On a fait un essai de route.
aw nah fay uh nay-say DROOT. Click below to hear this.*
We did a test drive.
More than one, in real life! Yesterday we did two, and today we plan two or three, depending on time. We are test-driving cars, of course. We need a new one.
In English, it’s not clear whether test is a noun or a verb. It could be either. Drive could also be either, but to go for a drive suggests a very different sort of trip than a test drive. So let’s assume that drive is a noun here.
And that’s English for you. Line up a bunch of nouns and declare that some (perhaps most) of them are being used as adjectives. Thus a test drive becomes adjective + noun.
In French, we have two nouns (the French language likes nouns, so that’s no surprise), and they are connected by a preposition, that universal fall-back tool. When in doubt, make a prepositional phrase.
And that’s how un essai de route becomes a test drive. It’s a test of the road, which in real life has less to do with the road and more to do with the car.
If you feel so moved, send us the model/year of the car you drive! That might make our decision easier! Merci….
*Some mobile phones, such as Blackberries, won’t display the audio player. If no player appears, here’s an alternative link to the audio file:
on_a_fait_un_essai_de_route.mp3
Best of luck on the test drives! My current car is well over the average American car age of 10 years, so I’m out of the loop on what’s good now. But do share with us what you get!