Rad fahren
de
en
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Translating...
cycle, ride a bike, flatter superiors and bully subordinates
/ˈʁaːt ˌfaːʁən/
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Cycling, with a separate disparaging image for someone who bows to superiors and kicks subordinates.
Examples
Im Büro fuhr er jahrelang Rad.
For years at the office, he flattered upward and bullied downward.
Wir fahren am Sonntag Rad.
We ride our bikes on Sundays.
Sie kann schon Rad fahren.
She can already ride a bike.
Kannst du Rad fahren?
Can you ride a bike?
Sein Team wirft ihm vor, Rad zu fahren.
His team accuses him of flattering upward and bullying downward.
Meanings
Examples
Ich fahre Rad zur Schule.
I ride my bike to school.
Sie kann schon Rad fahren.
She can already ride a bike.
Wir fahren am Sonntag Rad.
We ride our bikes on Sundays.
Er ist gestern Rad gefahren.
He rode a bike yesterday.
Kannst du Rad fahren?
Can you ride a bike?
Examples
Der neue Chef fährt Rad: nach oben schmeichelt er, nach unten tritt er.
The new boss flatters upward and bullies downward.
Wer nur beim Chef nett ist und die Mitarbeiter schikaniert, fährt Rad.
Anyone who is nice only to the boss but harasses staff flatters upward and bullies downward.
Sein Team wirft ihm vor, Rad zu fahren.
His team accuses him of flattering upward and bullying downward.
Im Büro fuhr er jahrelang Rad.
For years at the office, he flattered upward and bullied downward.
Sie wollte nicht Rad fahren, um befördert zu werden.
She did not want to flatter upward and bully downward to get promoted.
Etymology
The figurative image is of a cyclist bending upward and pedalling downward.
FAQ
What does Rad fahren mean?
Usually it means riding a bicycle.
How is it used in a sentence?
Inflect fahren: ich fahre Rad, sie fährt Rad, er ist Rad gefahren.
Is there a figurative sense?
Yes; it disparages a person who flatters bosses and mistreats staff.
Write Rad with a capital R and separate from fahren.
Where does the figurative image come from?
The cyclist bends above while pushing down below.
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