Usage of 乘
The character 乘 (chéng) primarily means 'to ride' or 'to take' a mode of transportation, such as a bus or train. It is commonly used in everyday conversation when describing how someone travels.
Additionally, 乘 is used in mathematics to mean 'multiply' or 'times', as in expressions like 三乘三 (three times three).
It can also describe physically riding an animal or vehicle, e.g., 乘马 (ride a horse).
Common Collocations
- 乘公交车 / 乘地铁: to take the bus / subway
- 乘飞机: to take a plane
- 乘坐: formal way to say 'to ride' or 'to take' (a vehicle)
- 乘以: multiply by (used in math)
Notes
When used for transportation, 乘 is often followed by the vehicle type. In math, it functions as a verb meaning 'multiply'. Avoid confusing 乘 with 坐 (zuò), which also means 'to sit' or 'to take (transportation)' but is more general and less formal.
The character is not commonly used as a surname in modern contexts.