乘

• 拼音: chéng
• 汉字拆解: 乘 = pictographic character depicting a person standing on a tree or vehicle

含义

To ride; to take (transportation); to multiply.

Used for taking public transportation or riding vehicles. Also used in mathematics for multiplication. A formal alternative to 坐 when referring to transportation.

例句

1. 我每天乘地铁上班，大约需要四十分钟。
2. 乘飞机去北京只需要两个小时。
3. 三乘五等于十五。

用法指南

语境: transportation, mathematics

语气: practical

正确说法

• 乘几路车能到？(Which bus can get there?)
• 三乘三等于九。(Three times three equals nine.)

错误说法

• 把'乘'读成shèng——交通工具和数学用chéng，只有'千乘之国'等古文读shèng (Don't read 乘 as shèng — for transportation and math use chéng; shèng is only for classical texts like 千乘之国)

起源与历史

Originally depicted a person riding in a chariot, extending to mean riding any vehicle or multiplying in mathematics.

文化背景

世代: All ages

社会背景: Universal