conducir un coche
/konduθiɾ un kot͡ʃe/from spelling rules
The phrase for driving a car in Spanish is conducir un coche.
The phrase describes the act of operating and controlling a motor vehicle to move it along a road. You can use the verb conducir or manejar to mean "to drive", and the words coche, auto or automóvil to refer to a car.
Which one should you use?
In Spain, the verb conducir is the standard way to say driving a vehicle, whereas in Latin America, the verb manejar is more commonly used. Similarly, in many parts of Latin America, auto is often used instead of coche to refer to a car.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The verb manejar is more commonly used in Latin America. In many parts of Latin America, you will also hear conducir un auto.
How does it change in a sentence?
To express the continuous action of driving (the present participle), use the gerund conduciendo.
How do you pronounce it?
/konduθiɾ un kotʃe/
Did you know?
- In many Latin American countries, calling a car a coche can sometimes sound slightly old-fashioned or specifically refer to a baby's stroller rather than a motor vehicle.
- The word coche is a linguistic relative of the English word 'coach'. Both terms trace back to Kocs, a Hungarian village that manufactured innovative horse-drawn carriages in the 15th century.
- While 'conducir' focuses on the technical act of directing a vehicle, the Latin American preference for manejar comes from the same root as the English word 'manage'.
Examples in context
- Estoy aprendiendo a manejar un automóvil nuevo.I'm learning to drive a new car.
- ¿Sabes cómo conducir un coche manual?Do you know how to drive a manual car?
- El equipo de Fórmula 1 pilota los coches a gran velocidad.The Formula 1 team drives the cars at high speed.
- Me gusta conducir un coche por la ciudad.I like driving a car through the city.
- Me gusta conducir un coche por la montaña.I like driving a car through the mountains.
- Él está aprendiendo a conducir un coche.He is learning to drive a car.
- No puedes conducir un coche si estás muy cansado.You cannot drive a car if you are very tired.
Example conversation
Mateo and María are discussing travel plans.
- Mateo¿Prefieres conducir un coche para ir al festival?Do you prefer driving a car to go to the festival?
- MaríaSí, me gusta mucho conducir un coche en viajes largos.Yes, I really like driving a car on long trips.
- MateoEntonces, yo preparo la música para el viaje.Then, I will prepare the music for the trip.
- MaríaPerfecto, Mateo, será un viaje muy divertido.Perfect, Mateo, it will be a very fun trip.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries coche, conducir, un, CC BY-SA 4.0.
