Italian · Everyday Verbs
"to drive" in Italian: guidare
guidare
To drive in Italian is guidare (gwee-DAH-reh). Io guido, tu guidi, noi guidiamo. Ho guidato means I drove. Your licence is la patente.
Offer
Guido io, se sei stanco.Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce guidare
Say it
gwee-DAH-reh
/ɡwiˈda.re/
Guidare stresses DAH: gwee-DAH-reh. Guido is GWEE-doh.
"to drive" in Italian: quick reference
| Italian | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| guidare | to drive Cars and most vehicles. | Cars and most vehicles. |
| guido / guidi | I drive / you drive Present singular. | Present singular. |
| guidiamo | we drive Shared trips. | Shared trips. |
| la patente | driver's licence Legal document. | Legal document. |
How to use guidare in real life
- 1Offer
Guido io, se sei stanco.
I'll drive if you're tired.
Guido io.
- 2Weekend
Domani guidiamo fino al lago.
Tomorrow we're driving to the lake.
Guidiamo.
- 3Past trip
Ieri ho guidato per tre ore.
Yesterday I drove for three hours.
Ho guidato.
Mistakes English speakers make with guidare
Incorrect: Io guidare la macchina.
Correct: Guido la macchina.
Conjugate: io guido.
Incorrect: Guida la bicicletta (for bike riding).
Correct: Vado in bici. / Pedalo.
Guidare is mainly for motor vehicles; bikes usually use andare in bici.
Good to know
City driving tests patience at every semaforo. Many Italians say prendo la macchina more than guido when stating the transport choice—both are fine.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Sharing the wheel on a road trip
ChatPal
Preferisci guidare adesso o dopo pranzo?
Do you prefer to drive now or after lunch?
You
Guido adesso, poi cambi tu.
I'll drive now, then you switch.
ChatPal
Va bene. Guidiamo piano in autostrada se piove.
Alright. Let's drive slowly on the motorway if it rains.
You
D'accordo, sicurezza prima.
Agreed—safety first.
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"to drive" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "to drive" in Italian
How do I say I drive?
Guido, or so guidare for I can drive.
What is patente?
Your driver's licence.
Guidare or condurre?
Guidare is the everyday verb; condurre is more formal.
Past tense?
Ho guidato.
Learn a word, then use it out loud
- Step 1: See it in context
- Step 2: Say it out loud
- Step 3: Get feedback
- Step 4: Use it in real scenarios
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