詞彙學習

英語慣用語表達：是什麼以及如何使用

#慣用語 #慣用語表達 #英語短語 #比喻語言

你可以知道「She let the cat out of the bag」中的每個單字，卻對這個句子的意思一無所知。這是因為它是一個慣用語表達——一個含義無法從單個單字中理解的短語。這個句子與貓或袋子無關。它的意思是「她透露了秘密」。

慣用語表達在英語中無處不在。母語使用者在每次對話、電子郵件、會議和短訊中都會使用它們——通常沒有意識到。對學習者來說，這造成了令人沮喪的差距：你的語法是正確的，詞彙是紮實的，但人們說的一半事情似乎毫無意義。

本指南解釋了慣用語表達實際上是什麼、它們如何工作、存在哪些類型以及——最重要的——如何學習和使用它們。它包括按類型和主題組織的100+例子，附清晰的含義和自然的例句。

你將學到：慣用語表達的定義、類型和結構
包含例子：100+附含義的慣用語表達
程度：B1-C1
適合：理解自然英語、考試準備、對話流利度

要獲得500+英語慣用語的完整清單，請參閱英語慣用語：500+常用表達。

什麼是慣用語表達？

慣用語表達（也稱為慣用語）是一個短語或句子，其含義與其單個單字的字面含義不同。

表達	字面含義	實際（慣用語）含義
break the ice	物理上打碎冰	在尷尬情況下開始對話
hit the nail on the head	用錘子打釘子	說得完全正確
under the weather	在天氣下面	感覺不舒服
piece of cake	一片蛋糕	非常容易的事
cost an arm and a leg	失去肢體作為付款	非常昂貴

關鍵特徵：你無法從單字中猜出含義。 如果有人說「It’s a piece of cake」，他們不是在談論甜點。如果有人說「He kicked the bucket」，他們不是在踢任何東西——他們的意思是他死了。

慣用語vs字面語言

特徵	字面語言	慣用語語言
含義	匹配單字	與單字不同
可預測？	是	否
可翻譯？	逐字	必須翻譯含義
例子	「She closed the door」	「She let the cat out of the bag」

為什麼慣用語表達存在？

每種語言都有慣用語。它們因幾個原因自然發展：

1. 效率。 「He kicked the bucket」比「He died」更短、更生動。慣用語將複雜的想法壓縮成緊湊的短語。

2. 共同文化經驗。 許多慣用語來自特定的歷史活動——農業（「separate the wheat from the chaff」）、航海（「learn the ropes」）、體育（「move the goalposts」）或戰爭（「bury the hatchet」）。

3. 情感色彩。 「I’m a bit tired」是中性的。「I’m running on empty」描繪了一個圖景。慣用語為語言增添情感深度和個性。

4. 社交聯繫。 使用慣用語表示你屬於一個語言社區。當同事說「Let’s not reinvent the wheel」時，知道這個慣用語的每個人都感到有聯繫。慣用語是文化密碼。

慣用語表達的類型

並非所有慣用語都以相同的方式工作。理解不同的類型幫助你更有效地識別和學習它們。

1. 純粹慣用語（不透明）

含義與字面單字沒有連接。你根本無法猜出含義。

慣用語	含義
kick the bucket	死
spill the beans	透露秘密
bite the bullet	忍受痛苦的事情
break a leg	祝好運
by the skin of your teeth	勉強，剛好及時
once in a blue moon	非常少見
the whole nine yards	全部，全部金額
fly off the handle	突然變得憤怒

這些是最難學習的，因為單字和含義之間沒有邏輯橋樑。你必須記住它們。

2. 半透明慣用語

含義從單字中部分可猜測。有隱喻連接，但不明顯。

慣用語	含義	為什麼是半透明的
break the ice	開始對話	冰=社交冷漠/尷尬
see eye to eye	完全同意	眼睛相遇=相互理解
burn bridges	永久損害關係	橋=聯繫
light at the end of the tunnel	困難後的希望	隧道=黑暗時期
turn over a new leaf	重新開始	葉=書中的頁
hit the nail on the head	說得完全正確	釘子=要點
beat around the bush	避免主要話題	灌木=要點

