1. for the most part; mostly
主要地；大部分地
The audience consisted mainly of students.
觀眾主要由學生組成。
He is mainly interested in science fiction.
他主要對科幻小說感興趣。
Mainly Meaning（定義、用法、例句與發音）
mainly
adverb
快速理解
What does "Mainly" mean?What are 2-3 core uses of "Mainly"?
表示某事物在整體中佔據最主要的部分或比例。
- 1
主要地
EN: for the most part; chiefly
翻譯: 指某事物是構成整體最主要的部分，強調其主導性或核心地位。
- 2
大部分地
EN: mostly; largely
翻譯: 指某情況或描述在絕大多數時候或範圍內成立，強調比例上的優勢。
- 3
通常地
EN: generally; usually
翻譯: 指在一般或常見的情況下是如此，但允許有例外。
小提醒：注意「mainly」強調的是「主要部分」而非「唯一部分」，使用時通常暗示還有其他次要成分或情況存在。
發音（How to Pronounce "Mainly" in English）
How to pronounce "Mainly" in English?"Mainly" US vs UK pronunciation
點擊下方的 US / UK 按鈕可播放發音。
Real-life Examples of "Mainly" from YouTube Videos
Geoff Ralston's Intro - Startup Investor School Day 1
Y Combinator
“you guys have already done this. okay, so there's a lot of experience, and we know there's a lot of experience, but we're doing this for mainly two reasons.”
(1 out of 35)
Definitions（定義）
What are the definitions of "Mainly"?How does "Mainly" change by context?
2. in most cases; usually
通常；在大多數情況下
I mainly take the bus to work.
我通常搭公車上班。
The store is mainly closed on Sundays.
這家店星期天通常不營業。
3. to the greatest extent; essentially
基本上；實質上
The problem is mainly a lack of communication.
問題基本上在於缺乏溝通。
Her success is mainly due to hard work.
她的成功主要歸功於努力。
Grammar & Patterns（句型）
What are common sentence patterns for "Mainly"?How to make natural sentences with "Mainly"?
| Pattern | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| mainly + verb | 主要地（做某事） | The company mainly produces electronic components. (這家公司主要生產電子元件。) |
| mainly + noun | 主要是（某事物） | The audience consisted mainly of students. (聽眾主要是學生。) |
| mainly + because/since/due to... | 主要是因為… | He resigned mainly due to health reasons. (他辭職主要是因為健康因素。) |
| mainly + prepositional phrase (in/on/at...) | 主要（在某處/某方面） | The festival is celebrated mainly in the southern regions. (這個節日主要在南部地區慶祝。) |
| mainly + used to + verb | 主要用於（做某事） | This tool is mainly used to cut metal. (這個工具主要用於切割金屬。) |
| be + mainly + adjective | 主要是（某種狀態） | The report is mainly accurate, with a few minor errors. (這份報告大體上是準確的，只有一些小錯誤。) |
用法說明
How is "Mainly" different from similar structures?What usage mistakes are common with "Mainly"?
mainly + V-ing vs mainly + to + V
- mainly + V-ing 通常用於描述一個普遍的、習慣性的或主要的活動焦點。它強調的是「主要在做什麼」這個狀態或過程。
- mainly + to + V 則常用於說明一個動作的主要「目的」或「意圖」，特別是當主詞是人，且該動詞帶有目標性時。
- 當描述一個系統、機器或流程的主要「功能」時，兩種結構都可能使用，但 mainly to + V 在說明設計目的時更為常見。 EN: This software is used mainly for editing photos. 翻譯: 這個軟體主要用於編輯照片。
EN:He downloaded the software mainly to edit his vacation photos.
翻譯:他下載這個軟體主要是為了編輯他的度假照片。
EN:Her job consists mainly of answering customer emails.
翻譯:她的工作主要包括回覆客戶電子郵件。
EN:She checks her inbox first thing mainly to answer urgent customer emails.
