ドライブ

If someone asks you,
ドライブにいきませんか。
where are you going?

ドライブ is the transliteration of the English word “drive” but it is more like a Sunday “drive,” a “joyride” or a “(day) trip in a car” and in a Katakana ドライブ, “travelling in a car” itself is the important part rather than where you are going.

It is a noun, so we usually use it like ドライブに行く/いきます with the particle に for “go for a drive” but you can make it into a verb with する/します (i.e. ドライブする/ドライブします).

Examples of ドライブ

1. ドライブに行いきませんか。
   Would you like to go for a drive with me?
2. ジョンおじさんがドライブに連つれて行いってくれた。
   Uncle John took me for a spin.
3. 箱根はこねまでドライブしませんか。
   Won’t you go for a drive to Hakone? (The destination is usually marked with まで rather than に)

How to say “to drive (a vehicle)” in Japanese

When “driving” means “going in a car”:

1. Dad drives to work.
   父ちちは車くるまで通勤つうきんしている。 (= Dad commutes to work by car. Use the tool marker で after 車くるま)
2. Shall we walk or drive?
   あるきましょうか、それとも車くるまで行いきましょうか。 (= Shall we walk or go in a car?)
3. Dad drives me to school every day.
   父ちちが毎日まいにち車くるまで学校がっこうに連つれて行いってくれる。 (= Dad takes me to school in his car everyday.)
4. Would you like me to drive you home?
   おうちまで車くるまで送おくりましょうか。 (= Shall I escort you home in my car? 送おくる has a meaning of “to escort someone to…”)

When “driving” means “operating a vehicle”:

1. My dad drives a car.
   父ちちは車くるまを運転うんてんする。 (= Dad operates a car.)
2. My dad can drive a bus.
   父ちちはバスが運転うんてんできる。 (= Dad can operate a bus.)

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