這些更容易記住，因為隱喻給你一個心理鉤子。

3. 片語動詞慣用語

許多片語動詞是慣用語——其含義無法從動詞+助詞組合中猜測。

片語動詞	含義
give up	停止嘗試
look up to	欽佩和尊重
put up with	容忍
get away with	逃避懲罰
run into	意外遇到
come across	偶然發現
bring up	提到話題；撫養孩子
figure out	思考後理解

4. 諺語和格言

諺語是表達普遍真理或建議的完整句子。許多是慣用語的。

諺語	含義
Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.	不要把所有賭注押在一個計劃上。
The early bird catches the worm.	成功屬於先行動的人。
Every cloud has a silver lining.	壞情況中也有好的一面。
Don’t count your chickens before they hatch.	不要在成功發生前就假設成功。
Actions speak louder than words.	你所做的比你所說的更重要。
You can’t judge a book by its cover.	外表可能是騙人的。

5. 二項慣用語（成對）

兩個單字通過「and」或「or」以固定順序連接。

二項式	含義
pros and cons	優缺點
give and take	相互妥協
now and then	偶爾
sick and tired	完全厭倦
odds and ends	雜七雜八的小物品
by and large	總體上，大體上
sooner or later	最終
more or less	大約

單字順序是固定的：「pros and cons」是正確的；「cons and pros」聽起來不對。

慣用語表達的類型：純粹慣用語、半透明、片語動詞、諺語和二項式

按主題分類的100個基本慣用語表達

日常生活

#	表達	含義	例子
1	a piece of cake	非常容易	The test was a piece of cake.
2	break the ice	開始對話	He told a joke to break the ice.
3	call it a day	停止工作	We’ve done enough — let’s call it a day.
4	get out of hand	變得無法控制	The party got out of hand quickly.
5	in the long run	長期來看	Exercise pays off in the long run.
6	on the same page	意見一致	Let’s make sure we’re all on the same page.
7	the last straw	引起反應的最後一個問題	His late arrival was the last straw.
8	at the end of the day	最終	At the end of the day, family matters most.
9	give it a shot	嘗試	I’ve never done it, but I’ll give it a shot.
10	no-brainer	明顯的決定	Accepting the scholarship was a no-brainer.

成功和失敗

#	表達	含義	例子
11	hit the nail on the head	完全正確	You hit the nail on the head with that analysis.
12	back to square one	從頭開始	The plan failed, so we’re back to square one.
13	cut corners	以便宜或不當的方式做事	They cut corners on safety to save money.
14	go the extra mile	付出比所需更多的努力	She always goes the extra mile for her clients.
15	miss the boat	錯過機會	If you don’t apply now, you’ll miss the boat.
16	the ball is in your court	輪到你決定/行動	I’ve made my offer — the ball is in your court.
17	learn the ropes	學習工作的基礎	It took a month to learn the ropes.
18	throw in the towel	放棄	After three failed attempts, he threw in the towel.
19	up in the air	不確定，未決定	Our vacation plans are still up in the air.
20	ahead of the curve	比他人更進一步	Their technology is ahead of the curve.

金錢和商業

#	表達	含義	例子
21	cost an arm and a leg	非常昂貴	The repair cost an arm and a leg.
22	break the bank	太昂貴	A weekend trip doesn’t have to break the bank.
23	make ends meet	勉強夠支付費用	It’s hard to make ends meet on minimum wage.
24	get the ball rolling	啟動一個過程	Let’s get the ball rolling on this project.
25	in the red	負債，虧損	The company has been in the red for two quarters.
26	bring to the table	貢獻	What skills do you bring to the table?
27	think outside the box	創造性地思考	We need to think outside the box to solve this.
28	the bottom line	最重要的一點	The bottom line is we need more revenue.
29	a ballpark figure	大概估計	Give me a ballpark figure for the project cost.
30	get straight to the point	直接談主要問題	I’ll get straight to the point — we need to cut costs.

