mitgefahren

Mitgefahren is the past participle of the German verb mitfahren, which means to ride along or to go along with someone in a vehicle. The prefix mit- indicates accompaniment, so mitfahren refers to joining a trip by car, train, bus, or similar means of transport. The form mitgefahren is used in tenses with the auxiliary sein, as in Ich bin mitgefahren, Du bist mitgefahren, Wir sind mitgefahren.

Grammatically, mitfahren is a separable-prefix verb. In present and past tenses, the prefix mit- separates in most finite forms (ich fahre mit, er fährt mit), while the past participle remains mitgefahren when combined with sein (Ich bin mitgefahren). As an attributive participle, it can modify a noun (eine mitgefahrene Reisegruppe) to describe a group that accompanied the journey.

Usage and examples: Mitgefahren is commonly used in everyday German to express participation in a journey that involved traveling together. Examples include: Wir sind gestern mit dem Auto mitgefahren. Ich bin mit dir mitgefahren, weil ich dich begleitet habe. In contexts without a vehicle, the sense of accompaniment can appear as a general “going along,” though mitfahren typically implies transport by vehicle rather than mere presence.

Etymology and related terms: The word combines mit (with) and fahren (to drive, to ride). Related verbs include teilnehmen (to participate) or mitlaufen (to run along, for foot travel), which differ in the mode of movement or the sense of involvement.