Japanese 乗る: riding a vehicle

The idea

乗のる is a godan verb. Its polite non-past is 乗のります, polite negative 乗のりません, polite past 乗のりました, and て form 乗のって. The non-past can express a habit or a future event, depending on context. に marks the vehicle and で the place of boarding; compare 降おりる, which uses を for the vehicle left.

Examples

• 毎朝まいあさ、駅えきで電車でんしゃに乗のります。Every morning I board the train at the station.
• 明日あしたはバスに乗のりません。I will not take the bus tomorrow.
• 昨日きのう、友達ともだちと船ふねに乗のりました。Yesterday I went on a boat with a friend.
• 次つぎの駅えきでタクシーに乗のってください。Please take a taxi at the next station.
• 自転車じてんしゃに乗のって学校がっこうへ行いきます。I ride a bicycle to school.
• 雨あめの日ひは車くるまに乗のります。On rainy days I travel by car.

Watch out

Do not add て directly to the dictionary form 乗のる; the correct て form is 乗のって.

Try it yourself

1. ＿。（乗のる→ます）

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   乗ります

   乗のります is the polite non-past of 乗のる; context determines whether it describes a habit or the future.

2. ＿。（乗のる→て）

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   乗って

   乗のって is the て form of 乗のる; it can link one action to a following clause.

3. バス＿乗のります。（に／を）

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   に

   に is correct here. に marks the vehicle and で the place of boarding; compare 降おりる, which uses を for the vehicle left.

Use it today

Make two sentences with 乗のる, one in the polite past and one negative. Check the forms and particles against the table and examples.