# Cars and driving in Esperanto: car parts, road and traffic

Source: https://esperantopedia.org/phrases/car-driving/
Language: en
Updated: 2026-10-11

> Car is aŭto, to drive is stiri, brake is bremso: Esperanto words for car parts, driving verbs, roads, traffic, licences and breakdowns.

A car is ***aŭto***, short for ***aŭtomobilo***, and the usual verb for driving it is ***stiri***, literally "to steer": *Mi stiras la aŭton.* – "I am driving the car." ***Veturi*** means "to travel in a vehicle", and a professional driver is a ***ŝoforo***. Most words here are built from a few roots with *-il-* "tool", *-ej-* "place" and *-ist-* "professional". Streets, bridges and the first direction phrases are on [city, directions and transport](https://esperantopedia.org/phrases/city-transport/); emergencies are in [travel phrases](https://esperantopedia.org/phrases/travel/). Pronunciation guides split words into syllables, with the stressed syllable in capitals.

## The car and its parts

| English | Esperanto | Pronunciation | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| car | *aŭto*, *aŭtomobilo* | AŬ-to, aŭ-to-mo-BI-lo | ReVo: *aŭto* is more common in everyday speech |
| lorry (US truck) | *kamiono* | ka-mi-O-no | Also *ŝarĝaŭto*; a van is *kamioneto* |
| wheel | *rado* | RA-do | |
| steering wheel | *stirrado* | stir-RA-do | *stirilo* is any steering device |
| tyre (US tire) | *pneŭo* | PNEŬ-o | ReVo also gives *pneŭmatiko* |
| engine | *motoro* | mo-TO-ro | |
| bonnet (US hood) | *kapoto* | ka-PO-to | Its first sense is a hooded coat |
| boot (US trunk) | *kofrujo* | ko-FRU-jo | *kofro* "chest" + *-uj-* "container" |
| windscreen (US windshield) | *antaŭa glaco* | an-TAŬ-a GLA-co | *glaco* is polished plate glass |
| windscreen wiper | *glacoviŝilo* | gla-co-vi-ŜI-lo | *viŝi* "wipe" + *-il-* |
| rear-view mirror | *retrospegulo* | re-tro-spe-GU-lo | *spegulo* "mirror" |
| seat belt | *sekurzono* | se-kur-ZO-no | ReVo also lists *sekurrimeno* |
| brake | *bremso* | BREM-so | Verb: *bremsi* |
| accelerator (gas pedal) | *akcelilo* | ak-ce-LI-lo | *akceli* "speed up" + *-il-* |
| clutch | *kluĉilo* | klu-ĈI-lo | |
| gear | *rapidumo* | ra-pi-DU-mo | The gear lever is *rapidumstango* |
| horn | *hupo* | HU-po | |
| dipped headlight | *duonlumo* | du-on-LU-mo | Full beam is *plenlumo* |
| indicator (US turn signal) | *turnindikilo* | tur-nin-di-KI-lo | ReVo marks the shorter *ĝirlumo* as a word to avoid |
| brake light | *bremsolumo* | brem-so-LU-mo | |
| petrol (US gasoline) | *benzino* | ben-ZI-no | Tank: *benzinujo* |
| number plate (US license plate) | *numerplato* | nu-mer-PLA-to | ReVo also lists *licencplato* |

Several car words come from the Academy's Official Additions: *aŭto*, *ŝoforo*, *garaĝo*, *panei*, *stiri*. In Tatoeba (export of 7 October 2026) *sekurzono* occurs in 44 sentences and *sekurrimeno* in 2.

