1. a typical or noticeable quality of someone or something
（人或事物的）典型特質，特徵
One characteristic of this breed of dog is its loyalty.
這種狗的一個特徵是牠的忠誠。
The two materials have very different physical characteristics.
這兩種材料具有非常不同的物理特性。
Characteristic Meaning（定義、用法、例句與發音）
characteristic
noun
快速理解
What does "Characteristic" mean?What are 2-3 core uses of "Characteristic"?
指某人或某物特有的、可識別的品質或特徵。
- 1
典型特徵
EN: A typical quality or feature of a person, thing, or group.
翻譯: 指個人、事物或群體典型的品質或特徵。
- 2
區別性特質
EN: A distinguishing trait, quality, or property.
翻譯: 指能用以區別、識別的顯著特質、品質或屬性。
- 3
數學/科學特性
EN: A property or feature that helps to identify or describe something in mathematics or science.
翻譯: 在數學或科學中，用以識別或描述某事物的屬性或特徵。
小提醒：注意 'characteristic' 是可數名詞，指具體的「特徵」；而 'character' 作為不可數名詞時，常指整體的「性格」或「品質」。
發音（How to Pronounce "Characteristic" in English）
How to pronounce "Characteristic" in English?"Characteristic" US vs UK pronunciation
點擊下方的 US / UK 按鈕可播放發音。
Real-life Examples of "Characteristic" from YouTube Videos
Nathan Myhrvold: Cut your food in half
TED
“Most of the characteristic char-grilled taste doesn't come from the wood or the charcoal. Buying mesquite charcoal will not actually make that much difference.”
(1 out of 10)
Definitions（定義）
What are the definitions of "Characteristic"?How does "Characteristic" change by context?
2. a distinguishing feature or quality that makes something identifiable
（用以識別的）特點，標誌性特徵
The characteristic of his painting style is the use of bold colors.
他繪畫風格的標誌性特點是使用大膽的色彩。
A good sense of humor is a characteristic we all admire.
良好的幽默感是我們都欣賞的一種特質。
3. a property or measurable factor that defines a system or material
（系統或材料的）特性，性能，參數
Engineers studied the aerodynamic characteristics of the new wing design.
工程師研究了新機翼設計的空氣動力學特性。
The technical characteristics of the device are listed in the manual.
該設備的技術性能參數列在說明書中。
4. typical of a particular person, place, or thing
特有的，典型的，獨特的
She answered with her characteristic honesty.
她以她特有的誠實回答了問題。
The city has a characteristic smell of the sea and spices.
這座城市有一種大海和香料特有的氣味。
Grammar & Patterns（句型）
What are common sentence patterns for "Characteristic"?How to make natural sentences with "Characteristic"?
| Pattern | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| characteristic + of + noun | 是…的特徵 | Patience is a characteristic of a good teacher. (耐心是一位好老師的特徵。) |
| characteristic + noun | 特有的… | The bird has a characteristic call. (這種鳥有一種特有的叫聲。) |
| defining characteristic | 定義性特徵 | His honesty is his defining characteristic. (他的誠實是他的定義性特徵。) |
| main / key characteristic | 主要/關鍵特徵 | The main characteristic of this species is its bright color. (這個物種的主要特徵是其鮮豔的顏色。) |
| share a characteristic | 共享一個特徵 | These two languages share a common characteristic. (這兩種語言共享一個共同特徵。) |
| possess a characteristic | 擁有某種特徵 | The material possesses the characteristic of being waterproof. (這種材料擁有防水的特性。) |
用法說明
How is "Characteristic" different from similar structures?What usage mistakes are common with "Characteristic"?
characteristic of vs characteristic to
- characteristic of + 名詞 是最常見且標準的用法，表示「...的典型特徵」，用來描述某個群體、事物或人的固有屬性。
- characteristic to + 名詞 較為少見，有時用於強調某種特徵是某個特定對象所獨有的，但許多語法學家認為這是不標準的用法，應避免。
- 在正式寫作或學術文章中，應始終使用 characteristic of。
- 當 characteristic 作為名詞使用時，其後接 of 來連接擁有該特徵的主體。 EN: Patience is a characteristic of a good teacher. 翻譯: 耐心是好老師的一項特質。
EN:The striped pattern is characteristic of tigers.
翻譯:條紋圖案是老虎的特徵。
EN:This behavior is characteristic of him alone.
