1. the most important city of a country or region, where the government is located
一個國家或地區最重要的城市，通常是政府所在地
London is the capital of England.
倫敦是英格蘭的首都。
They moved to the capital for better job opportunities.
他們為了更好的工作機會搬到了首都。
Capital Meaning（定義、用法、例句與發音）
capital
noun
快速理解
What does "Capital" mean?What are 2-3 core uses of "Capital"?
「capital」作為名詞，主要指一個國家的首都，或指用於投資、經營的資金。
- 1
首都
EN: the city where a country's government is located
翻譯: 一個國家政府所在地的城市
- 2
資金
EN: money or wealth used to start or invest in a business
翻譯: 用於創辦或投資企業的金錢或財富
- 3
大寫字母
EN: a large letter of the alphabet, such as A, B, C
翻譯: 字母的大寫形式，例如 A、B、C
- 4
資本（經濟學）
EN: assets or resources used in the production of goods and services
翻譯: 用於生產商品和服務的資產或資源
小提醒：注意「capital」和「capitol」的區別：前者指首都或資金，後者特指美國國會大廈或州議會大廈。
發音（How to Pronounce "Capital" in English）
How to pronounce "Capital" in English?"Capital" US vs UK pronunciation
點擊下方的 US / UK 按鈕可播放發音。
Real-life Examples of "Capital" from YouTube Videos
Should I Use a Dev Shop? - Michael Seibel
Y Combinator
“if you want to build a tech startup- and by tech startup, of course, I mean startup that's going to generate a lot of value for a lot of people and, you know, be a multi-billion dollar company and that wants to raise money from the venture capital world-”
(1 out of 58)
Definitions（定義）
What are the definitions of "Capital"?How does "Capital" change by context?
2. money or wealth used to start or invest in a business
用於創辦或投資企業的資金或財富
The company needs more capital to expand its operations.
這家公司需要更多資金來擴展業務。
He invested his capital in a promising startup.
他把資金投資在一家前景看好的新創公司。
3. a capital letter, the large form of a letter used at the start of sentences or for proper nouns
大寫字母，用於句子開頭或專有名詞的字母大寫形式
Remember to start the sentence with a capital.
記得句子開頭要用大寫字母。
Names of countries are written with a capital letter.
國家的名稱要用大寫字母書寫。
4. the top part of a column in architecture
建築中柱子的頂部
The ancient Greek columns had beautifully carved capitals.
古希臘的柱子有雕刻精美柱頭。
The design of the capital is a key feature of classical architecture.
柱頭的設計是古典建築的一個關鍵特徵。
Grammar & Patterns（句型）
What are common sentence patterns for "Capital"?How to make natural sentences with "Capital"?
| Pattern | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| capital + of + [country/region] | ...的首都/首府 | London is the capital of the United Kingdom. (倫敦是英國的首都。) |
| capital + for + [activity/industry] | ...的中心/重鎮 | Silicon Valley is the capital for technology. (矽谷是科技業的重鎮。) |
| capital + to + [verb] | 做...所需的資本 | They needed more capital to expand the business. (他們需要更多資本來擴展業務。) |
| raise/capital | 籌集資金 | The company is trying to raise capital for a new project. (該公司正試圖為一個新項目籌集資金。) |
| invest/put capital into + [something] | 將資金投入... | They decided to invest capital into renewable energy. (他們決定將資金投入可再生能源。) |
| capital + and + labor | 資本與勞動力 | The production requires both capital and labor. (生產需要資本與勞動力。) |
用法說明
How is "Capital" different from similar structures?What usage mistakes are common with "Capital"?
capital 與大寫字母
- capital (名詞) 指一個國家或地區的「首都」或「首府」，是地理和政治中心。
- capital letter (名詞片語) 或 uppercase letter 則專指「大寫字母」。在英文中，提到字母的大小寫時，通常會使用完整的片語 "capital letter" 或 "uppercase"。
- 雖然口語中偶爾會有人用 "a capital 'A'" 來表示「一個大寫的A」，但在正式寫作或明確區分時，建議使用更完整的說法以避免混淆。
對比例句： EN: Beijing is the capital of China. 翻譯: 北京是中國的首都。
EN:Remember to start the sentence with a capital letter.
