Drive in Different Languages
Discover 'Drive' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'drive' holds a significant place in our vocabulary, encompassing a wide range of meanings from a basic action to a powerful force. It represents the act of controlling a vehicle, the inner motivation that pushes us forward, and even the physical force that moves objects. This versatile term has made its way into various aspects of our culture, from literature and music to film and technology.
For instance, the popular phrase 'drive-thru' is a testament to our fast-paced society, while songs like 'Drive My Car' by The Beatles and 'Born to Run' by Bruce Springsteen use 'drive' to symbolize ambition and freedom. Moreover, the idiom 'to drive someone up the wall' highlights its use in expressing frustration.
Understanding the translation of 'drive' in different languages can be beneficial for global communication, especially in business and travel contexts. Here are some sample translations: Spanish - 'conducir', French - 'conduire', German - 'fahren', Italian - 'guidare', Chinese - '驾驶 (jià shǐ)', Japanese - '運転 (untentsu)', and Russian - 'вести (vesti)'.
Drive
Drive in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | ry | ||
| "Ry" in Afrikaans is not an alternate spelling of "drive", but rather means "ride" or "travel on horseback." | |||
| Amharic | መንዳት | ||
| The word "መንዳት" can also refer to "leading" or "directing" someone or something. | |||
| Hausa | tuƙi | ||
| The Hausa word "tuƙi" can also mean "to ride" or "to carry something on the back of an animal." | |||
| Igbo | ụgbọala | ||
| The Igbo word "ụgbọala" can also refer to a car or vehicle, highlighting its close association with the act of driving. | |||
| Malagasy | fiara | ||
| The word 'fiara' is derived from the French term 'voiture', referring to an automobile. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | kuyendetsa | ||
| The word "kuyendetsa" can also mean "to go" or "to lead". | |||
| Shona | kutyaira | ||
| The word "kutyaira" in Shona can also refer to the act of guiding or leading someone. | |||
| Somali | wadid | ||
| The Somali word "wadid" can also mean "to be stubborn" or "to insist on something." | |||
| Sesotho | kganna | ||
| A cognate of "kganna" - "ganna" - appears similarly in other Bantu languages, like Luganda, and refers to a "drive, way, passage, means, or habit (of doing)" | |||
| Swahili | kuendesha | ||
| The Swahili word "kuendesha" also means "to guide" or "to lead". | |||
| Xhosa | ukuqhuba | ||
| The Xhosa word "ukuqhuba" can also mean "to lead" or "to manage". | |||
| Yoruba | wakọ | ||
| The Yoruba word "wakọ" also means "to lead" or "to guide". | |||
| Zulu | ukushayela | ||
| 'Ukushayela' can also mean 'to take someone for a ride' in a figurative sense. | |||
| Bambara | ka boli | ||
| Ewe | ku ʋu | ||
| Kinyarwanda | gutwara | ||
| Lingala | kokumba | ||
| Luganda | okuvuga | ||
| Sepedi | otlela | ||
| Twi (Akan) | twi | ||
Drive in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | قيادة | ||
| The word "قيادة" (drive) in Arabic derives from the root meaning "to push," and also denotes "leadership, guidance, or management." | |||
| Hebrew | נהיגה | ||
| The word נהיגה (driving) also has the alternate meanings of "leadership", "guidance" and "conducting (a choir)." | |||
| Pashto | چلول | ||
| In Pashto, the word "چلول" also refers to a "horse-rider" and "a person who drives a horse or a camel". | |||
| Arabic | قيادة | ||
| The word "قيادة" (drive) in Arabic derives from the root meaning "to push," and also denotes "leadership, guidance, or management." | |||
Drive in Western European Languages
| Albanian | ngas | ||
| "Ngac" has also the meaning of "run" in a sentence like "Ngac në krahun e tij" which means "Run to his arm" (while swimming). | |||
| Basque | gidatu | ||
