in a car vs on a car

Both 'in a car' and 'on a car' are correct, but they are used in different contexts. 'In a car' is used when referring to being inside a vehicle, while 'on a car' is used when talking about being physically on top of a vehicle.

Last updated: March 29, 2024 • 1372 views

in a car

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English when referring to being inside a vehicle.

Use 'in a car' when you want to indicate that someone or something is inside a vehicle, such as a car, bus, or taxi.

Examples:

I left my keys in the car.
She enjoys listening to music in the car.
There are four people in the car.
The kids are playing games in the car.
He found his sunglasses in the car.

Show examples from the web [+]

FBI agents are putting him in a car right now.
You get in a car with him...
And I live in a car.
Something about a robbery charge and some girls in a car.
You're sitting in a car worth 20,000 dollars.
The bomb exploded in a car belongingto a Rojas associate.
Both were couples, in a car, hit by a tractor trailer.
If I was alone in a car with Scarlett Johansson...
Then like that, these four girls drive by in a car.
She had a cheeky agreement with a man in a car.
Instead I'm sitting in a car in Istanbul going nowhere.
You can have the best time in a car.
Traffic cams caught them leaving in a car.
Like Paula Deen and Kramer talking in a car.
I'm in a car with teddy and Ellie.
Parsa... was hidden in a car.
And it all happened in a car outside of school.
You should know better than to get in a car with Terry.
There were six of us jammed in a car.
His real father was Algerian, blew himself up in a car, nearthe French Embassy in Cairo.

Alternatives:

inside a car
within a car
inside the car
inside the vehicle
inside the automobile

on a car

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English when referring to being physically on top of a vehicle.

Use 'on a car' when you want to indicate that someone or something is physically on the exterior surface of a vehicle.

Examples:

The cat is sitting on the car.
There's a dent on the car.
He placed his bag on the car.
The kids are playing on the car roof.
There's a sticker on the car window.

Alternatives:

atop a car
on the vehicle
on the automobile
on the car's surface
on the car's exterior

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in a car vs on a car

in a car

on a car

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