Befahrbare

Befahrbare is the attributive form of the German adjective befahrbar, meaning that something can be driven over or traversed by a vehicle. It describes surfaces, routes, or areas that allow vehicular passage without major hindrance. The form befahrbare is used before feminine singular nouns and before all plural nouns (for example, eine befahrbare Straße; die befahrbaren Straßen). The masculine singular form is befahrbarer (ein befahrbarer Weg) and the neuter singular form befahrbares (das befahrbare Gelände).

Origin and usage: befahrbar is derived from the verb befahren (to drive over) with the suffix -bar, indicating capability. It is common in transportation planning, civil engineering, cartography, and everyday language when assessing road conditions, tracks, or off-road routes. The related noun Befahrbarkeit denotes the property or degree of drivability, e.g., die Befahrbarkeit des Geländes.

Context: In maps and planning documents, befahrbare surfaces are distinguished from begehbare (pedestrian-only) or unpassierbare (impassable) areas. The term covers regular roads as well as temporary or seasonal routes, such as befahrbare Feldwege after snow clearance or befahrbares Gelände in construction zones. It is often used to describe current or potential access for vehicles in municipal, forestry, or disaster-management contexts.

See also: Befahrbarkeit, Befahren, Befahrbar, Begehbar, Passierbarkeit.