乗る
noru[no̞ɾɯ̟]
To ride in Japanese is expressed by the verb 乗る (noru).
乗る is used to describe traveling in or on a vehicle, such as a bus or motorcycle or riding an animal. It can also be used metaphorically, such as when riding a wave or riding a trend.
Which one should you use?
乗る is an intransitive verb where the subject is the one performing the action of riding. In contrast, the transitive form 乗せる (noseru) means to give someone a ride or to place something on top of something else.
How does it change in a sentence?
As an intransitive verb, 乗る is almost always used with the particle に to indicate the specific vehicle or animal being ridden, such as a bicycle, car or train.
How do you pronounce it?
noru
Did you know?
- The transitive version 乗せる (noseru) is used not only for giving rides but also for 'putting someone on a pedestal' or flattering them to make them overconfident.
- In Japanese, the phrase 話に乗る (hanashi ni noru) literally means 'to ride a story' but is used to mean agreeing with someone's suggestion or playing along with a joke.
- In the context of a conversation, if someone says you are 乗りに乗っている (nori ni notte iru), they mean you are 'on a roll' or currently experiencing a peak of success.
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 uses 乗る to express the enjoyment of riding a motorcycle.Tatoeba #227779 by bunbuku, translation #65133 by CK
- 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 uses 乗る to describe a preference for riding in the front of a bus.Tatoeba #12747189 by bunbuku, translation #5907757 by CK
- トムは今、三輪車に乗るのを覚えているんだよ。Tom is now learning to ride a tricycle.This sentence uses 乗る in the context of learning to ride a tricycle.Tatoeba #8925046 by bunbuku, translation #6223955 by CK
- 自転車に 乗るTo ride a bicycle
- 車に 乗るTo ride a car
- 電車に 乗るTo ride a train
- 自転車を 乗りこなすTo ride a bicycle skillfully
- 4 more sentences on Tatoeba
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 乗る, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