翻譯:這種行為是他個人獨有的特徵。
總結建議
在絕大多數情況下，應使用「characteristic of」來表達「...的特徵」，這是唯一被廣泛接受的正確用法。
易混淆對比
What is the difference between "Characteristic" and similar words?How to choose "Characteristic" vs alternatives?
characteristic vs feature
「characteristic」強調內在、本質的屬性，常帶有描述性；「feature」則指顯著、突出的部分，常為外在或設計上的特點。
characteristic vs trait
「characteristic」適用範圍較廣，可用於人、物或抽象概念；「trait」通常專指人（或生物）的性格或遺傳特徵。
characteristic vs quality
「characteristic」是中性的事實描述；「quality」常帶有價值判斷，指優點、品質或素質。
characteristic vs attribute
兩者意思相近，常可互換。但「attribute」更正式，常用於哲學、技術或歸因情境；「characteristic」更通用於日常描述。
口語用法
How is "Characteristic" used in spoken English?What is the spoken vs formal difference for "Characteristic"?
引述
在口語中，有時會用 "characteristic" 來引述或總結某人的典型行為或事物的固定模式。 EN: And then, in true John fashion, he showed up late—a characteristic move. 翻譯: 然後，約翰果然以他一貫的作風遲到了——這真是他的典型行為。
EN:She always double-checks every detail. It's a characteristic of hers.
翻譯:她總是會再三檢查每個細節。這是她的一個特點。
語氣強調
說話時，可以透過重音或語調強調 "characteristic"，來凸顯某個特質是核心的、定義性的，或帶有評價意味。 EN: That lack of patience is so characteristic of him when things don't go his way. 翻譯: 當事情不順他意時，那種缺乏耐心的表現真是太有他的特色了。
EN:The warmth and hospitality were the most characteristic aspects of the place.
翻譯:那地方的溫暖和好客是最具代表性的特點。
停頓填充
在組織思緒或尋找合適詞語時，有時會將 "characteristic" 作為一個填充詞組的一部分，例如 "that characteristic..." 或 "a characteristic kind of..."，後面再接上更具體的描述。 EN: He has that characteristic... intensity when he talks about his projects. 翻譯: 當他談論自己的專案時，帶著那種特有的...強烈熱情。
EN:It was a characteristic kind of chaos, you know, with papers everywhere.
翻譯:那是一種典型的混亂，你知道的，就是文件到處都是的那種。
正式寫作注意：在正式或學術寫作中，應避免將 "characteristic" 用於上述口語中的停頓填充或過於隨意的引述。應確保其用法精確，並與明確的主體和嚴謹的論述緊密結合。
常見短語
What common collocations use "Characteristic"?What fixed phrases with "Characteristic" should I remember?
characteristic of
characteristic of [someone/something]
…的特徵；…特有的
defining characteristic
defining characteristic
定義性特徵；關鍵特質
physical characteristic
physical characteristic
物理特徵；身體特徵
key characteristic
key characteristic
關鍵特徵；主要特點
share characteristics
share characteristics (with)
具有共同特徵
distinguishing characteristic
distinguishing characteristic
區別性特徵；顯著特點
inherent characteristic
inherent characteristic
固有特徵；內在特質
常見錯誤
What are common mistakes with "Characteristic"?Which "Characteristic" sentences look correct but are wrong?
×He has a characteristic of being lazy.
✓Laziness is one of his characteristics.
In English, we typically say something 'is a characteristic of' someone/something, or list 'characteristics' that someone/something has. We don't usually say a person 'has a characteristic of' a quality.
×This is a characteristic for dogs.
✓This is a characteristic of dogs.
The correct preposition to link a characteristic to what it describes is 'of', not 'for'.
×She has many good characteristics, like kind and honest.
✓She has many good characteristics, such as kindness and honesty.
When listing examples of characteristics, we must use the noun forms (kindness, honesty), not the adjective forms (kind, honest).
×The characteristic of the building is very old.
✓A characteristic of the building is its age.
A 'characteristic' is a distinctive feature or quality itself (e.g., its age, its design), not a description of that feature (e.g., 'very old'). The sentence structure should be: 'A characteristic is X.' where X is the feature.
×One characteristic is it rains a lot.
✓One characteristic of the climate is the high rainfall.
When stating a characteristic, be specific and nominalize the idea. Avoid using a full clause ('it rains a lot') directly after 'is'. Instead, turn the idea into a noun phrase ('the high rainfall').
×This painting is characteristic to Van Gogh.
✓This painting is characteristic of Van Gogh.
When using 'characteristic' as an adjective meaning 'typical of', the correct preposition is 'of', not 'to'.
詞形變化
What are the word forms of "Characteristic"?What are tense/participle forms of "Characteristic"?