Definitions

chéng (verb) to ride; to mount
chéng (verb) to make use of; to take advantage of
chéng (verb) to multiply

Etymology

Depicts a person () who has climbed up a tree ().

About

The character "乘" derives from an early ideographic representation of a person ascending a tree, capturing the fundamental notion of mounting or riding. Its present structure, often analyzed as a combination of elements resembling "禾" and "北", stems from a later reinterpretation of that original pictorial concept. Initially denoting the physical act of climbing onto or riding something, such as a chariot or horse, its meaning gradually extended to more abstract applications, including seizing an opportunity or leveraging a situation. In mathematical terminology, it was adopted to represent the operation of multiplication, conceptually aligning with the idea of increasing or carrying over values. This progression from a concrete verb to a term with figurative and technical uses occurred while the character's form itself remained largely unchanged.

Example Sentences Hide

公交车去学校。

Wǒ chéng gōngjiāo chē qù xuéxiào.

I take the bus to school.

我们坐飞机去旅行。

Wǒmen chéngzuò fējī qù lǚxíng.

We travel by plane.

以四等于十二。

Sān chéng yǐ sì děngyú shí'èr.

Three multiplied by four equals twelve.

机提出了自己的要求。

Tā chéngjī tíchūle zìjǐ de yāoqiú.

He seized the opportunity to make his request.

夏天我们喜欢在树下凉。

Xiàtiān wǒmen xǐhuān zài shù xià chéngliáng.

In summer, we like to enjoy the cool under the tree.

比赛获胜后,他们决定胜追击。

Bǐsài huòshèng hòu, tāmen juédìng chéngshèngzhuījī.

After winning the match, they decided to follow up the victory with hot pursuit.

那位务员的服务非常周到。

Nà wèi chéngwùyuán de fúwù fēichīng zhōudào.

That flight attendant's service is very thorough.

公司正风破浪,开拓新的市场。

Gōngsī zhèng chéngfēngpòlàng, kāituò xīn de shìchǎng.

The company is riding the wind and waves to explore new markets.