## Driving verbs

| English | Esperanto | Pronunciation | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| to drive | *stiri* | STI-ri | *Mia patro stiras la aŭton.* – My father is driving the car. |
| to travel by vehicle | *veturi* | ve-TU-ri | *Ni veturas per aŭto.* – We travel by car. |
| to start (a motor) | *startigi* | star-TI-gi | *Startigu la motoron.* – Start the engine. |
| to stop | *halti*, *haltigi* | HAL-ti, hal-TI-gi | *La aŭto haltas.* – The car stops. *Haltigu la aŭton.* – Stop the car. |
| to speed up, to brake | *akceli*, *bremsi* | ak-CE-li, BREM-si | *Ne akcelu, bremsu!* – Do not speed up, brake! |
| to overtake | *preterpasi* | pre-ter-PA-si | *Mi preterpasas la kamionon.* – I am overtaking the lorry. |
| to park | *parki*, *parkumi* | PAR-ki, par-KU-mi | *Ne parku ĉi tie.* – Do not park here. |
| to turn | *turniĝi* | tur-NI-ĝi | *Ŝaltu la turnindikilon antaŭ ol turniĝi.* – Switch on the indicator before you turn. |
| to fill up with petrol | *benzinumi* | ben-zi-NU-mi | *Ni devas benzinumi.* – We have to fill up. |
| to fasten the seat belt | *kroĉi la sekurzonon* | KRO-ĉi la se-kur-ZO-non | *Kroĉu la sekurzonon!* – Fasten your seat belt! |

ReVo defines *preterpasi* as "to pass by"; English Wiktionary adds "overtake", and Tatoeba uses it that way (sentence 3149109).

## Stiri, veturi, konduki and ŝofori compared

*Stiri* is the usual choice and takes the vehicle as its object: *stiri aŭton*. *Veturi* never has an object; you travel *per aŭto* or *aŭte*, both "by car". The person at the wheel is a *ŝoforo*: ReVo defines it as a professional driver (*busŝoforo*), but Tatoeba uses it for any driver, in 199 sentences. ReVo also has *veturigisto* for anyone who directs a vehicle, and *aŭtisto* "motorist".

| Verb | ReVo meaning | Tatoeba sentences with a vehicle as object |
|---|---|---|
| *stiri* | direct a vehicle, ship or aeroplane | 258 |
| *konduki* | lead, take along; *kondukisto* is a professional driver | 83 |
| *veturigi* | transport; direct a vehicle | 23 |
| *ŝofori* | drive as a profession | 9 |

## Roads, traffic and places

| English | Esperanto | Pronunciation | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| road, way | *vojo* | VO-jo | A street in a town is *strato* |
| main road, highway | *ŝoseo* | ŝo-SE-o | ReVo: a hard-surfaced road for vehicles, mostly outside towns |
| motorway (US highway) | *aŭtovojo* | aŭ-to-VO-jo | Also *aŭtoŝoseo*; Tatoeba has 72 and 31 sentences |
| roundabout | *trafikcirklo* | tra-fik-CIR-klo | ReVo also lists *trafikrondo* |
| traffic light | *trafiklumo*, *semaforo* | tra-fik-LU-mo, se-ma-FO-ro | ReVo has *semaforo* and notes that *trafiklumo* is also possible; Vikipedio titles its article *Trafiklumoj* |
| traffic sign | *trafikŝildo* | tra-fik-ŜIL-do | |
| traffic jam | *trafikŝtopiĝo* | tra-fik-ŝto-PI-ĝo | *ŝtopiĝi* "get blocked" |
| pedestrian | *piediranto* | pi-e-di-RAN-to | *pied-* + *ir-* + *-ant-* |
| speed limit | *rapidlimo* | ra-pid-LI-mo | Not in ReVo: *rapido* + *limo* |
| petrol station | *benzinejo* | ben-zi-NE-jo | *Benzinstacio* is in 23 Tatoeba sentences, *benzinejo* in 18 |
| car park (US parking lot) | *parkejo*, *parkumejo* | par-KE-jo, par-ku-ME-jo | |
| garage, repair shop | *garaĝo*, *riparejo* | ga-RA-ĝo, ri-pa-RE-jo | |

For "traffic light", Tatoeba has *trafiklumo* in 75 sentences and *semaforo* in 44. Colours work as on the [colours](https://esperantopedia.org/phrases/colors/) page: *Ĉe ruĝa lumo oni haltas, ĉe verda oni veturas.* – "At a red light you stop, at a green light you go." Speed uses *hore* "per hour": *La rapidlimo estas kvindek kilometroj hore.* – "The speed limit is fifty kilometres per hour."

