Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Non nativespeaker having a question

107 replies

Flyingfish2019 · 27/11/2019 21:00

When I say “I am riding“ is clear that I am riding horse or could I also be riding a car or a motorcycle?

OP posts:
KnightError · 27/11/2019 21:10

Thinking further, OP.

You can 'joyride' (i.e. steal a car and drive off in it).

Maybe in American English you can 'have a ride in a car' - I don't know enough about American English, but it vaguely rings a bell.

In British English, though, 'riding a car' would mean - if anything - sitting astride it as if you were on horseback.

8by8 · 27/11/2019 21:10

You can go for a ride in a car.

You can ride a horse or a bike.

If somebody said “I’ve been riding”, I’d guess bike riding, but I’d probably ask “Bike riding?” to clarify.

Riding can also refer to sex - somebody who’s promiscuous might be called the town bike, because “everybody’s had a ride”.

titchy · 27/11/2019 21:10

Americans talk of 'taking a ride' which refers to car (or bus), but it's not a British phrase.

'I have been riding' would imply horse, but there's an element of uncertainty - you could have been riding your bike.

MsSweeney · 27/11/2019 21:11

You can have a ride in a car or bus.

You can drive a car.

You can ride a motorcycle, bike or horse.

Original poster
Flyingfish2019 · 27/11/2019 21:12

Maybe it is an odd question, but which of those thing can I ride?

Plane
Motorcycle
Tank
Ship
Submarine
Bus
Bicycle
Skateboard

OP posts:
Simkin · 27/11/2019 21:12

It's not completely clear, no. If you are somebody who often rides and I knew you then obviously. But if I'd just met I would probably say 'horse riding?' Just to be sure. Especially, tbh, if you had a non native accent.

CAG12 · 27/11/2019 21:12

"Ride a bike", "ride a horse", "drive a car"

LakieLady · 27/11/2019 21:12

For me riding = riding a horse.

Riding a bicycle is cycling.

But riding a motorcycle is biking. Grin

DeathStare · 27/11/2019 21:12

You can't ride a car, but you can ride in a car.

Riding could be a horse, bicycle, motorbike, scooter, skateboard, broomstick, etc. Though without any additional context (eg unless I knew you were a keen motobike fan) I'd assume it was a horse

StinkyDora · 27/11/2019 21:12

In the UK we would only ride a bike or a horse but I think in the USA ride a train or bus is used so maybe that is the confusion.

Baloonphobia · 27/11/2019 21:12

Fancy a ride = let's have sex.

titchy · 27/11/2019 21:13

Bicycle or skateboard I would say are the only things than you can ride. Possibly motorbike....

PigOnStilts · 27/11/2019 21:13

No confusion here OP.
Only one person here think its riding a car.

You don't ride a car.
You might ride IN one if you're American.
Default would be riding a horse.

Have you heard of riding schools?

CAG12 · 27/11/2019 21:14

I think a good rule of thumb is to think about what you do on that mode of transport. Eg - you would "sail a boat"

3weemonkeys · 27/11/2019 21:14

Ride a horse, bicycle or motorbike. Go for a ride in a car, on a bus, on a tram, on a merrygoround.

Simkin · 27/11/2019 21:14

Sorry cross posts. Only motorcycle and bike. I think americans might ride the bus but not in the UK. You could ride ON those and a plane or at a stretch a skateboard. Mayyyybe a bus. But not the others.

DonKeyshot · 27/11/2019 21:14

If someone says they have 'been riding' I would assume they had been horse riding, but I might ask them 'riding a horse or a bike?'

Elodie2019 · 27/11/2019 21:14

'I'm going riding' would mean 'I'm going horse riding'

'I'm going for a drive' would mean 'I'm going for a drive in my car'

'I'm going FOR a ride'
Would mean 'I'm going for a ride on my bike/motorbike'.

Smile
StoneofDestiny · 27/11/2019 21:15

If you say you are 'riding the crest of a wave' it means you are doing very well in life and are very happy.

nikkylou · 27/11/2019 21:15

Totally depends on context. Talking about hobby, if you said "I do riding" I'd assume horse. If you said "I ride" I probably would ask what exactly...

Talking about how you get to work, I'd assume a bike, and probably clarify if you meant a motorcycle or push bike.

You can technically say "I'm riding in the front seat / in the back" of a car. But its normally quite clear from the rest of conversation that you're talking about a car. For example talking arguing over who's in what seat, or explaining a lift share, "I'm riding with Emma today as were going to the cinema after work"

drspouse · 27/11/2019 21:15

You could also say "that was a very long bus ride" or "train ride" to mean it was a long journey, but saying "I ride the bus to work" is more American.

PlugUgly1980 · 27/11/2019 21:16

I would think bicycle too before horse, but that's because cycling is something we do intern in our household.

lynzpynz · 27/11/2019 21:16

My first comment saying you can ride a car was meaning ride IN one, admittedly not as clear as I intended to a non native speaker! If you were riding the actual car i'd be worried 😂.

The riding part would suggest to me sitting on top of something - horse, donkey, elephant, bike or as others have pointed out - a person Blush

BabbleBee · 27/11/2019 21:17

I don’t think anyone would say they’re riding a skateboard, they’d be skating.

Original poster
Flyingfish2019 · 27/11/2019 21:19

How is it called if I go somewhere by ship and it is not a sailing ship (I assume going by sailing ship might be called sailing Wink)? How is called if I go somewhere by submarine (not that I ever do... but you gotta know, just in case)?

OP posts: