reisen
/ˈʁaɪ̯sn̩/
To travel in German is reisen.
The verb reisen means to be on a journey.
Meaning: be on a journey (verb)
Which one should you use?
While reisen is the verb meaning to travel, the related noun Reise refers to a specific trip or journey.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The simple past tense of reisen is reiste. When using the present perfect tense, reisen uses the auxiliary verb sein (to be) instead of haben (to have), forming ist gereist. Regarding the related nouns, die Reise is the singular form for a trip and die Reisen is the plural form for trips or journeys.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈʁaɪ̯sn̩/
Did you know?
- The German verb reisen shares an ancient root with the English word 'rise'. It stems from a Proto-Indo-European root meaning 'to move up or down'.
- German distinguishes between reisen, which describes the act of traveling as a general activity or long journey, and fahren, which refers to the specific act of driving or riding a vehicle.
- German distinguishes between the act of travel and the act of commuting, meaning you would not typically use reisen for your daily trip to work.
Examples in context
- Sie liebte das Reisen.She loved to travel.This sentence shows how to use the noun form of the verb reisen as a gerund.Tatoeba #10112983 by wolfgangth, translation #10081794 by Cabo
- Reisen Sie oft allein?Do you often travel alone?Tatoeba #12636244 by Waldelfe, translation #12298618 by CK
- Ich hasse es zu reisen.I hate to travel.This sentence shows how to use the infinitive form of reisen.Tatoeba #5010045 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #5011976 by don_ramon
- Ich liebe es zu reisen.I love to travel.
- Wir fahren nächsten Monat weg.We're going away next month.
- Wo machst du dieses Jahr Urlaub?Where are you going on vacation this year?
- Ich kann es kaum erwarten, wieder zu verreisen.I can't wait to travel again.
- 169 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hannah and Maximilian are talking about their upcoming vacation.
- HannahMöchtest du im Sommer nach Italien reisen?Do you want to travel to Italy in the summer?
- MaximilianJa, ich möchte gerne reisen.Yes, I would like to travel.
- HannahWir können mit dem Zug reisen.We can travel by train.
- MaximilianDas ist eine gute Idee.That is a good idea.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “travel” translations and entries reisen, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries reisen, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
