1. a person who is responsible for a crime or other misdeed
犯錯者；罪犯；肇事者
The police are still searching for the culprit.
警方仍在搜尋肇事者。
He was the main culprit behind the fraud scheme.
他是這起詐騙案的主要罪犯。
Culprit Meaning（定義、用法、例句與發音）
culprit
noun
快速理解
What does "Culprit" mean?What are 2-3 core uses of "Culprit"?
指犯錯或造成問題的人或事物。
- 1
犯罪者
EN: The person who is responsible for a crime or misdeed.
翻譯: 對犯罪或不當行為負責的人。
- 2
問題根源
EN: The cause of a problem or defect.
翻譯: 造成問題或缺陷的原因。
- 3
主要責任方
EN: The party chiefly responsible for a negative situation.
翻譯: 對負面情況負主要責任的一方。
小提醒：「culprit」不一定指罪犯，也常用於指造成麻煩或不良狀況的「元兇」，例如：The main culprit for the engine failure was a faulty wire.（引擎故障的主要元兇是一條有問題的電線。）
發音（How to Pronounce "Culprit" in English）
How to pronounce "Culprit" in English?"Culprit" US vs UK pronunciation
點擊下方的 US / UK 按鈕可播放發音。
Real-life Examples of "Culprit" from YouTube Videos
Ravin Agrawal: 10 young Indian artists to watch
TED
“Here they invite the viewer to analyze a crime, looking at evidence and clues embedded in five narratives on these five different screens, in which the city itself may have been the culprit.”
(1 out of 1)
Definitions（定義）
What are the definitions of "Culprit"?How does "Culprit" change by context?
2. the cause of a problem or defect
問題的根源；故障的原因
The real culprit of the engine failure was a faulty wire.
引擎故障的真正原因是一條有問題的電線。
Sugar is often the culprit behind weight gain.
糖常常是體重增加的元兇。
3. a person or thing accused of or charged with an offense
被指控者；被告
The court will decide if the culprit is guilty.
法庭將裁定被告是否有罪。
She stood in the dock, the alleged culprit of the theft.
她站在被告席上，被指控為這起盜竊案的嫌犯。
Grammar & Patterns（句型）
What are common sentence patterns for "Culprit"?How to make natural sentences with "Culprit"?
| Pattern | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| the culprit | 元兇；罪魁禍首 | The police finally identified the culprit. (警方終於確認了元兇。) |
| the main culprit | 主要元兇；主因 | Stress is often the main culprit behind insomnia. (壓力常常是失眠的主因。) |
| find the culprit | 找出元兇 | The investigation aims to find the culprit. (這項調查旨在找出元兇。) |
| catch the culprit | 抓到犯人 | They managed to catch the culprit red-handed. (他們設法當場抓到了犯人。) |
| the culprit behind + noun | ...背後的元兇 | Scientists are searching for the culprit behind the disease outbreak. (科學家正在尋找疾病爆發背後的元兇。) |
用法說明
How is "Culprit" different from similar structures?What usage mistakes are common with "Culprit"?
culprit of vs. culprit for
- culprit of + N (具體罪行/問題)：用於指稱某個具體罪行、事件或不良狀況的「肇因者」或「元兇」。強調是「誰」造成了這個特定的結果。
- culprit for + N/V-ing (抽象後果/狀態)：常用於解釋導致某種抽象後果、普遍狀況或不良狀態的「罪魁禍首」。焦點在於「造成某種局面」的原因。
- 在許多情況下，兩者可以互換，但細微差別在於 of 更具體，for 更偏向解釋原因。 EN: The faulty wiring was the culprit of the house fire. 翻譯: 有問題的電線是那場房屋火災的元兇。
EN:Lack of exercise is a major culprit for poor health.
翻譯:缺乏運動是健康不佳的一個主要肇因。
EN:Police identified the culprit of the robbery.
翻譯:警方確認了這起搶劫案的罪犯。
EN:Stress is often the culprit for sleepless nights.
