Conduire is the most common way to say "to drive" in French. But there are several other options. As you navigate French-speaking countries or simply talk about getting around, you might want to know the nuances of expressing "to drive"! Let's look at some common and less common ways to say "to drive" (and, sometimes, more than just "to drive") in French!

The most common and direct 'to drive' – conduire

Conduire is the primary and most direct verb for 'to drive' in French, signifying the act of operating a vehicle.

Its most common usage refers to actively operating a vehicle, especially a car. When you are behind the wheel and controlling the movement, conduire is the verb you need.

As an irregular verb ending in -uire, conduire follows a specific conjugation pattern. For instance, in the present tense: je conduis, tu conduis, il/elle/on conduit, nous conduisons, vous conduisez, ils/elles conduisent.

Beyond vehicles, conduire can also mean 'to lead' or 'to conduct'. You might use it to describe leading a team, conducting an orchestra, or guiding a discussion.

The related noun, la conduite, translates to 'driving' (e.g., permis de conduire - driving license) or 'conduct' and 'behavior' (e.g., bonne conduite - good behavior).

It's crucial not to confuse conduire with rouler. While conduire means to drive (the act of operating), rouler means to roll and refers to a vehicle simply moving or going (e.g., La voiture roule sur l'autoroute - The car is going on the highway). You conduis a car, but the car roule.

In most everyday situations where you want to say 'I drive' or 'he drives', conduire is the straightforward and correct verb to use, regardless of the vehicle type (car, bus, train, etc., if you are the operator).

💡 *Je conduis tous les jours pour aller au travail. (I drive every day to go to work.)
*Il conduit une nouvelle voiture. (He drives a new car.)
*Nous allons conduire jusqu'à la côte. (We are going to drive to the coast.)
*Elle a conduit le projet avec succès. (She led the project successfully.)
*Le chef d'orchestre conduit ses musiciens avec passion. (The conductor leads his musicians with passion.)

To 'pilot' or 'drive skillfully' (often a race car, plane, or specific vehicle) – piloter

The verb piloter in French directly translates to “to pilot” in English, but it carries a more specific nuance than simply “to drive.” It implies a higher degree of skill and control, often associated with complex or high-performance vehicles.

You'll most commonly hear piloter used when referring to operating aircraft (planes, helicopters), race cars, boats, or other specialized machinery that requires expert handling. It suggests navigating, steering, and controlling with precision.

Unlike the general verb conduire (to drive a car), piloter emphasizes the skillful and often professional aspect of operating a vehicle. A pilot pilote a plane, a race car driver pilote a car, and a captain pilote a ship.

Beyond literal vehicle operation, piloter can also be used figuratively to mean “to manage,” “to direct,” or “to lead” a project, a team, or an organization. In this context, it still retains the idea of skillful guidance and control towards a goal.

Piloter is a regular -ER verb, making its conjugation straightforward. For example, in the present tense: je pilote, tu pilotes, il/elle/on pilote, nous pilotons, vous pilotez, ils/elles pilotent.

💡 * Il pilote un avion de ligne depuis vingt ans.

Elle adore piloter sa voiture de sport sur circuit.

Le commandant pilote le sous-marin avec une grande précision.

Qui va piloter la stratégie marketing pour le prochain trimestre ?

J'ai appris à piloter un drone récemment.

To 'drive' or 'be driving' (referring to the vehicle's movement or the act of driving generally) – rouler

The verb rouler is the most common and versatile way to express 'to drive' or 'to be driving' in French, particularly when referring to the movement of a vehicle or the general act of driving.

Its primary usage describes a vehicle moving or running. Think of it as a car, bike, or train 'rolling' along its path. For example, La voiture roule means 'The car is driving/moving'.

Beyond just a vehicle's motion, rouler can also refer to the act of driving a vehicle yourself. If you say Je roule, it implies 'I am driving' (as in, I am operating the vehicle).

Rouler is quite flexible and applies to various modes of transport beyond just cars. You can rouler à vélo (ride a bike), rouler en moto (ride a motorcycle), or even describe a train roulant (a train moving).

Understanding its literal meaning of 'to roll' helps grasp its broader application. Any object that moves on wheels or by rolling can use this verb, making it intuitive for vehicle movement.

You'll frequently hear it with adverbs of speed, like rouler vite (to drive fast) or rouler lentement (to drive slowly), or to indicate the side of the road, rouler à droite/à gauche (to drive on the right/left).

