1. of or in an earlier time; previous
早先的，以前的
She is a former employee of the company.
她是這家公司的前員工。
In former times, this was a quiet fishing village.
在過去，這裡是一個安靜的漁村。
Former Meaning（定義、用法、例句與發音）
former
adjective
快速理解
What does "Former" mean?What are 2-3 core uses of "Former"?
「former」主要用於指時間順序上的「前一個」或比較中的「前者」。
- 1
時間上的前一個
EN: the former president
翻譯: 前總統
- 2
比較中的前者
EN: Of the two options, I prefer the former.
翻譯: 在這兩個選項中，我偏好前者。
- 3
過去的、從前的
EN: in former times
翻譯: 在從前
- 4
先前的、不再擔任的
EN: a former member of the club
翻譯: 俱樂部的前成員
小提醒：「former」通常與「the」連用（如 the former），特別是在與「latter」（後者）對比時。單獨使用時，它修飾名詞（如 former teacher）。
發音（How to Pronounce "Former" in English）
How to pronounce "Former" in English?"Former" US vs UK pronunciation
點擊下方的 US / UK 按鈕可播放發音。
Real-life Examples of "Former" from YouTube Videos
Dalia Mogahed: The attitudes that sparked Arab Spring
TED
“So rather than viewing their former regimes as generous, if overprotective, fathers, they viewed them as essentially prison wardens.”
(1 out of 43)
Definitions（定義）
What are the definitions of "Former"?How does "Former" change by context?
2. being the first mentioned of two things or people
（兩者中）前者的
Between the red and blue options, I prefer the former.
在紅色和藍色選項之間，我比較喜歡前者。
We have two proposals: the former is more practical, while the latter is more innovative.
我們有兩個提案：前者較為實際，後者則更具創新性。
3. having previously been a particular thing
曾經是…的，前任的
The former president still gives speeches on occasion.
那位前總統偶爾仍會發表演講。
He is a former champion boxer.
他曾經是冠軍拳擊手。
Grammar & Patterns（句型）
What are common sentence patterns for "Former"?How to make natural sentences with "Former"?
| Pattern | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| the former + noun | 前者（的） | The former president gave a speech. (前總統發表了演說。) |
| former + noun | 以前的，從前的 | She is a former colleague of mine. (她是我以前的同事。) |
| in former times / days | 在過去，在從前 | In former days, this was a quiet village. (在過去，這是個寧靜的村莊。) |
| my / his / her former self | 過去的我/他/她 | After the accident, he was a shadow of his former self. (事故之後，他已經不是從前的那個他了。) |
用法說明
How is "Former" different from similar structures?What usage mistakes are common with "Former"?
former vs latter
- former 指代先前提到兩者中的「第一個」，而 latter 指代「第二個」。
- 使用這組詞時，通常會先明確提及兩個選項（例如：A 和 B），然後再用 former 和 latter 來指代，以避免重複。
- 在正式或學術寫作中很常見，但在日常口語中較少使用。
對比例句： EN: We can go by train or by bus; the former is faster, but the latter is cheaper. 翻譯: 我們可以搭火車或公車去；前者較快，但後者較便宜。
EN:She offered me tea and coffee. I chose the former.
翻譯:她提供了茶和咖啡給我。我選擇了前者。
總結建議
在列舉兩個項目後，若想清晰且正式地指代它們，可使用「former」指第一個，「latter」指第二個。
易混淆對比
What is the difference between "Former" and similar words?How to choose "Former" vs alternatives?
former vs previous
「former」強調曾經擔任某個特定職位或身份，而「previous」則泛指時間順序上的前一個。
former vs past
「former」指特定且已結束的身份或狀態，而「past」則泛指已過去的時間或事件。
former vs old
「former」強調已不存在的先前身份，而「old」則描述存在時間長或已過時的事物。
口語用法
How is "Former" used in spoken English?What is the spoken vs formal difference for "Former"?
引述
在口語中，常用來引述或提及一個之前已經討論過的人或事物，相當於「那個...的」。 EN: So I met up with the former, and we sorted things out. 翻譯: 所以我跟之前那位見了面，我們把事情解決了。
EN:Between the two options, I'd pick the former.
翻譯:在這兩個選項之間，我會選前面那個。
語氣強調
用來對比「現在」與「過去」的狀態，強調情況已經改變，常帶有一點感慨或說明的語氣。 EN: He's a lot more relaxed now than in his former life. 翻譯: 他現在可比以前的生活放鬆多了。
EN:My former self would never have believed this.
翻譯:換作是以前的我，絕對不會相信這件事。
停頓填充
在思考或組織句子時，用作短暫的填充詞，引出接下來要對比的「後者」(the latter)。 EN: We have tea and coffee... the former, I think, is better. 翻譯: 我們有茶和咖啡... 前者，我覺得，比較好。
EN:There's the quick way and the cheap way. The former... well, it's not always reliable.
翻譯:有快速的方法和便宜的方法。前者... 嗯，不見得總是可靠。
正式書寫注意：在正式寫作或報告中，應避免將 "former" 用於口語填充或過於鬆散的引述。正式文體中，應確保 "the former" 與 "the latter" 的對應關係清晰，且所指的前述名詞明確，不宜用於隨意的口語停頓。
常見短語
What common collocations use "Former"?What fixed phrases with "Former" should I remember?
the former
the former
前者
former self
one's former self
過去的自己；昔日的風采
former president
former + [position/title]
前總統
former colleague
former + [relationship]
前同事
in former times
in former times
在過去；在從前
former life
former life
過去的生活；前世
常見錯誤
What are common mistakes with "Former"?Which "Former" sentences look correct but are wrong?
×I have two books. The former book is interesting.
✓I have two books. The former is interesting.
使用 'former' 時，通常不需要重複名詞，因為 'former' 本身已指代先前提到的事物。
×He is a former of the company.
✓He is a former employee of the company.
'former' 是形容詞，不能單獨作為名詞使用。它必須修飾一個名詞（如 employee, president, member）。
×Between tea and coffee, I prefer the former one.
✓Between tea and coffee, I prefer the former.
在 'the former' 後面加上 'one' 是多餘的，因為 'former' 已經充當了代名詞的角色。
×My former house was bigger than my current house.
✓My previous house was bigger than my current one.
雖然 'former' 可以表示 '以前的'，但它更常用於比較兩個項目中的『前者』。在描述時間順序上單一的過去事物時，使用 'previous' 或 'old' 更自然。
×The former president and the former CEO attended the meeting.
✓The former president and CEO attended the meeting.
當同一個人曾擔任多個職位時，'former' 只需放在第一個職位前，即可修飾所有並列的職位。重複使用 'former' 會顯得不自然。
×I like the former option more than the later.
✓I like the former option more than the latter.
'former'（前者）的對應詞是 'latter'（後者），而不是 'later'（稍後）。這是一對固定的搭配。
詞形變化
What are the word forms of "Former"?What are tense/participle forms of "Former"?