乘 chéng — ride; mount; make use of; take advantage of; multiply; to avail of
我每天乘坐地铁去上班。Wǒ měi tiān chéng zuò dì tiě qù shàng bān.I take the subway to work every day.
Common words: 乘客 (chéng kè)、乘坐 (chéng zuò)、乘车 (chéng chē)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "take advantage of"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "take advantage of", including 乘 (chéng), 趁 (chèn). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms…
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "take advantage of" covers 2 different Chinese characters — 乘 (chéng), 趁 (chèn) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 2 characters do not share a sound — their readings span chéng, chèn — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 乘 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 乘 chéngride; mount; make use of; take advantage of; multiply; to avail ofUseful words: 乘客, 乘坐
- 趁 chènavail oneself of; take advantage ofUseful words: 趁机, 趁早
Common words for these 2 "take advantage of" characters
Anchor each of these 2 characters in a word you can picture — start with 乘 (chéng) — so "take advantage of" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
乘客chéng kèpassenger乘坐chéng zuòto take (a ship, plane etc); to ride (in a train or other vehicle)乘车chéng chēto ride (in a car or carriage); to drive; to motor趁机chèn jīto seize an opportunity趁早chèn zǎoas soon as possible; at the first opportunity; the sooner the better; before it's too late趁手chèn shǒuconveniently; without extra trouble; convenient; handy
See each character in a sentence
Each character below is shown in a short example sentence with pinyin and an English translation — the quickest way to feel the difference between the 2 ways to say "take advantage of".
趁 chèn — avail oneself of; take advantage of
趁天还没黑，我们快点儿回家吧。Chèn tiān hái méi hēi, wǒ men kuài diǎnr huí jiā ba.Let us hurry home while it is not yet dark.
Common words: 趁机 (chèn jī)、趁早 (chèn zǎo)、趁手 (chèn shǒu)
All 2 characters
Open 乘、趁 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.