乗る
noru[no̞ɾɯ̟]
To ride in Japanese is 乗る (noru).
乗る is the most common verb used to express the act of riding. It refers to transporting oneself by sitting on and directing a horse, bicycle or other similar means.
Meaning: to transport oneself by sitting on and directing a horse, bicycle etc. (verb)
Which one should you use?
While 乗る is an intransitive verb meaning to ride, the transitive verb 乗せる is used when you are the one providing the ride or placing someone or something onto a vehicle. Additionally, 乗車する is a more formal way to express riding specifically when referring to vehicles.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb 乗る is almost always used with the particle に to indicate the vehicle being ridden.
How do you pronounce it?
noru
Did you know?
- The kanji for 乗る originally depicted a person carrying a load on their back, evolving from 'carrying' to 'boarding' over centuries.
- When someone is 'in the zone' or feeling the rhythm of a song, Japanese speakers say they are 乗っている, literally meaning they are 'riding'.
- Using 乗せる can also mean to flatter someone or 'puff them up' with praise, effectively 'riding' their ego.
Examples in context
- オートバイに乗るのは楽しい。It's fun to ride a motorcycle.This sentence is useful for expressing enjoyment related to the verb 乗る.Tatoeba #227779 by bunbuku, translation #65133 by CK
- 飛行機に乗るのはこれが初めて？Is this your first airplane ride?This sentence is useful for asking about a first experience with the verb 乗る.Tatoeba #10177586 by small_snow, translation #9195532 by DJ_Saidez
- バスは前の方に乗るのが好きなんだ。I prefer to ride in the front of the bus.This sentence is useful for expressing a preference for where to ride using the verb 乗る.Tatoeba #12747189 by bunbuku, translation #5907757 by CK
- 電車に乗ります。I will ride the train.
- お馬に乗ります。I will ride the horse.
- ご乗車ください。Please get on board.
- 電車に乗るよ。I'm gonna ride the train.
- バイクに乗りたい！I wanna ride a motorbike!
- 友達の車に乗っちゃった。I ended up riding in my friend's car.
- 10 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Misaki and Hiroto are talking about how to get to the park.
- 美咲 Misaki今日は自転車に乗る？Kyō wa jitensha ni noru?Are you going to ride a bicycle today?
- 大翔 Hirotoうん、天気がいいからね。Un, tenki ga ii kara ne.Yeah, because the weather is nice.
- 美咲 Misaki私も乗るよ。準備してね。Watashi mo noru yo. Junbi shite ne.I'll ride one too. Get ready.
- 大翔 Hirotoわかった。すぐに準備するよ。Wakatta. Sugu ni junbi suru yo.Got it. I'll get ready right away.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “ride” translations and entries 乗る, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
