勝かち馬うまに乗のる

Meanings

1

expression, godan verb (-ru)

side with the winner; ride coattails; jump on the bandwagon

idiomatic expression

Idiomatic expression meaning to align oneself with the winning side or a successful person for one's own benefit. Often carries a slightly opportunistic or shrewd connotation.

彼かれはいつも勝かち馬うまに乗のるのが上手うまい。
He's always good at siding with the winner.
選

せん

挙きょ

の

たび

に

勝か

ち

馬うま

に

乗の

ろう

と

する

人ひと

が

いる

。

There are people who try to jump on the bandwagon every election.

Written forms

勝かち馬うまに乗のる
Standard kanji spelling for this idiomatic expression.
勝かち馬うまに乗のる
Variant spelling without the okurigana ち; less common but still encountered.

Kanji

勝victory, win, prevail
馬horse
乗ride, power, multiplication

Similar words

長ながい物ものには巻まかれろ
A proverb advising to go along with the powerful; 勝ち馬に乗る is more about actively choosing the winning side for personal gain.
付ふ和わ雷らい同どう
A four-character idiom meaning to follow others blindly; 勝ち馬に乗る implies a calculated choice rather than mindless conformity.

Etymology

Literally 'to ride the winning horse', from 勝ち馬 (winning horse) + に乗る (to ride). The metaphor is rooted in horse racing, where betting on the winning horse ensures a profit.