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.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
我乘公交车去学校。
我们乘坐飞机去旅行。
三乘以四等于十二。
他乘机提出了自己的要求。
夏天我们喜欢在树下乘凉。
比赛获胜后，他们决定乘胜追击。
那位乘务员的服务非常周到。
公司正乘风破浪，开拓新的市场。