| The alternate meaning of “gidatu” is a guide that accompanies travellers in the mountains in exchange for payment. | |||
| Catalan | conduir | ||
| The verb "conduir" in Catalan originates from the Latin "conducere," meaning "to lead" or "to accompany." | |||
| Croatian | voziti | ||
| Voziti' also has alternate meanings like to "take" and "to transport" in Croatian. | |||
| Danish | køre | ||
| "Køre" has various meanings beyond driving, including "run" and "sail." | |||
| Dutch | rit | ||
| In some dialects, "rit" also means "rides". | |||
| English | drive | ||
| The word "drive" can also refer to an area of flat land where people can practice golf or other sports. | |||
| French | conduire | ||
| "Conduire" also means "to lead" in French. | |||
| Frisian | ride | ||
| "Ride" can also be used to describe riding an animal or a bicycle in Frisian. | |||
| Galician | conducir | ||
| In Galician, "conducir" also means "to conduct" or "to guide." | |||
| German | fahrt | ||
| The German word "Fahrt" also means "trip" or "journey", not just the act of driving. | |||
| Icelandic | keyra | ||
| In Icelandic, "keyra" derives from the Old Norse verb "keyra" meaning "to drive animals" or "to go by ship." | |||
| Irish | tiomáint | ||
| "Tiomáint" comes from the Old Irish "teim", meaning "course" or "direction", and is also used to refer to "steering", "guidance", or "control" in various contexts. | |||
| Italian | guidare | ||
| The word "guidare" is cognate with the French word "guider" and the English word "guide", all deriving from the Latin word "ducere", meaning "to lead". | |||
| Luxembourgish | fueren | ||
| Although etymologically related to the German word "fahren," the Luxembourgish "fueren" does not mean "to go" but rather "to drive". | |||
| Maltese | issuq | ||
| The word "issuq" in Maltese comes from the Arabic word "sa'a" which means "hour," possibly due to the notion that a "drive" is measured in terms of the time spent behind the wheel. | |||
| Norwegian | kjøre | ||
| The Norwegian word "kjøre" can also mean "to ride" an animal or a bicycle. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | dirigir | ||
| The Portuguese word "dirigir" comes from the Latin "dirigere," meaning "to direct" or "to guide," and retains these meanings in modern Portuguese. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | draibhidh | ||
| "Draibhidh" shares its root with "drift" and "dreabh," implying a sense of being carried or impelled forward. | |||
| Spanish | manejar | ||
| In Spain, "manejar" can also mean "to handle" in a general sense, while in Mexico it means "to manage". | |||
| Swedish | kör | ||
| The word "kör" can also mean "choir" in Swedish. | |||
| Welsh | gyrru | ||
| The Welsh word "gyrru" can also mean "to lead" or "to direct". | |||
Drive in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | дыск | ||
| The word "дыск" derives from the Old East Slavic "дискъ" meaning "plate" and has alternate meanings such as "disk" or "disc" in English. | |||
| Bosnian | voziti | ||
| In other Slavic languages like Russian, "voziti" implies "transporting", while in Bosnian it exclusively means driving a vehicle. | |||
| Bulgarian | карам | ||
| Карам (karam) also means to punish or scold someone in Bulgarian. | |||
| Czech | řídit | ||
| In Czech, "řídit" can also mean "direct" or "manage" a vehicle or organization. | |||
| Estonian | sõitma | ||
| In nautical usage, "sõitma" in Estonian means "to sail or row a boat or ship". | |||
| Finnish | ajaa | ||
| "Ajaa" can also mean "to chase", as in "to chase away an animal" or "to pursue a goal." | |||
| Hungarian | hajtás | ||
| In Hungarian, the word "hajtás" can also refer to a sprout, growth, branch, lineage, impulse, motivation or an assembly, mechanism or machine component that transmits power. | |||
| Latvian | braukt | ||
| The Latvian word "braukt" not only means "drive", but also "to go", "to travel" and "to ride". | |||
