llevar/manejar/conducir

Question

I'm not complaining, well maybe I am just a bit but how did there get to be so many ways to say i drive?

I didn't search the database but they are turning the lights off in the library telling us politely it is time to go. Help please.

Answer 1

I guess it is because cars and all the technology and terminology behind them was originally in English, so all English speakers use pretty much the same words, but in the case of Spanish, however, each country came up with all the new terms as they needed them. Even nowadays we continue doing the same thing.

Anyway, in Spain the main verb is conducir, which is what we used to do with horse carriages, but we can also say "llevar el coche" and "manejar el coche/el volante" -we just do not use those verbs intransitively. Those three verbs are to drive, to take (the car to a place) and to use (the car), which you can also say in English.

Interesting that you say that conducir carries the main usage in Spain as on a previous thread some time ago someone told me that it sounded unatural, I rest my case. - kenwilliams, Oct 29, 2010

Unnatural? Mmmm... my Spanish driving license says "Permiso de conducción", in Chile and Colombia "Licencia de conductor", in Mexico and Guatemala "Licencia de conducir". Shall I continue? - lazarus1907, Oct 29, 2010

Thanks I feel better for that support. - kenwilliams, Oct 29, 2010

I think it's a regional thing. Manejar el carro is the common thing to say in Ecuador and manejar is used intransitively. - lorenzo9, Oct 30, 2010

Answer 2

I was involved in car accident today.

Mi amiga iba manejando, pero la otra conductora iba mirando los pajaritos.

My friend was driving, but the other driver was watching the little birds.

Do you mean the skirt wearing type of birds? He he. - kenwilliams, Oct 29, 2010