乘
2 readings · tap one to hear it
to ride; to mount; to make use of; to avail oneself of; to take advantage of; to multiply (math.); Buddhist sect or creed
Formation & memory
Break the character into parts you already know.
Words with 乘
The most common words first — learning a character in context makes it stick.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 有机可乘 | to have an opportunity that one can exploit (idiom) | |
| 可乘之机 | (idiom) an opportunity that someone (usually a villain or adversary) can exploit | |
| 千乘之国 | (archaic) a state with a thousand chariots (to fight a war) – a powerful state | |
| 乘用车 | passenger vehicle | |
| 乘人不备 | to take advantage of sb in an unguarded moment (idiom); to take sb by surprise | |
| 女乘务员 | stewardess; female flight attendant | |
| 大树底下好乘凉 | lit. under a big tree the shade is plentiful (idiom); fig. to benefit by proximity to an i… | |
| 乘法表 | multiplication table | |
| 包乘制 | chartering system | |
| 最小二乘法 | (math.) least squares method | |
| 大乘 | Mahayana, the Great Vehicle; Buddhism based on the Mayahana sutras, as spread to Central A… | |
| 乘务员 | attendant on an airplane, train, boat etc | |
| 乘虚而入 | to enter by exploiting a weak spot (idiom); to take advantage of a lapse | |
| 小乘 | Hinayana, the Lesser Vehicle; Buddhism in India before the Mayahana sutras; also pr. [Xiao… | |
| 自乘 | (math.) to multiply (a number) by itself; to raise (a number) to a power; (esp.) to square… | |
| 乘机 | to take the opportunity; to take a plane | |
| 乘人之危 | to take advantage of sb's precarious position | |
| 上乘 | first-class; best quality; also pr. [shang4 sheng4] | |
| 乘法 | multiplication | |
| 乘车 | to ride (in a car or carriage); to drive; to motor |
Sound family
These characters use 乘 as their sound component — compare how they read.
| Character | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 乘 sound part | ride, mount; to make use of; to ascend; to multiply | |
| 剩 | leftovers, residue, remains | |
| 嵊 | a district in Zhejiang |