| Lithuanian | vairuoti | ||
| The cognate of the word “vairuoti” in many Slavic languages means “to turn”. | |||
| Macedonian | возење | ||
| "Возење" derives from the Slavonic "voziti" meaning "to carry". | |||
| Polish | napęd | ||
| The word "napęd" in Polish can also refer to a drive as a mechanism that transmits power to a machine. | |||
| Romanian | conduce | ||
| In Romanian, the word "conduce" also means "lead" or "guide." | |||
| Russian | водить машину | ||
| The verb "водить машину" literally means "to lead a car" and is related to the verb "водить" meaning "to lead". | |||
| Serbian | погон | ||
| The word "погон" in Serbian means "drive" and it is also used in the context of livestock and animal husbandry. | |||
| Slovak | riadiť | ||
| The word “riadiť” in Slovak does not only mean “drive” in English, but also “to lead” or “to guide”. | |||
| Slovenian | pogon | ||
| Pogon means 'beard' in Greek, and it also means 'a team of draft animals, especially oxen' in Slovene. | |||
| Ukrainian | привід | ||
| The Ukrainian word "привід" can also mean "cause" or "reason". | |||
Drive in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | ড্রাইভ | ||
| In Bengali, "ড্রাইভ" can also refer to a campaign or a movement. | |||
| Gujarati | ડ્રાઇવ | ||
| The Gujarati word "ડ્રાઇવ" also refers to a water mill or a machine that grinds grains. | |||
| Hindi | चलाना | ||
| In Hindi, the word "चलाना" (drive) can also mean to operate any vehicle or mechanical device, or even to manage or control something. | |||
| Kannada | ಡ್ರೈವ್ | ||
| The Kannada word 'ಡ್ರೈವ್' (drive) can also refer to an agricultural field or a military campaign. | |||
| Malayalam | ഡ്രൈവ് ചെയ്യുക | ||
| The Malayalam term ദ്രിവ് ("drive") can also refer to pushing, moving forward or forcing something to move in a specific direction. | |||
| Marathi | ड्राइव्ह | ||
| The Marathi word ड्राइव्ह is the same as the English "drive" and also means "drive a vehicle". | |||
| Nepali | ड्राइभ | ||
| The word 'ड्राइभ' is derived from the Old English word 'drīfan', which means 'to urge or impel' | |||
| Punjabi | ਚਲਾਉਣਾ | ||
| ਚਲਾਉਣਾ also means to operate, work, or run something, such as a machine or a business. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ධාවකය | ||
| The word "ධාවකය" also means "runner" or "person who runs quickly" in Sinhala. | |||
| Tamil | இயக்கி | ||
| The word 'இயக்கி' ('drive') in Tamil can also mean 'to set in motion' or 'to operate'. | |||
| Telugu | డ్రైవ్ | ||
| The Telugu word 'డ్రైవ్' ('drive') also means a bullock-cart road | |||
| Urdu | ڈرائیو | ||
| The word "ڈرائیو" (drive) in Urdu can also refer to a road or path, highlighting its dual meaning in transportation. | |||
Drive in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 驾驶 | ||
| 驾驶 can also mean "to control" or "to master". | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 駕駛 | ||
| "駕駛" can also refer to the act of riding or controlling a horse. | |||
| Japanese | ドライブ | ||
| ドライブ also means "movie theater", a fact reflected by the use of the same character for "film" (フィルム). | |||
| Korean | 드라이브 | ||
| "드라이브" is a loanword from English, and it can also mean 'a strong impulse' or 'a force that pushes someone to do something'. | |||
| Mongolian | жолоодох | ||
| The Mongolian word "жолоодох" can be literally translated as "to cause to go," and is cognate with "жорлон," meaning "to send on an errand." | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | မောင်း | ||
| In Burmese, "မောင်း" not only denotes "driving" a vehicle or animal but also implies "leading" or "guiding" a group or organization. | |||
Drive in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | mendorong | ||
| The word "mendorong" is derived from the Proto-Austronesian word *duŋuŋ, which also means "to push" or "to thrust". | |||
| Javanese | drive | ||