## Licences, insurance and the police

| English | Esperanto | Pronunciation | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| driving licence | *kondukpermesilo*, *stirpermesilo* | kon-duk-per-me-SI-lo, stir-per-me-SI-lo | *permesi* "allow" + *-il-*; ReVo adds *stirrajtigilo* |
| insurance | *asekuro* | a-se-KU-ro | Verb: *asekuri* "to insure" |
| fine | *monpuno* | mon-PU-no | *mono* + *puno* |
| police | *polico* | po-LI-co | A police officer is *policisto* |

*Ĉu vi havas stirpermesilon?* – "Do you have a driving licence?" *La policisto petas mian kondukpermesilon kaj la asekuron.* – "The police officer asks for my driving licence and insurance." *Oni ne rajtas superi la rapidlimon.* – "You may not exceed the speed limit." Tatoeba has *stirpermesilo* in 70 sentences and *kondukpermesilo* in 33.

## Breakdowns and accidents

| English | Esperanto | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| My car has broken down. | *Mia aŭto paneis.* | MI-a AŬ-to pa-NE-is |
| The engine will not start. | *La motoro ne startas.* | la mo-TO-ro ne STAR-tas |
| I have run out of petrol. | *Mi restis sen benzino.* | mi RES-tis sen ben-ZI-no |
| A tyre has burst. | *Unu pneŭo krevis.* | U-nu PNEŬ-o KRE-vis |
| Can you tow my car to a garage? | *Ĉu vi povas remorki mian aŭton al garaĝo?* | ĉu vi PO-vas re-MOR-ki MI-an AŬ-ton al ga-RA-ĝo |
| There has been an accident. | *Okazis akcidento.* | o-KA-zis ak-ci-DEN-to |
| Is anyone hurt? | *Ĉu iu estas vundita?* | ĉu I-u ES-tas vun-DI-ta |
| I need help. | *Mi bezonas helpon.* | mi be-ZO-nas HEL-pon |
| I need a mechanic. | *Mi bezonas ripariston.* | mi be-ZO-nas ri-pa-RIS-ton |

*Panei* means to stop working suddenly, and ReVo's own example is *mia aŭto paneas*. A road accident is a *trafikakcidento*, and a crash between vehicles is a *kolizio*, from *kolizii* "to collide". For *Voku ambulancon!* and *Voku la policon!* see the emergency table in [travel phrases](https://esperantopedia.org/phrases/travel/). *Vundita* "wounded" is a participle of *vundi*; see [participles](https://esperantopedia.org/grammar/participles/).

## Driving to a place: the -n of direction

| Esperanto | English | Why |
|---|---|---|
| *Mi veturas al Berlino.* | I am driving to Berlin. | *al* shows direction, so no *-n*; the usual way |
| *Mi veturas Berlinon.* | I am driving to Berlin. | Place name plus *-n*, as in the Fundamento; PMEG calls it very rare today |
| *Ni veturas norden.* | We are driving north. | Adverb plus *-n* |
| *Ni veturas en la tunelon.* | We are driving into the tunnel. | *en* plus *-n*: movement into |
| *Ni veturas en la tunelo.* | We are driving inside the tunnel. | No *-n*: the whole movement takes place inside it |
| *Ni veturas sur la aŭtovojon.* | We are driving onto the motorway. | *sur* plus *-n*: arriving on it |
| *Ni veturas tra la tunelo.* | We are driving through the tunnel. | *tra* needs no *-n* |

PMEG shows the rule with a bird that *flugas en la ĉambro* "flies about in the room" or *en la ĉambron* "flies into the room". The same pair works with *veturi*. More on this in the [accusative](https://esperantopedia.org/grammar/accusative/) page; the city version is on [city, directions and transport](https://esperantopedia.org/phrases/city-transport/).

## How the words are built

| Parts | Meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|
| *stir·il·o* | steering device | *-il-* "tool" |
| *stir·ej·o* | place to steer from | *-ej-* "place" |
| *stir·ist·o* | professional driver | *-ist-* "professional" |
| *benzin·uj·o* | fuel tank | *-uj-* "container" |
| *aŭt·o·voj·o* | motorway | joining *-o-* kept, as ReVo notes |
| *brems·o·lum·o* | brake light | *bremso* + *lumo* "light" |

A root plus suffixes gives a family: *stiri*, *stirilo*, *stirejo*, *stiristo*, *stirlernejo* "driving school". See [word building](https://esperantopedia.org/grammar/word-building/) and [suffixes](https://esperantopedia.org/grammar/suffixes/).