情感和感受

#	表達	含義	例子
31	on cloud nine	極度快樂	She’s been on cloud nine since the proposal.
32	under the weather	感覺不舒服	I’m feeling under the weather today.
33	over the moon	極度快樂	They were over the moon about the baby.
34	down in the dumps	悲傷，沮喪	He’s been down in the dumps since the breakup.
35	butterflies in my stomach	緊張的興奮	I always get butterflies before a presentation.
36	blow off steam	釋放壓力或憤怒	I go for a run to blow off steam.
37	lose your cool	變得憤怒或心煩	Try not to lose your cool during the interview.
38	get cold feet	在大事前變得緊張	He got cold feet before the wedding.
39	have a heart of gold	非常善良和慷慨	Despite her tough exterior, she has a heart of gold.
40	have a change of heart	改變意見或決定	He was going to sell the house, but had a change of heart.

溝通

#	表達	含義	例子
41	beat around the bush	避免主要話題	Stop beating around the bush and tell me the truth.
42	spill the beans	透露秘密	Someone spilled the beans about the surprise party.
43	speak your mind	說出你真正的想法	She’s not afraid to speak her mind.
44	read between the lines	理解隱藏含義	You have to read between the lines of his email.
45	keep someone in the loop	定期通知某人	Please keep me in the loop on any developments.
46	ring a bell	聽起來熟悉	The name rings a bell, but I can’t place it.
47	word of mouth	通過對話傳播的信息	The restaurant became famous through word of mouth.
48	take with a grain of salt	不要相信一切	Take his claims with a grain of salt.
49	cut to the chase	直奔主題	Let’s cut to the chase — what do you want?
50	in a nutshell	簡要地說	In a nutshell, we need more time and money.

關係

#	表達	含義	例子
51	see eye to eye	完全同意	We don’t always see eye to eye on politics.
52	get along like a house on fire	立即成為朋友	They got along like a house on fire.
53	stab in the back	背叛某人	I can’t believe he stabbed me in the back.
54	give someone the cold shoulder	故意忽視某人	She gave him the cold shoulder after the argument.
55	bend over backwards	非常努力地幫助	She bent over backwards to make us comfortable.
56	bury the hatchet	和解，結束衝突	It’s time to bury the hatchet and move on.
57	give someone the benefit of the doubt	儘管不確定也信任某人	I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt this time.
58	hit it off	立即相處融洽	We hit it off on our first date.
59	two-faced	不誠實，偽善	She’s two-faced — nice to you, then talks behind your back.
60	a shoulder to cry on	傾聽你問題的人	She’s always been a shoulder to cry on.

時間

#	表達	含義	例子
61	in the nick of time	勉強及時	We arrived at the airport in the nick of time.
62	once in a blue moon	非常少見	I only eat fast food once in a blue moon.
63	around the clock	一天24小時	The team worked around the clock to finish.
64	at the eleventh hour	在最後可能的時刻	The deal was saved at the eleventh hour.
65	time flies	時間過得很快	Time flies when you’re having fun.
66	kill time	在等待時做某事	I killed time by reading a magazine.
67	behind the times	過時的，老式的	His management style is behind the times.
68	stand the test of time	保持相關性或有效性	Their friendship has stood the test of time.
69	ahead of time	比預期更早	She finished the project ahead of time.
70	rain or shine	無論發生什麼	We’ll be there, rain or shine.

知識和學習

#	表達	含義	例子
71	learn the hard way	從痛苦的經驗中學習	He learned the hard way not to trust strangers online.
72	a steep learning curve	起初學習困難	There’s a steep learning curve with this software.
73	know something inside out	徹底了解某事	She knows the industry inside out.
74	pick someone’s brain	徵求建議或信息	Can I pick your brain about the marketing strategy?
75	food for thought	值得思考的事物	Your proposal is food for thought.
76	get the hang of it	學習如何做某事	It takes a few weeks to get the hang of it.
77	scratch the surface	只處理一小部分	We’ve barely scratched the surface of this topic.
78	do your homework	在做決定前進行研究	Make sure you do your homework before investing.
79	the tip of the iceberg	只有一個小可見部分	What we found is just the tip of the iceberg.
80	on the right track	在正確方向上取得進展	You’re on the right track with this approach.