💡 * La voiture roule sur l'autoroute. (The car is driving on the highway.)

Je roule depuis des heures. (I've been driving for hours.)

Il roule à vélo tous les jours pour aller au travail. (He bikes to work every day.)

Attention, ça roule fort ici! (Watch out, traffic is moving fast here!)

Les roues du camion roulent sur le chemin de terre. (The truck's wheels roll on the dirt road.)

To 'take the wheel' or 'start driving' – prendre le volant

The phrase prendre le volant literally translates to 'to take the steering wheel' and is commonly used to mean 'to take the wheel' or 'to start driving'.

While primarily referring to the act of physically beginning to drive a car, prendre le volant can also be used figuratively to mean 'to take control' or 'to take charge' in a broader sense, similar to its English equivalent.

This expression uses the verb prendre (to take) conjugated according to the subject, followed by the definite article le and the noun volant (steering wheel).

💡 * Il a pris le volant après le déjeuner. (He took the wheel after lunch.)

C'est à ton tour de prendre le volant. (It's your turn to take the wheel.)

Elle doit apprendre à prendre le volant. (She needs to learn to drive/take the wheel.)

Dans cette entreprise, c'est lui qui prend le volant des projets importants. (In this company, he's the one who takes charge of important projects.)

Quand on est fatigué, il ne faut pas prendre le volant. (When you're tired, you shouldn't drive.)

To 'lead' or 'drive someone/something' (often to a destination) – mener

The verb mener is a versatile French verb that primarily means 'to lead,' 'to drive,' or 'to conduct.' It implies guiding or bringing someone or something towards a specific point or outcome.

It's frequently used when talking about leading someone (e.g., a person, a child) or an animal (e.g., a horse, a dog) to a specific place, guiding them along a path or towards a destination.

Beyond physical guidance, mener can also mean 'to drive' or 'to conduct' something abstract, like a project, a discussion, a business, or even a life. It speaks to the management or direction of an activity.

Crucially, mener always takes a direct object. You lead someone (mener quelqu'un) or lead something (mener quelque chose). It doesn't typically stand alone without specifying what is being led or driven.

Think of common phrases like mener une vie (to lead a life), mener l'enquête (to lead an investigation), or mener à bien (to bring to a successful conclusion), highlighting its broader applications beyond simple movement.

💡 * Je vais te mener à la gare. (I will lead/take you to the station.)

Il mène une vie tranquille à la campagne. (He leads a quiet life in the countryside.)

Qui va mener la réunion demain matin ? (Who will lead the meeting tomorrow morning?)

Le chemin mène directement à la plage. (The path leads directly to the beach.)

Elle mène son équipe avec beaucoup de succès. (She leads her team very successfully.)

To 'take someone by car' or 'drive someone' – emmener en voiture

To 'take someone by car' or 'drive someone' – emmener en voiture is a common and useful French expression.

The French phrase emmener en voiture directly translates to 'to take someone in a car' or 'to drive someone'. It specifies the mode of transport, distinguishing it from simply emmener (to take someone, generally).

While emmener alone can mean 'to take someone to a place' (by any means), adding en voiture makes it clear that the transportation is by car. This is crucial for clarity when you are the one providing the ride.

The verb emmener is conjugated regularly like other -er verbs. Common phrases include Je peux t'emmener en voiture ? (Can I drive you?) or Il m'a emmené en voiture à la gare. (He drove me to the station.).

While emmener en voiture is specific, you might also hear conduire quelqu'un (to drive someone) or déposer quelqu'un (to drop someone off), which are also common. Remember emmener en voiture when you want to emphasize giving someone a ride.

💡 * Je peux t'emmener en voiture si tu veux. (I can drive you if you want.)

Elle m'a emmené en voiture à l'aéroport. (She drove me to the airport.)

Tu peux m'emmener en voiture demain matin ? (Can you drive me tomorrow morning?)

Nous allons emmener les enfants en voiture à l'école. (We are going to drive the children to school.)

To 'drive a long distance' or 'travel by road' – faire de la route

The French expression faire de la route literally translates to 'to do road,' but it's used to mean 'to drive a long distance' or 'to travel by road'.

This versatile phrase is perfect when you want to convey the idea of covering a significant distance by car, whether for a trip, a commute, or an adventure.

