Do you know the difference between 乗る (noru) and 乗せる (noseru)? They look similar and are about riding in a vehicle, but they are very different. This is a common point of confusion for N5 and N4 learners.
Usage Explanation ①: 乗る (noru) – “To get on” or “To ride”
First, let’s look at 乗る (noru). This is an **intransitive verb (自動詞 – jidoushi)**.
An intransitive verb means the subject (the person) does the action *by themselves*. It does not need a direct object (like “him” or “the luggage”).
The pattern is: [Person] は/が [Vehicle] に 乗る。
- Example 1:
- 私（わたし）は、電車（でんしゃ）に 乗る。(Watashi wa, densha ni noru.)
I ride the train.
- Example 2:
- 友達（ともだち）が、バスに 乗った。(Tomodachi ga, basu ni notta.)
My friend got on the bus.
- Example 3:
- 自転車（じてんしゃ）に 乗りませんか？(Jitensha ni norimasen ka?)
Would you like to ride a bicycle?
Key Point: With 乗る (noru), the subject (I, my friend, you) is the one doing the action of “getting on”. The vehicle is the destination/place, so it is marked with the particle に (ni).
Usage Explanation ②: 乗せる (noseru) – “To put on” or “To give a ride”
Now, let’s look at 乗せる (noseru). This is a **transitive verb (他動詞 – tadoushi)**.
A transitive verb means the subject does an action *to* something or someone else (an object). This verb needs an object, which is marked with the particle を (o).
The pattern is: [Person A] は/が [Person B / Thing] を [Vehicle] に 乗せる。
- Example 1:
- 私（わたし）は、友達（ともだち）を 車（くるま）に 乗せる。(Watashi wa, tomodachi o kuruma ni noseru.)
I give my friend a ride in the car. (I put my friend in the car.)
- Example 2:
- 荷物（にもつ）を トランクに 乗せてください。(Nimotsu o toranku ni nosete kudasai.)
Please put the luggage in the trunk.
- Example 3:
- お母（かあ）さんは、子供（こども）を 自転車（じてんしゃ）に 乗せた。(Okaasan wa, kodomo o jitensha ni noseta.)
The mother put her child on the bicycle.
Key Point: With 乗せる (noseru), the subject (I, you, the mother) is making *someone else* (friend, luggage, child) get on the vehicle. The person/thing being moved is the object, marked with を (o).
Comparison: 乗る (noru) vs 乗せる (noseru)
This is a classic intransitive (自動詞) and transitive (他動詞) pair. Let’s compare them directly.
| Feature | 乗る (noru) | 乗せる (noseru) |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | no-ru | no-se-ru |
| Verb Type | Intransitive (自動詞) | Transitive (他動詞) |
| Meaning | “To get on,” “to ride” | “To put on,” “to give a ride,” “to load” |
| Who moves? | The Subject moves itself. | The Subject moves the Object. |
| Key Particle | Vehicle に (ni) | Person/Thing を (o) |
| Example Sentence | 私（わたし）は、電車（でんしゃ）に 乗る。 (I get on the train.) |
私（わたし）は、友達（ともだち）を 乗せる。 (I give a friend a ride.) |
Common Mistake Examples
Mistake 1: Trying to say “I’ll give you a ride.”
- Wrong:
- 私（わたし）は、あなたに 車（くるま）に 乗ります。(Watashi wa, anata ni kuruma ni norimasu.)
- Correct:
- 私（わたし）は、あなたを 車（くるま）に 乗せます。(Watashi wa, anata o kuruma ni nosemasu.)
- Why?
- The “wrong” sentence is confusing. It sounds like “I will ride in a car *to you*.” To say “I will give *you* a ride,” *you* are the object of the action. You must use the transitive verb 乗せる (noseru) with the を (o) particle.
Mistake 2: Trying to say “I will get on the bus.”
- Wrong:
- 私（わたし）は、バスを 乗せます。(Watashi wa, basu o nosemasu.)
- Correct:
- 私（わたし）は、バスに 乗ります。(Watashi wa, basu ni norimasu.)
- Why?
- The “wrong” sentence means “I will give the bus a ride” (e.g., loading the bus onto a giant ship). This is probably not what you mean! You are the one getting on, so you are the subject. You need the intransitive verb 乗る (noru) with the に (ni) particle.
Practice Quiz
Let’s check your understanding! Choose the correct word for ( ).
Q1.
毎朝（まいあさ）、電車（でんしゃ）______ 会社（かいしゃ）に行（い）きます。
Every morning, I go to work ______ the train.
- に 乗って (ni notte)
- を 乗せて (o nosete)
Q2.
すみません、空港（くうこう）まで ______ くれませんか？
Excuse me, could you ______ me to the airport?
- 乗って (notte)
- 乗せて (nosete)
Q3.
トランクに、スーツケースを ______。
(I) ______ the suitcase into the trunk.
- 乗った (notta)
- 乗せた (noseta)
Quiz Answers
Q1. (a) に 乗って (ni notte) – “I ride the train.” You are the one doing the action. (Intransitive)
Q2. (b) 乗せて (nosete) – “Could you give *me* a ride?” You are asking the driver to do the action *to you*. (Transitive)
Q3. (b) 乗せた (noseta) – “I loaded the suitcase.” You did the action *to the suitcase*. (Transitive)
Summary: Key Differences
How was the quiz? This pair is tricky, but the rule is simple.
- 乗る (noru) (Intransitive – 自動詞):
You (the subject) get on. Use with particle に (ni).Example: 電車（でんしゃ）に 乗る。(I get on the train.) - 乗せる (noseru) (Transitive – 他動詞):
You (the subject) put someone/something on. Use with particle を (o).Example: 友達（ともだち）を 乗せる。(I give a friend a ride.)
Remembering this rule will make your Japanese much more accurate, especially when asking for or offering a ride!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
- Q1: What is the simplest difference between 乗る (noru) and 乗せる (noseru)?
- A1: The simplest difference is who does the action.
- 乗る (noru) is what you do. You get on the train. (Intransitive)
- 乗せる (noseru) is what you do to someone or something. You put your friend in the car. (Transitive)
- Q2: What are the opposites of 乗る (noru) and 乗せる (noseru)?
- A2: This is a great question! They also come in a pair:
- 降りる (oriru): ‘to get off’ (This is intransitive, the opposite of 乗る).
- 降ろす (orosu): ‘to drop off’ or ‘to let someone off’ (This is transitive, the opposite of 乗せる).
- Q3: Why are transitive and intransitive verbs important in Japanese?
- A3: They are important because they change the sentence structure, especially the particles. Intransitive verbs (like 乗る) often use particles like が (ga) or に (ni) to show where something happens. Transitive verbs (like 乗せる) use を (o) to mark the object of the action.
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