| In Javanese, the word "drive" also means "to control" or "to lead". | |||
| Khmer | ដ្រាយ | ||
| The Khmer word "ដ្រាយ" can also mean "take one's leave". | |||
| Lao | ຂັບ | ||
| The Lao word “ຂັບ” derives from Sanskrit, a parent language to Lao, from its root word “KRAM,” a general verb meaning either to “walk” or “to go.” | |||
| Malay | memandu | ||
| "Memandu" in Malay can mean both "drive (a vehicle)" and "lead (a group)", reflecting the shared concept of direction and control. | |||
| Thai | ไดรฟ์ | ||
| The word ไดรฟ์, which means "drive", comes from the verb "DRIVE" and its various forms. | |||
| Vietnamese | lái xe | ||
| A rare alternate meaning of 'lái xe' translates to 'steer a ship' in English. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | magmaneho | ||
Drive in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | sürmək | ||
| In Azerbaijani, "sürmək" also means "to wear" or "to put on" an item of clothing, derived from the Persian word "sormak" with the same meaning. | |||
| Kazakh | жүргізу | ||
| The word "жүргізу" also means "to carry out" or "to implement" in Kazakh. | |||
| Kyrgyz | айдоо | ||
| The Kyrgyz word "айдоо" also means "to chase" or "to pursue". | |||
| Tajik | рондан | ||
| The Tajik word "рондан" ultimately derives from the Old Persian word "*rad-", meaning "to ride". | |||
| Turkmen | sürmek | ||
| Uzbek | haydash | ||
| The word "haydash" in Uzbek also means "to go out" or "to leave". | |||
| Uyghur | drive | ||
Drive in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | kalaiwa | ||
| Kalaiwa also means 'to urge or force' and was likely used to refer to driving cattle before there were automobiles in Hawaii. | |||
| Maori | taraiwa | ||
| "Taraiwa" also means "to guide" and "to direct" in Maori. | |||
| Samoan | tietiega | ||
| The Samoan word "tietiega" can also refer to a traditional Samoan song that tells stories of ancestors or events. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | magmaneho | ||
| The word "magmaneho" is derived from the root word "maneho," which means "act of driving." | |||
Drive in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | apnaqaña | ||
| Guarani | mboguataha | ||
Drive in International Languages
| Esperanto | stiri | ||
| Although "stiri" means "drive" in Esperanto, it can also mean "to be at the helm" or "to lead by example". | |||
| Latin | coegi | ||
| Coegi may also mean `congeal', and is related to the word `coagulate'. | |||
Drive in Others Languages
| Greek | οδηγώ | ||
| The verb "οδηγώ" originally meant "to lead the way, to guide", deriving from the noun "οδηγός" ("guide"). | |||
| Hmong | tsav | ||
| The word "tsav" also means "push" in Hmong. | |||
| Kurdish | ajotin | ||
| "Ajotin" also refers to the motion of water, wind, or other fluids, conveying the sense of "flowing" or "moving rapidly". | |||
| Turkish | sürücü | ||
| The Turkish word "sürücü" can also refer to a motor vehicle driver. | |||
| Xhosa | ukuqhuba | ||
| The Xhosa word "ukuqhuba" can also mean "to lead" or "to manage". | |||
| Yiddish | פאָר | ||
| The word "פאָר" is derived from the German "fahren". The word also means "to carry" in Yiddish. | |||
| Zulu | ukushayela | ||
| 'Ukushayela' can also mean 'to take someone for a ride' in a figurative sense. | |||
| Assamese | চলোৱা | ||
| Aymara | apnaqaña | ||
| Bhojpuri | गाड़ी चलावऽ | ||
| Dhivehi | ދުއްވުން | ||
| Dogri | ड्राइव | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | magmaneho | ||
| Guarani | mboguataha | ||
| Ilocano | agmaneho | ||
| Krio | drayv | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | لێخوڕین | ||
| Maithili | चलेनाइ | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯊꯣꯕ | ||
| Mizo | khalh | ||
| Oromo | oofuu | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଡ୍ରାଇଭ୍ | ||
| Quechua | pusay | ||
| Sanskrit | वह् | ||
| Tatar | диск | ||
| Tigrinya | ምግናሕ | ||
| Tsonga | chayela | ||