How to say "driving" in Japanese

• ドライブJLPT N3approx.Common
  nounCovers the sense of a drive or trip taken by car for pleasure. When English 'driving' refers to going for a leisurely spin, this is the natural word, as in going for a drive.
  お昼ひるからちょっとドライブに行いきましょう。↗

  Let's take a short drive this afternoon.
• 駆動くどうCommon
  noun, suru verb, transitive verb, intransitive verbCovers driving in the sense of driving force, as in machinery or engineering, where one part powers another. It is a technical term, not how you describe a person driving a car.
• 打ち込みうちこみCommon
  nounCovers driving in the sense of pounding or shooting something into a target, such as driving in nails or implanting something. It does not refer to vehicles or driving force, so it is seldom the word you want otherwise.
• 運転うんてんJLPT N4approx.Common
  noun, suru verb, transitive verbThe ordinary word for driving a vehicle, that is, operating a car or other machine at the wheel. When you simply mean that someone is driving, this is the word to reach for.
  キャロルはレンタカーを運転うんてんしています。↗

  Carol is driving a rent-a-car.

Use 運転 for driving a vehicle, 「ドライブ」 for a car trip, 駆動 for driving force in mechanical or technical contexts, and 「打ち込み」 only for driving something in, such as pounding nails.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

• ドライブdrive
• 駆動くどうdrive
• 打ち込みうちこみdriving
• ドライビングdriving (a vehicle)
• 運転うんてんdriving (a vehicle)
• 牽引けんいんdriving (e.g. economic growth)
• 横殴りよこなぐりslanting (rain, snow, etc.)
• 追い込みおいこみdriving (animals, fish, etc.)