Definition
To ride or get on a vehicle, such as a train, bus, or bicycle.
Example
毎朝、電車に乗って会社へ行く。
Show translation
Every morning, I ride the train to the office.
Etymology
From Old Japanese 乗る (noru), derived from the root *nor- meaning "to mount" or "to ride." Related to 乗せる (noseru, "to put someone/something on board") and 乗り換える (norikaeru, "to transfer/change vehicles"). The kanji 乗 depicts a person standing on a tree, evoking the image of mounting or climbing atop something.
Cultural note
Japan's rail network is one of the world's most extensive and punctual, so 乗る is a verb Japanese people use many times a day. When using public transport, you'll hear station staff say ご乗車ください (go-jōsha kudasai, "please board"), a formal honorific form of the same root. Note that 乗る takes the particle に (ni) for the vehicle you board: 電車に乗る, バスに乗る, 自転車に乗る — a common particle-choice mistake for learners who instinctively reach for を (wo).