtesel
bike (colloquial, lit: metal donkey)
Ich fahre mit meinem Drahtesel zur Arbeit. — I ride my bike to work.
plural: die Fahrräder
bicycle
Mein Fahrrad ist rot und sehr schnell. — My bicycle is red and very fast.
How to learn this set
Notice that der Fußgänger and die Fußgängerin share the same root, Fuß (foot), with only the ending changing for gender, so learn them as a pair rather than two separate words. The bike-part nouns, der Lenker, der Sattel, das Pedal, and das Fahrradschloss, are worth drilling by mentally pointing at a real or imagined bicycle and naming each part out loud. For der Radfahrer, notice how Rad plus fahren compounds into a single noun for "cyclist," the same pattern German uses constantly to build nouns from a verb and its object.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between das Fahrrad and das Rad?
Fahrrad is the full, unambiguous word for bicycle. Rad is a short form used constantly in speech, but Rad alone also means "wheel," so context decides the meaning.
Is Velo German or Swiss German?
Velo is the standard word for bicycle in Swiss German, used instead of Fahrrad. In Germany and Austria, people say Fahrrad or Rad and would find Velo unfamiliar or foreign.
What is a Drahtesel?
It's a colloquial, slightly old-fashioned word for a bicycle, literally "wire donkey." You'll hear it in casual speech or jokes, not in formal writing.
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