Bahn

See also: bahn

German

Etymology

From Middle High German ban, from Old High German *bana, from Proto-West Germanic *banu, ultimately from Proto-Germanic *banō. Cognate with Luxembourgish Bunn, Dutch baan.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /baːn/
  • (file)
  • (file)
  • Homophones: Bahren, Barren (some speakers chiefly in casual speech)
  • Rhymes: -aːn

Noun

Bahn f (genitive Bahn, plural Bahnen)

  1. route, trail
    Sie bricht sich ihre eigene Bahn.
    She blazes her own trail.
  2. (rail transport) railway/railroad or rail transport
    Ich habe eine Tageskarte für Bus und Bahn.
    I've got a day ticket for bus and rail.
  3. A vehicle in rail transport (especially a regional commuter train or tram, otherwise more often Zug or Tram)
    Die Bahn kommt immer zu spät!
    The train is always late!
    Ich bin in der Bahn.
    I'm on the train.
  4. (informal) Short for Autobahn.
    Ich bin auf der Bahn.
    I'm on the motorway.
  5. (informal) Short for Fahrbahn (lane [of a road]).
  6. A large, wide sheet of material used for waterproofing roofs and other structures; waterproofing membrane
  7. (astronomy) orbit
    Kometen umlaufen die Sonne auf exzentrischen Bahnen.
    Comets orbit the Sun on eccentric orbits.

Declension

Derived terms

Descendants

  • English: gadgetbahn
  • Kashubian: ban
  • Russian: бан (ban) (Crimean, slang)

Proper noun

Bahn f (proper noun, genitive Bahn)

  1. Deutsche Bahn, or its predecessors.
    Die Bahn schreibt schwarze Zahlen.
    Deutsche Bahn announces a profit.

Further reading

  • Bahn” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
  • Bahn” in Uni Leipzig: Wortschatz-Lexikon
  • Bahn” in Duden online
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