自転車に乗る
jitensha ni noru
To say ride bike in Japanese, use 自転車に乗る (jitensha ni noru).
自転車に乗る means to ride a bicycle, both as an activity and as a way of getting somewhere.
What does it mean word for word?
自転車 (jitensha) means bicycle, the particle に (ni) marks what you get on and 乗る (noru) means to ride.
Which one should you use?
In casual talk チャリに乗る uses チャリ, a slang word for bicycle.
How does it change in a sentence?
For the polite past, rode a bike, say 自転車に乗りました.
How do you pronounce it?
It is read jitensha ni noru.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often use the particle を and say 自転車を乗る. Use に with 乗る instead.
Did you know?
- Japanese has a specific word ママチャリ (mamachari), meaning 'mom-bike', for the heavy utility bicycles with baskets and low frames common in cities.
- The word 自転車 ('jitensha') literally translates to 'self-moving vehicle' because it combines 'self' with 'wheel' and 'car'.
- While English separates 'riding' a bike from 'boarding' a train, Japanese uses 乗る ('noru') for both. It focuses on the act of mounting or entering the vehicle regardless of whether you operate it.
Examples in context
- 明日、公園で自転車に乗りましょうか。Shall we ride bikes in the park tomorrow?
- 今度、一緒に自転車に乗る？Wanna ride bikes together sometime?
- 毎日自転車に乗る。mainichi jitensha ni noru.I ride a bike every day.
- 彼は自転車に乗るのが速い。kare wa jitensha ni noru no ga hayai.He is fast at riding a bike.
Example conversation
Two friends are planning how to get to a nearby cafe.
- 大翔 Hirotoカフェまでどうやって行く？kafe made dō yatte iku?How are we going to the cafe?
- 美咲 Misaki自転車に乗る？jitensha ni noru?Shall we ride bikes?
- 大翔 Hirotoいいよ、自転車に乗ろう。ii yo, jitensha ni norō.Okay, let's ride bikes.
- 美咲 Misakiじゃあ、出発しよう！jaa, shuppatsu shiyō!Then, let's head out!
