die
Fahrkarte
🗺️ What exactly is a Fahrkarte?
Die Fahrkarte (noun, feminine) is a document, usually made of paper or in digital form, that entitles the holder to use public transport such as buses, trains, trams, or subways. It confirms that the fare has been paid.
It's a compound word:
- fahren: to travel, to drive, to go
- die Karte: card, ticket, map
Together, the meaning is essentially a "card for the journey".
🚨 The word is always die Fahrkarte. Confusion with other articles is not common.
Article rules for der, die, and das
-e/-ee → almost always feminine.
There are many -e nouns, many of which are feminine, but there are also some important exceptions.
Travel Grammar: Die Fahrkarte in Detail
The word 'Fahrkarte' is a feminine noun. Therefore, the article is always die.
Declension Singular
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative (Subject) | die | Fahrkarte |
| Genitive (Possessive) | der | Fahrkarte |
| Dative (Indirect Object) | der | Fahrkarte |
| Accusative (Direct Object) | die | Fahrkarte |
Declension Plural
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | die | Fahrkarten |
| Genitive | der | Fahrkarten |
| Dative | den | Fahrkarten |
| Accusative | die | Fahrkarten |
Example Sentences
- Bitte zeigen Sie Ihre Fahrkarte vor.
(Please show your ticket.) - Ich muss noch eine Fahrkarte für den Zug kaufen.
(I still need to buy a ticket for the train.) - Der Preis der Fahrkarte hängt von der Strecke ab.
(The price of the ticket depends on the route.) - Mit dieser Fahrkarte können Sie den ganzen Tag fahren.
(With this ticket, you can travel all day.) - Haben Sie die Fahrkarten für uns alle?
(Do you have the tickets for all of us?)
🚌 On the Go with the Fahrkarte: Everyday Use
Die Fahrkarte is a common term related to local public transport (ÖPNV - Öffentlicher Personennahverkehr) and long-distance travel.
- Context: You buy a Fahrkarte at a counter (am Schalter), from a machine (am Automaten), or digitally via an app. Often, it needs to be validated (entwertet or gestempelt) before starting the journey. It must be presented during ticket inspection (bei einer Kontrolle).
- Typical Types: There are various types of tickets, e.g., Einzelfahrkarte (single ticket), Tageskarte (day ticket), Wochenkarte (weekly ticket), Monatskarte (monthly pass), Jahreskarte (annual pass), Gruppenfahrkarte (group ticket).
- Distinction: A Fahrkarte is specifically for means of transport. For concerts or museums, you need an Eintrittskarte (admission ticket). For flights, you need a Flugticket (plane ticket) or a Boarding Pass. Colloquially, Germans often just say Ticket, but Fahrkarte is more specific to buses and trains.
Memory Aids for Fahrkarte
Article Mnemonic: Remember "die Karte" (the card/map/ticket). A Fahrkarte is a special type of Karte, so it keeps the feminine article: die Fahrkarte.
Meaning Mnemonic: Imagine you want to fahren (travel/drive) and you need a Karte (card/ticket) as permission. Fahrt + Karte = Fahrkarte.
Similar and Opposite Terms
Synonyms
- das Ticket (more colloquial, international term)
- der Fahrschein (very common, almost identical meaning)
- der Fahrausweis (slightly more formal, often used for longer-term tickets like monthly passes)
Antonyms (Conceptual)
- das Schwarzfahren (fare dodging - traveling without a valid ticket; the opposite action)
- die Freifahrt (free ride - a journey for which no ticket is needed)
⚠️ Confusingly Similar Words
- die Eintrittskarte: admission ticket for events, museums, etc. (not for transport).
- die Bordkarte / der Boarding Pass: For flights.
- die Landkarte / die Straßenkarte: Geographical maps for navigation.
😄 A Little Joke
Fragt der Schaffner im Zug: „Ihre Fahrkarte bitte!“
Sagt der Fahrgast: „Wieso? Fährt der Zug ohne meine Fahrkarte nicht weiter?“
Translation:
The conductor on the train asks: "Your ticket, please!"
The passenger says: "Why? Won't the train go on without my ticket?"
📜 A Little Poem
Die Fahrkarte
Ob Bus, ob Bahn, ob Nahverkehr,
ein kleines Kärtchen muss jetzt her.
Gezückt, gezeigt, gestempelt schnell,
die Fahrt beginnt, das Ziel ist hell.
Die Fahrkarte, so klein sie scheint,
hat uns schon oft auf Reis' vereint.
Translation:
The Ticket
Be it bus, or train, or local transit near,
a little ticket must now be here.
Pulled out, shown off, stamped quickly so,
the journey starts, the goal aglow.
The Fahrkarte, however small it seems,
has often joined us in travel dreams.
🧠 Riddle Time
Ich bin kein Schiff, doch nehm' dich mit auf Reisen.
Ich bin kein Geld, doch musst du mich oft aufweisen.
Ich öffne Türen nicht, doch lass' dich einsteigen und fahren.
Was bin ich?
Translation:
I am not a ship, yet I take you on journeys.
I am not money, yet you often must show me.
I don't open doors, yet I let you get on and ride.
What am I?
Solution: die Fahrkarte (the ticket)
Other Information
Word Composition
Die Fahrkarte is a compound noun, composed of:
- The verb stem of fahren (to travel, drive, go)
- The noun die Karte (card, ticket, map)
Trivia
- Historically, tickets were often small, thick cardboard cards (Edmonsonsche Fahrkarte).
- Today, digital tickets (digitale Fahrkarten) on smartphones are increasingly common.
- Some cities/regions in Germany have complex tariff zone systems (Tarifzonensysteme) that determine the ticket price.
📝 Summary: is it der, die or das Fahrkarte?
The German word for ticket (for transport) is die Fahrkarte. It is a feminine noun. Example: Ich habe meine Fahrkarte verloren. (I lost my ticket.)