verb
to shut down (a computer), to drive down
B1
Herunterfahren means 'to shut down' (a computer) or 'to drive down'. It's a separable verb (fahr... herunter) related to fahren, irregular (3rd person fährt; preterite fuhr; Partizip II heruntergefahren). Uses haben as auxiliary. Common in computing and motion contexts; imperative: Fahr herunter!
VOCABULARY.DETAILS.EXAMPLES
Ich habe den Computer heruntergefahren.
I shut down the computer.
Er fuhr das System herunter.
He shut down the system.
Bitte fahre den Computer herunter, bevor du gehst.
Please shut down the computer before you leave.
VOCABULARY.DETAILS.DETAILS_LABEL
VOCABULARY.DETAILS.MNEMONICS
Picture closing a laptop lid and an icon sliding down to show the system shutting down.
think 'turn down' / 'turn off' — 'herunter' = down, 'fahren' = drive/operate
VOCABULARY.DETAILS.NOTES
Herunterfahren is separable: in main clauses the prefix 'herunter' goes to the end (ich fahre den Computer herunter). For computers it commonly takes 'haben' in perfect tenses (hat heruntergefahren).