困難和問題

#	表達	含義	例子
81	between a rock and a hard place	沒有好選項的困難情況	He’s between a rock and a hard place.
82	the elephant in the room	沒有人提及的明顯問題	The company’s debt is the elephant in the room.
83	a can of worms	複雜的情況	That question opened a whole can of worms.
84	add fuel to the fire	使壞情況更糟	His comments only added fuel to the fire.
85	a blessing in disguise	結果是好的壞事	Losing that job was a blessing in disguise.
86	burn the midnight oil	深夜工作	Students burn the midnight oil before finals.
87	weather the storm	度過困難時期	The company managed to weather the storm.
88	nip it in the bud	提早阻止問題	Address the issue now — nip it in the bud.
89	turn a blind eye	故意忽視某事	Management turned a blind eye to the violations.
90	at the end of your rope	耐心或忍耐的極限	I’m at the end of my rope with this project.

行動和決定

#	表達	含義	例子
91	bite the bullet	忍受困難的事情	I bit the bullet and booked the dentist appointment.
92	let the cat out of the bag	透露秘密	Who let the cat out of the bag about the surprise?
93	play it by ear	邊走邊決定	We don’t have a plan — let’s play it by ear.
94	sit on the fence	不做決定	Stop sitting on the fence and choose a side.
95	bite off more than you can chew	承擔太多	I think I bit off more than I could chew with this project.
96	jump on the bandwagon	跟隨流行趨勢	Everyone’s jumping on the AI bandwagon.
97	cross that bridge when you come to it	當問題出現時再處理	Don’t worry about it now — cross that bridge when you come to it.
98	leave no stone unturned	到處搜索，嘗試一切	The police left no stone unturned in their investigation.
99	pull someone’s leg	和某人開玩笑	I’m just pulling your leg — I didn’t really quit.
100	take it with a pinch of salt	不完全相信它	Take online reviews with a pinch of salt.

慣用語表達如何在語法中工作

慣用語遵循特定的語法規則。理解這些規則幫助你正確使用慣用語——不只是識別它們。

固定vs靈活結構

一些慣用語是完全固定的——你不能改變任何單字：

固定： by and large, once in a blue moon, under the weather
你不能說：「under a weather」或「once in a red moon」

其他允許一些語法變化（時態、代詞）：

靈活： break the ice → She broke the ice. / The ice was broken.
靈活： spill the beans → He spilled the beans. / Don’t spill the beans.

可分離vs不可分離

一些慣用片語動詞可以分離；其他不能：

類型	例子	分離形式
可分離	figure out	She figured it out.
可分離	bring up	He brought the topic up.
不可分離	run into	I ran into her.（不是：I ran her into.）
不可分離	look up to	I look up to my teacher.

慣用語表達的常見錯誤

錯誤	正確形式	問題
「under weather」	under the weather	缺少冠詞
「break the legs」	break a leg	錯誤冠詞+錯誤數
「I’m on the cloud nine」	I’m on cloud nine	多餘的冠詞
「by large」	by and large	缺少「and」

最重要的規則：將慣用語作為完整短語學習，而不是逐字學習。將每個慣用語視為單一的詞彙項目。

如何有效學習和使用慣用語表達

如何學習慣用語表達

第1步：在語境中學習

永遠不要從孤立的清單中記憶慣用語。在文章中閱讀它們，在電影中觀看它們，在播客中聆聽它們。

第2步：按主題分類

一起學習「身體慣用語」（break a leg, cold shoulder, heart of gold）比隨機清單更有效。你的大腦創建一個心理類別，每個新慣用語都強化其他的。

第3步：創建例句

對於你學習的每個慣用語，寫2-3個關於你自己生活的句子。「I got butterflies in my stomach before my job interview」是個人的和令人難忘的。通用例子很快就會消失。

第4步：練習主動使用

在對話和寫作中故意使用慣用語。從安全的開始（piece of cake, in the long run, at the end of the day），然後再進入更有色彩的。如果你從不主動使用慣用語，你永遠不會真正掌握它。

第5步：使用間隔重複

將慣用語添加到你的 Linglify 詞彙。系統在增加的間隔內測試你，自動將慣用語從短期移到長期記憶。

練習詞彙

boom

名詞