Fortfährt

Fortfährt is typically the third-person singular present tense form of the German separable-prefix verb fortfahren, meaning to continue or to proceed. In standard writing, however, this tense is written as two words: er fährt fort. The single-word form fortfährt is not used in ordinary modern German and would usually be regarded as a misspelling or nonstandard representation rather than a correct spelling.

Fortfahren is formed with the prefix fort- attached to fahren; it is a separable-prefix verb. The prefix fort- conveys continuation from a previously stated point. The verb is used to describe continuing an action, a speech, a journey, or a line of thought. In everyday speech, weiterfahren and fortsetzen are common alternatives with slightly different nuances: weiterfahren emphasizes continuing movement or travel, while fortsetzen emphasizes resuming after an interruption. Fortfahren tends to appear in more formal or written contexts, and its use can carry a sense of proceeding with a plan or argument.

Usage examples illustrate the typical word order and tense. Present tense: Der Redner fährt fort. Vergangenheit: Die Diskussion fuhr fort. After a pause: Wir fahren nach der Pause fort. Perfect tense uses the appropriate auxiliary, as in Wir sind fortgefahren. Overall, fortfahren and its inflected forms are standard tools for signaling the continuation of actions, discourse, or journeys in German.