Chinese word

乘

Pronunciation

Pinyinchéng

Meaning

  • verbtake

Example

现在去机场可以乘地铁更快。xiàn zài qù jī chǎng ké yǐ chéng dì tiě gèng kuài

It is faster to take the subway to the airport now.

Illustration for 乘 (take)

More examples

出差时，我常常选择乘高铁去别的城市。chū chāi shí wǒ cháng cháng xuǎn zé chéng gāo tiě qù bié de chéng shì

When on business trips, I often choose to take the high-speed train to other cities.

Core concept

A person boards a vehicle or climbs onto something, then uses its movement or force to travel onward.

Common phrases

  • 乘地铁chéng dì tiě

    take the subway

  • 乘飞机chéng fēi jī

    take a plane

  • 乘火车chéng huǒ chē

    take a train

Similar words

坐zuò: Riding in a vehicle as part of ordinary spoken conversation.
乘坐chéng zuò: Taking a vehicle for travel in a relatively formal expression.
搭乘dā chéng: Getting aboard a vehicle and using it to travel onward.
骑qí: Moving on a bicycle, motorcycle, or animal while sitting astride it.

Definition in Chinese

进入交通工具或登上器物，借助其移动或力量从一处到另一处的动作或行为。jìn rù jiāo tōng gōng jù huò dēng shàng qì wù jiè zhù qí yí dòng huò lì liàng cóng yí chù dào lìng yí chù de dòng zuò huò xíng wéi

Word origin

乘 (chéng, "take") originally meant to climb or mount, and its transport sense grew from getting onto something and using it to move.

Usage tips

  • Travel information often uses this compact verb where casual speech uses a more familiar expression, so it is especially useful for moving between written signs and conversation.

Other meanings

  • get onverb

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word