It specifically highlights the act of driving or traveling on roads, often implying a journey of some length, rather than just a short drive around town.

💡 * Nous allons faire de la route demain pour aller voir mes parents. (We are going to drive a long distance tomorrow to go see my parents.)

Après avoir fait de la route toute la journée, nous étions épuisés. (After driving all day, we were exhausted.)

J'adore faire de la route avec de la bonne musique. (I love driving long distances with good music.)

Ils ont fait beaucoup de route pour arriver jusqu'ici. (They traveled a lot by road to get here.)

To 'drive around' or 'be in traffic' (often referring to movement on roads) – circuler

The verb circuler is primarily used to mean 'to drive around,' 'to be in traffic,' or more generally, 'to move' on roads or in public spaces.

It's commonly used when talking about vehicles moving, or the flow of traffic. For instance, if traffic is heavy, you might hear Ça circule mal (Traffic isn't flowing well).

Beyond vehicles, circuler can also refer to people moving about in a crowd, or even information 'circulating' (spreading). Think of it as 'to move freely' within a defined area.

You'll often hear it in official warnings like Ne pas circuler sur la pelouse (Do not walk on the grass) or Circulez! (Move along!), indicating a command to keep moving.

💡 *Il est difficile de circuler en ville aux heures de pointe. (It's difficult to drive around in the city during rush hour.)
*Les voitures circulent lentement à cause des embouteillages. (Cars are moving slowly because of the traffic jams.)
*Les rumeurs circulent vite dans ce bureau. (Rumors spread quickly in this office.)
*Circulez, il n'y a rien à voir ici! (Move along, there's nothing to see here!)
*On ne peut pas circuler à vélo sur cette autoroute. (You can't cycle on this motorway.)

To 'travel by car' or 'get around by car' (implying driving oneself) – se déplacer en voiture

To express the idea of 'traveling by car' or 'getting around by car,' particularly when you are the one driving, the most precise French phrase is se déplacer en voiture.

The core of this expression is the reflexive verb se déplacer. This verb literally means 'to move oneself' or 'to get around.' The 'se' indicates that the subject is performing the action on themselves, implying self-locomotion rather than being a passive passenger.

Following se déplacer is the prepositional phrase en voiture, which translates directly to 'by car'. The combination se déplacer en voiture therefore paints a clear picture of someone actively moving themselves from one place to another using a car.

This phrase is ideal when you want to convey that you drive to a location or use your car to get around. It highlights the active role of the driver. While aller en voiture (to go by car) or voyager en voiture (to travel by car) are also valid, se déplacer en voiture specifically carries the nuance of personal transportation and often, personal driving.

💡 * Je me déplace toujours en voiture pour aller au travail. (I always travel by car to go to work.)

Elle se déplace en voiture car les transports en commun sont lents. (She gets around by car because public transport is slow.)

Pour cette réunion, nous nous déplacerons en voiture. (For this meeting, we will travel by car.)

Comment vous déplacez-vous en ville ? Je me déplace en voiture. (How do you get around in the city? I get around by car.)

Ils se sont déplacés en voiture jusqu'à la côte. (They traveled by car to the coast.)

Are there other ways to say 'to drive' in French?

Are there other ways to say “to drive” in French?

Our list has covered the most common verbs for “to drive” in French, like conduire and rouler. But French, like any language, offers a rich variety of expressions and nuances for this action.

Depending on the context — whether you're driving a car, a bus, or even just driving someone crazy — there might be more specific verbs or phrases. You can also search online for “comment dire conduire en ___” followed by a specific Francophone country or region to discover local variations.

When you encounter new verbs or expressions related to 'driving,' always check their definitions and observe how they're used in real-world sentences. This helps ensure you're using them correctly and naturally.

As you immerse yourself in French media — reading books, watching films, or listening to podcasts — pay close attention to how native speakers describe the act of driving. You'll likely pick up on subtle differences and new vocabulary.

For a comprehensive look at the various meanings and uses of 'to drive' and related verbs, the WordReference entries for conduire or rouler are excellent starting points. They often provide synonyms, collocations, and contextual examples.

I hope this article has helped you navigate the nuances of saying 'to drive' in French. Remember, language learning is a journey, not a destination. As the French proverb says, Petit à petit, l'oiseau fait son nid. (Little by little, the bird builds its nest.)

9 ways to say "to drive" in French