I want to rent a car.
I want to hire a car.
I want to take a car. ( Taxi )
What is the difference between these sentences in meaning? I need to say here I am not sure to have chosen the right word in the last sentence.
Thank you do much in advance.
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Rent means to pay money to borrow something. So when you rent a car, you'll be driving it yourself.
Hire means to pay money to have someone do something. You aren't really hiring a car, you're hiring the driver of the car, who will then take you were you need.
Take is used with a means of transportation to express that you want to use that means of transportation. I want to take car simply means you want to use a car to get somewhere, presumably instead of another means of transportation such as a bike, or walking.
LawrenceC
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That definition of hire is incorrect. Hiring does not imply being driven. – Steve Ives Jun 05 '15 at 20:34
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I haven't heard "to hire a car" before, to be honest. This could be a regional difference I've never heard. :) – LawrenceC Jun 05 '15 at 21:17
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1The phrase 'car hire' or 'hiring a car' is very common in the UK. – Steve Ives Jun 05 '15 at 21:39
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Guess my AmE-ness is showing here. :) – LawrenceC Jun 05 '15 at 21:57
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Hire and rent are basically synonyms and are interchangeable. There's a few situations where one or the other wouldn't be suitable e.g. Renting an apartment or house; you wouldn't hire a house. However, you might hire someone to paint your house, but you wouldn't rent someone.
Steve Ives
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You can hire tools too. You hire people and you rent flats and houses, but apart from that they're pretty much interchangeable. – Steve Ives Jun 05 '15 at 21:41