verb HSK 4
chéng
to take (a vehicle) · to travel by · to ride

Meaning

搭乘 is a slightly formal verb meaning to board or take transportation. It's commonly used when referring to getting on planes, trains, buses, ships, or other vehicles as a passenger. The word emphasizes the act of using public or arranged transportation rather than driving yourself.

Usage

搭乘 is more formal than 坐 (zuò) and is frequently seen in written announcements, news, travel contexts, and official speech. In everyday casual conversation, people often just say 坐. It collocates naturally with all types of vehicles: 搭乘飞机, 搭乘火车, 搭乘公交车, etc.

Examples

  1. 01
    我明天要搭乘早上八点的飞机去北京。
    míng tiān yào chéng zǎo shang diǎn de fēi Běi jīng.
    I'm taking the 8 AM flight to Beijing tomorrow.
  2. 02
    旅客可以在这里搭乘机场大巴。
    zài zhè chéng chǎng .
    Passengers can take the airport shuttle here.

Characters

Measure words

  • 搭乘一次飞机

Common collocations

  • 搭乘飞机
    chéng fēi
    to take a plane
  • 搭乘火车
    chéng huǒ chē
    to take a train
  • 搭乘公交车
    chéng gōng jiāo chē
    to take a bus
  • 搭乘地铁
    chéng tiě
    to take the subway

Origin

搭 originally meant to join or connect things together, while 乘 meant to ride or mount. Together they form a compound specifically for riding/boarding vehicles.

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