翻譯:記得句首要使用大寫字母。
EN:The company's capital is running low.
翻譯:公司的資金所剩不多了。
EN:Please write your name in capital letters on the form.
翻譯:請在表格上用大寫字母書寫您的姓名。
總結建議
當指「大寫字母」時，建議使用 "capital letter" 或 "uppercase letter" 以區別於「首都」或「資金」的含義。
易混淆對比
What is the difference between "Capital" and similar words?How to choose "Capital" vs alternatives?
capital vs capitol
「capital」主要指首都、資金或大寫字母；「capitol」則特指美國國會大廈或州議會大廈。
capital vs asset
「capital」在商業上指用於投資或營運的資金；「asset」則泛指任何有價值的財產或資源。
capital vs uppercase
「capital」可指大寫字母；「uppercase」則專門形容字母的大寫形式或狀態。
口語用法
How is "Capital" used in spoken English?What is the spoken vs formal difference for "Capital"?
引述
在對話中，當引述或提及一個專有名詞時，會特別強調其為「首都」的概念。 EN: When we talk about Paris, we mean the capital of France. 翻譯: 當我們說到巴黎，指的是法國的首都。
EN:He said, "Kyoto was once the capital of Japan."
翻譯:他說：「京都曾經是日本的首都。」
語氣強調
為了強調某個城市的重要性或核心地位，會加重語氣說出 "capital"。 EN: This isn't just any city; it's the cultural capital of the region! 翻譯: 這可不是隨便一個城市；它是這個地區的文化中心！
EN:For fashion? Milan is the capital. No question.
翻譯:說到時尚？米蘭是絕對的中心。毫無疑問。
停頓填充
在思考或組織語句時，有時會用 "the capital" 作為一個暫時的填充詞，指代一個尚未說出或眾所周知的地點。 EN: The meeting will be held in... you know, the capital. 翻譯: 會議將在...你知道的，就是首都舉行。
EN:We flew into the capital, and then drove to the countryside.
翻譯:我們飛到首都，然後開車去鄉下。
注意：以上口語用法在正式寫作（如報告、論文）中應避免。正式文體應直接、明確地寫出城市或國家的具體名稱，例如「東京是日本的首都」，而非使用模糊的指代。
常見短語
What common collocations use "Capital"?What fixed phrases with "Capital" should I remember?
raise capital
verb + capital
籌集資金
invest capital
verb + capital
投入資本
capital flows
capital + noun
資本流動
working capital
adjective + capital
營運資金
capital city
capital + noun
首都
capital gain
capital + noun
資本利得
capital-intensive
capital + adjective
資本密集的
capital punishment
capital + noun
死刑
常見錯誤
What are common mistakes with "Capital"?Which "Capital" sentences look correct but are wrong?
×The protestors gathered outside the nation's capital building.
✓The protestors gathered outside the nation's capitol building.
混淆 'capital'（首都）與 'capitol'（國會大廈）。'Capital' 指一個國家或地區的首都城市或政府所在地；'Capitol'（通常大寫）特指美國國會大廈建築或類似的州議會大廈。
×We need to raise more capitals to start the business.
✓We need to raise more capital to start the business.
將 'capital'（資金、資本）誤用為可數名詞。在商業或經濟語境中，'capital' 作為『資金』時是不可數名詞，沒有複數形式。
×Remember to write first word of the sentence with capital.
✓Remember to write the first word of the sentence with a capital letter.
誤用 'capital' 來指『大寫字母』。正確的說法是 'capital letter' 或 'uppercase letter'。單獨使用 'capital' 在此語境下不正確。
×Kyoto is an ancient capital in Japan.
✓Kyoto is an ancient capital of Japan.
使用錯誤的介系詞來描述首都的歸屬關係。表示『某國的首都』應使用 'the capital of [country]'，而非 'capital in [country]'。'In' 僅用於描述地理位置，例如 'a city in Japan'。
×It was a capital idea to invest early.
✓It was a capital idea to invest early. (Correct, but learners may not know this usage)
學習者可能不知道 'capital' 作為形容詞時，有『極好的、一流的』這個舊式或正式用法，常誤以為是錯誤。此處列出是為了說明這個較不常見的用法，避免學習者困惑。
詞形變化
What are the word forms of "Capital"?What are tense/participle forms of "Capital"?