運転する
unten surutransitive
To drive (to operate a wheeled motorized vehicle) in Japanese is 運転する. If unsure, use 運転する (unten suru). Wiktionary also lists 駆る (karu) and ドライブする (doraibu suru).
Meaning: to operate (a wheeled motorized vehicle) (verb)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 運転する | unten suru | transitive | |
| 駆る | karu | [ka̠ɾɯ̟] (narrow) | |
| ドライブする | doraibu suru |
The verb 運転する is the standard way to describe the technical act of operating a vehicle. In a colloquial sense, if you are driving specifically for pleasure or a road trip, you can use ドライブする. For a more literary or metaphorical sense, such as driving a horse or wielding power and emotions, the word 駆る is used.
Which one should you use?
運転する is the standard term for the operation of a vehicle. In contrast, ドライブする refers specifically to the leisure activity of going for a drive or a road trip. On a much more formal or literary level, 駆る is used for driving horses or metaphorically for driving/wielding power or emotions.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
運転する is a transitive verb.
How do you pronounce it?
unten suru
Did you know?
- Japanese has a specific term, 代行運転 (daikou unten), for a service where a professional driver is hired to drive your own car home after you have been drinking.
- The phrase 運転免許 (driver's license) uses the kanji 免 meaning 'exemption', implying that the license exempts the person from the legal prohibition of driving.
- The literary verb 駆る shares a root with the word for 'gallop'. This reflects its ancient origin in managing horses before the invention of the engine.
Examples in context
- 君が運転する番だ。It's your turn to drive.This sentence is useful for showing who is currently responsible for driving using 運転する.Tatoeba #8733001 by small_snow, translation #242361 by CK
- 次は、私が運転するね。Next time, I'll drive.This sentence is useful for expressing a future intention to drive using 運転する.Tatoeba #9251247 by small_snow, translation #3700531 by AlanF_US
- 今度は私が運転する番よ。It's my turn to drive next.This sentence is useful for expressing whose turn it is to drive using 運転する.Tatoeba #172097 by bunbuku, translation #242378 by CK
- 私は毎日車を運転します。I drive a car every day.
- 出張の際には、ドライブすることを楽しみにしています。I look forward to driving when I'm on a business trip.
- 休日には家族と一緒に運転をします。On weekends, I drive with my family.
- 昨日友達が車を運転してくれた。Yesterday, my friend drove the car for me.
- 毎晩、ドライブするのが好きです。I enjoy driving every evening.
- 26 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
陽太 and 美咲 are talking about a road trip in a car.
- 陽太 Yota今日は僕が運転するよ。Kyou wa boku ga unten suru yo.I will drive today.
- 美咲 Misaki本当？ありがとう、陽太君。Hontou? Arigatou, Youta-kun.Really? Thank you, Youta.
- 陽太 Yota美咲はゆっくり休んでね。Misaki wa yukkuri yasunde ne.Misaki, please take a good rest.
- 美咲 Misakiうん、お願いね。Un, onegai ne.Okay, I'm counting on you.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “drive” translations and entries 駆る, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