翻譯:壓力常常是失眠夜晚的罪魁禍首。
總結建議
描述具體事件時多用 culprit of，解釋普遍原因時則常用 culprit for，但在實際使用中界線並非絕對分明。
易混淆對比
What is the difference between "Culprit" and similar words?How to choose "Culprit" vs alternatives?
culprit vs criminal
culprit 指特定事件或問題的肇因者或責任者，範圍較廣，可指人或事物；criminal 則專指觸犯法律、從事犯罪活動的人。
culprit vs perpetrator
culprit 較口語通用，可指各種壞事的責任者；perpetrator 是較正式的法律或新聞用語，特指犯罪行為的實施者。
culprit vs offender
culprit 強調是某個特定不良結果的根源；offender 泛指違反規則、法律或社會規範的人，常用於司法或紀律 context。
口語用法
How is "Culprit" used in spoken English?What is the spoken vs formal difference for "Culprit"?
引述
在對話中，當轉述或提及他人指責的對象時，常用「culprit」來指代那個被認為有問題的人或事物。 EN: So, who's the culprit who ate the last piece of cake? 翻譯: 所以，是誰吃了最後一塊蛋糕？
EN:The main culprit for the delay, according to the manager, was the late shipment.
翻譯:根據經理的說法，延誤的主要原因是貨運延遲。
語氣強調
在非正式交談中，常會用「the real culprit」或「the main culprit」來強調真正的問題根源，帶有追究責任的意味。 EN: Don't blame the weather; the real culprit is our poor planning. 翻譯: 別怪天氣，真正的問題是我們的計畫不周。
EN:Look, the main culprit here is the outdated software, not your computer.
翻譯:聽著，問題的癥結在於過時的軟體，不是你的電腦。
停頓填充
在思考或組織語句時，有時會用「the culprit being...」或「culprit, I guess, is...」作為填充，引出解釋。 EN: The project failed for several reasons, the culprit being a lack of clear communication. 翻譯: 專案失敗有幾個原因，問題主要在於缺乏清晰的溝通。
EN:We need to find what's causing the error—culprit, I'd say, is probably the new update.
翻譯:我們得找出錯誤的原因——我猜，問題可能出在這次的新更新。
注意：在正式寫作或報告中，應避免上述過於口語化的停頓或強調結構，建議使用更直接、客觀的表述，例如「the primary cause was...」或「the key factor is...」。
常見短語
What common collocations use "Culprit"?What fixed phrases with "Culprit" should I remember?
the main culprit
the main culprit
主要的罪魁禍首；主因
the culprit behind something
the culprit behind [noun]
某事的罪魁禍首；導致某事的原因
identify/find the culprit
identify/find the culprit
找出元兇；查明原因
the likely culprit
the likely culprit
可能的元兇；可能的原因
the prime culprit
the prime culprit
頭號元兇；首要原因
catch the culprit
catch the culprit
抓到兇手；逮到元兇
suspect a culprit
suspect [something/someone] as the culprit
懷疑某物/某人為元兇
常見錯誤
What are common mistakes with "Culprit"?Which "Culprit" sentences look correct but are wrong?
×The culprit of the crime was arrested.
✓The culprit was arrested.
The word 'culprit' already means 'the person who is responsible for a crime or wrongdoing'. Adding 'of the crime' is redundant and unnatural in English.
×He is the main culprit for the project's failure.
✓He is the main culprit behind the project's failure.
When describing what someone is responsible for, we typically use 'culprit behind' something, not 'culprit for' something. 'For' is sometimes used but 'behind' is more idiomatic for assigning responsibility.
×The culprit is a bad person.
✓He was found to be the culprit.
Calling someone 'a culprit' is not a general synonym for 'a bad person'. It specifically refers to the person guilty of a particular act or responsible for a specific problem. It's used in the context of a specific event.
×She felt very culprit after lying.
✓She felt very guilty after lying.
'Culprit' is a noun, not an adjective. You cannot 'feel culprit'. The correct adjective to describe the feeling of being responsible for wrongdoing is 'guilty'.
×Who is the culprit of this delicious cake?
✓Who made this delicious cake?
'Culprit' has a negative connotation, implying blame for a bad or problematic outcome. It should not be used for positive or neutral things like making a cake. Use words like 'maker', 'creator', or simply 'who made' instead.
×The culprit reason for the delay was traffic.
✓The main reason for the delay was traffic.
'Culprit' is a noun referring to the person or thing responsible. It cannot be used as an adjective to modify another noun like 'reason'. Use 'main', 'primary', or 'key' instead.
詞形變化
What are the word forms of "Culprit"?What are tense/participle forms of "Culprit"?