乘

chéng

HSK 4, 6

乘 — chéng

1. to ride; to take (a vehicle or transport); to multiply (math)

   我每天乘地铁上班。 wǒ měitiān chéng dìtiě shàngbān — I take the subway to work every day.

2. (surname) Cheng

   班里新来的同学姓乘。 bānlǐ xīn lái de tóngxué xìng chéng — The new classmate in our class has the surname Cheng.

乘 — shèng

1. to ride; to mount (e.g., a vehicle or animal)

   我们乘火车去北京。 wǒmen chénghuǒchē qù běijīng — We take the train to Beijing.

2. to make use of; to avail oneself of; to take advantage of (an opportunity)

   他乘机逃走了。 tā chéngjī táozǒu le — He took the opportunity to escape.

3. to multiply (mathematics)

   在算术里，三乘以四等于十二。 zài suànshù lǐ sān chéngyǐ sì děngyú shíèr — In arithmetic, three times four equals twelve.

4. (Buddhism) a sect or creed (term)

   大乘与小乘是佛教的两大宗派，各有其修行体系。 dàchéng yǔ xiǎochéng shì fójiào de liǎngdàzōng pài gè yǒu qí xiūxíng tǐxì — Mahāyāna and Theravāda are the two major Buddhist traditions, each with its own system of practice.