car hire

Meaning

'Car hire' refers to the service or act of renting a car for a short period, typically during a holiday or business trip. While more common in British, Australian, and South African English (where American English prefers 'car rental'), it is widely understood globally. Use it when discussing booking a vehicle at an airport or from an agency.

Examples

• We booked our car hire online to get a better rate before we landed.

  We booked our car hire online to get a better rate before we landed.

• Is insurance included in the price of the car hire?

  Is insurance included in the price of the car hire?

• The car hire desk is located just outside the arrivals terminal.

  The car hire desk is located just outside the arrivals terminal.

• We had to pay an extra fee for the car hire because I'm under twenty-five.

  We had to pay an extra fee for the car hire because I'm under twenty-five.

• Let's compare different car hire companies to find the cheapest deal.

  Let's compare different car hire companies to find the cheapest deal.

Common Mistakes

• ✗ We need to make a car hire for our trip.

  ✓ We need to book a car hire for our trip.

  'Car hire' is a noun phrase. You do not 'make' a car hire; you 'book' or 'reserve' it, or you can use 'hire' as a verb: 'We need to hire a car'.

• ✗ Where is the car rent office?

  ✓ Where is the car hire office?

  'Car rent' is grammatically incorrect. Use the compound noun 'car hire' (UK/Commonwealth) or 'car rental' (US).

Related Expressions

Practice

• We should compare prices at the airport ________ desk before choosing a vehicle.

  💡 The desk where you pick up a rented vehicle.

  Show answer

  car hire

• Did you add GPS to the ________ booking?

  💡 The reservation for the rented vehicle.

  Show answer

  car hire