## Common questions

### How do you say "car" in Esperanto?

*Aŭto*, short for *aŭtomobilo*. A lorry is *kamiono*, a bus is *buso* or *aŭtobuso*, and a taxi is *taksio*.

### How do you say "to drive" in Esperanto?

*Stiri*: *stiri aŭton* "drive a car". *Veturi* means "to travel in a vehicle" and takes no object.

### How do you say "driving licence" in Esperanto?

*Kondukpermesilo* or *stirpermesilo*. ReVo also lists *stirrajtigilo*.

### How do you say "traffic light" in Esperanto?

*Semaforo* is a ReVo headword, and ReVo notes that *trafiklumo* is also possible; *trafiklumo* (plural *trafiklumoj*) is the compound used in Vikipedio and Tatoeba.

### What do you say when your car breaks down?

*Mia aŭto paneis. Mi bezonas helpon.* – "My car has broken down. I need help." Add *Ĉu vi povas remorki ĝin?* – "Can you tow it?"

## Sources

- [PMEG: N por direkto](https://bertilow.com/pmeg/gramatiko/rolmontriloj/n/direkto.html)
- ReVo, cars and parts: [aŭto](https://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/auxt.html), [aŭtomobilo](https://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/auxtom1.html), [kamiono, kamioneto](https://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/kamion.html), [ŝarĝaŭto](https://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/auxt.html), [rado](https://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/rad.html), [stiri, stirilo, stirejo, stiristo, stirlernejo](https://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/stir.html), [pneŭo](https://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/pneux.html), [motoro](https://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/motor.html), [kapoto](https://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/kapot.html), [kofrujo](https://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/kofr.html), [glaco](https://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/glac.html), [glacoviŝilo](https://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/visx.html), [retrospegulo](https://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/retro.html), [sekurzono](https://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/zon.html), [sekurrimeno](https://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/rimen.html), [bremso](https://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/brems.html), [akcelilo](https://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/akcel.html), [kluĉilo](https://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/klucx.html), [rapidumo](https://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/rapid.html), [rapidumstango](https://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/stang.html), [hupo](https://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/hup.html), [duonlumo, plenlumo, ĝirlumo, bremsolumo](https://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/lum.html), [benzino](https://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/benzin.html), [numerplato](https://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/plat.html)
- ReVo, driving: [veturi, veturigi](https://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/vetur.html), [ŝofori](https://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/sxofor.html), [konduki](https://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/konduk.html), [startigi](https://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/start.html), [halti](https://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/halt.html), [akceli](https://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/akcel.html), [preterpasi](https://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/pas.html), [parki](https://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/park2.html), [parkumi](https://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/park.html), [turni](https://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/turn.html), [kolizii](https://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/kolizi.html), [kroĉi](https://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/krocx.html), [benzinumi](https://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/benzin.html), [aŭtisto](https://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/auxt.html)
- ReVo, roads and places: [vojo](https://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/voj.html), [ŝoseo](https://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/sxose.html), [aŭtovojo](https://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/voj.html), [trafikcirklo](https://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/cirkl.html), [semaforo](https://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/semafo.html), [trafikŝildo](https://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/sxild.html), [piediranto](https://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/ir.html), [tunelo](https://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/tunel.html), [rapido](https://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/rapid.html), [benzinejo](https://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/benzin.html), [garaĝo](https://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/garagx.html), [riparejo](https://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/ripar.html)
- ReVo, documents and accidents: [kondukpermesilo](https://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/permes.html), [asekuro](https://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/asekur.html), [monpuno](https://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/pun.html), [polico](https://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/polic.html), [panei](https://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/pane.html), [akcidento](https://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/akcide.html), [krevi](https://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/krev.html), [remorki](https://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/remork.html), [vundi](https://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/vund.html), [helpi](https://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/help.html), [bezoni](https://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/bezon.html), [riparisto](https://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/ripar.html)
- [Vikipedio: Kondukpermesilo](https://eo.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kondukpermesilo), [Vikipedio: Trafiklumoj](https://eo.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trafiklumoj)
- [English Wiktionary: rapidlimo](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/rapidlimo), [preterpasi](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/preterpasi)
- [Tatoeba](https://tatoeba.org/): sentence counts from the Esperanto export of 7 October 2026 (CC BY 2.0 FR)