乗る

• Reading: のる
• Romaji: noru
• Kanji breakdown: 乗 (jou/no) — to ride, to board, to mount
• Pronunciation: /no.ɾɯ/

Meaning

To get on; to ride; to board. Used for all types of transportation — trains, buses, planes, bicycles.

A Group 1 (godan) intransitive verb conjugated with the る ending (乗って, 乗った, 乗ります). Takes the particle に: 電車に乗る (get on a train), バスに乗る (ride a bus). Also used figuratively: 調子に乗る (get carried away), 相談に乗る (give advice/counsel). The transitive counterpart is 乗せる (to give someone a ride).

Examples

1. 毎日電車に乗って学校に行きます。 I take the train to school every day.
2. 自転車に乗るのが好きです。 I like riding bicycles.
3. 飛行機に乗ったことがありますか。 Have you ever been on an airplane?

Usage Guide

Context: transportation, commuting, travel

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

The kanji 乗 originally depicted a person climbing onto a tree, evolving to mean mounting or boarding any vehicle or surface.

Cultural Context

Era: Ancient

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal