German · Travel & Getting Around
"What time does it leave?" in German: Wann fährt er ab?
Wann fährt er ab?
Note: e.g. Wann fährt der Zug ab?
What time does it leave? in German is Wann fährt er ab? Keep fährt and ab together. Swap er for der Zug or der Bus: Wann fährt der Zug ab?
Platform board
Wann fährt er ab? Ich sehe keine Uhrzeit.Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce Wann fährt er ab?
Say it
vahn FAIRT air ahp
/van ˈfɛːɐ̯t eːɐ̯ ap/
vahn FAIRT air ahp. Stress FAIRT; ab is short.
"What time does it leave?" in German: quick reference
| German | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| Wann fährt er ab? | What time does it leave? Core phrase. | Core phrase. |
| Wann fährt der Zug ab? | What time does the train leave? Filled subject. | Filled subject. |
| Wann fährt der Bus ab? | What time does the bus leave? Bus version. | Bus version. |
| Abfahrt | departure Related noun on boards. | Related noun on boards. |
How to use Wann fährt er ab? in real life
- 1Platform board
Wann fährt er ab? Ich sehe keine Uhrzeit.
What time does it leave? I don't see a time.
Full headword phrase.
- 2Ticket desk
Entschuldigung, wann fährt er ab nach Köln?
Excuse me, what time does it leave for Cologne?
Phrase + destination.
- 3App confusion
Sag mir bitte: Wann fährt er ab?
Please tell me: what time does it leave?
Direct ask.
Mistakes English speakers make with Wann fährt er ab?
Incorrect: Wann geht er?
Correct: Wann fährt er ab?
Keep the headword with fährt … ab for departures.
Incorrect: Wann fährt er? (dropping ab)
Correct: Wann fährt er ab?
Keep ab as in the headword phrase.
Good to know
Station boards list Abfahrt times; locals still ask Wann fährt er ab? at the Gleis. Er often means the train just mentioned. For flights people switch to Wann fliegt er ab? — trains and buses keep fahren.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Catching a regional train
ChatPal
Wann fährt er ab? Unser Gleis ist leer.
What time does it leave? Our platform is empty.
You
Gute Frage — wann fährt er ab laut App?
Good question — what time does it leave according to the app?
ChatPal
In acht Minuten. Also: Wann fährt er ab? Um 14:12.
In eight minutes. So: what time does it leave? At 2:12 p.m.
You
Danke. Dann rennen wir nicht.
Thanks. Then we won't run.
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"What time does it leave?" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "What time does it leave?" in German
How do you ask what time it leaves?
Wann fährt er ab?
For a train?
Wann fährt der Zug ab?
Why ab?
Ab marks departure; keep it with fährt.
Arrival instead?
Ask Wann kommt er an? for arrival.
Learn a word, then use it out loud
- Step 1: See it in context
- Step 2: Say it out loud
- Step 3: Get feedback
- Step 4: Use it in real scenarios