翻譯:她一早先查看收件匣，主要是為了回覆緊急的客戶郵件。
總結建議
一般情況下，描述主要活動內容時用 mainly + V-ing，說明主要目的時則用 mainly + to + V。
易混淆對比
What is the difference between "Mainly" and similar words?How to choose "Mainly" vs alternatives?
mainly vs mostly
「mainly」強調核心或主要部分，而「mostly」則側重於數量或時間上的大部分。
mainly vs primarily
「mainly」較為口語通用，「primarily」則更正式，且更強調「首要」或「根本」的性質。
mainly vs chiefly
「chiefly」比「mainly」更正式、更書面，且常暗示在眾多元素中佔主導地位。
口語用法
How is "Mainly" used in spoken English?What is the spoken vs formal difference for "Mainly"?
引述
在口語中，常用來引述或總結他人說過的話，或指出某個已知的事實。 EN: A: What did the boss say about the project? B: He said it's mainly about staying on budget. 翻譯: A: 老闆對這個專案說了什麼？ B: 他說主要是要控制在預算內。
EN:So, from what you've told me, your concern is mainly about the timeline, right?
翻譯:所以，根據你告訴我的，你的顧慮主要是時間安排，對吧？
語氣強調
用來強調某個要點是核心或最重要的部分，有時會稍微拉長發音或加重語氣。 EN: I don't mind where we eat. It's mainly that I'm just really hungry now. 翻譯: 我不介意去哪裡吃。主要是因為我現在真的餓壞了。
EN:The reason I'm late wasn't the traffic. It was mainly because I overslept.
翻譯:我遲到的原因不是交通。主要是因為我睡過頭了。
停頓填充
在思考或組織句子時，作為一個短暫的停頓填充詞，類似於「這個...」、「那個...」的功能。 EN: I enjoy the job, it's... mainly... the people there that make it great. 翻譯: 我喜歡這份工作，這個...主要是...那裡的人讓它很棒。
EN:His plan is, mainly, to just see how things go for the first week.
翻譯:他的計畫是，主要是，先看看第一週情況如何。
正式寫作注意：在正式書面語（如學術論文、商業報告）中，應避免將 "mainly" 用作停頓填充詞。建議使用更精確的連接詞或重組句子結構，例如使用 "primarily"、"chiefly" 或直接陳述要點，以保持文章的嚴謹與流暢。
常見短語
What common collocations use "Mainly"?What fixed phrases with "Mainly" should I remember?
mainly because
mainly because + clause
主要是因為
consist mainly of
verb + mainly + of + noun
主要由...組成
mainly used for
mainly + past participle + for + noun/gerund
主要用於
mainly focused on
mainly + past participle + on + noun/gerund
主要專注於
happen mainly in
verb + mainly + preposition + noun
主要發生在
mainly due to
mainly due to + noun/noun phrase
主要由於
aimed mainly at
past participle + mainly + at + noun/gerund
主要針對
常見錯誤
What are common mistakes with "Mainly"?Which "Mainly" sentences look correct but are wrong?
×The mainly reason is cost.
✓The main reason is cost.
"mainly" 是副詞，用來修飾動詞、形容詞或其他副詞，不能直接修飾名詞。修飾名詞時應使用形容詞 "main"。
×He mainly works from home on Fridays.
✓He works mainly from home on Fridays.
當 "mainly" 修飾介詞片語 "from home" 時，應直接放在該片語之前，以明確指出焦點所在。原句語法雖可接受，但可能產生歧義（是「主要工作」還是「主要在家」？）。
×The audience was mainly teenagers.
✓The audience was mostly teenagers.
"mainly" 強調「主要部分或首要目的」，常與原因、理由、用途連用。"mostly" 強調「在數量或比例上佔大多數」。描述組成成分時，"mostly" 更為自然。
×The book is interesting and mainly well-written.
✓The book is interesting and, more importantly, well-written.
"mainly" 不應用來連接兩個並列的形容詞。它通常修飾單一動詞、形容詞或片語，指出其為主要部分。若要強調後者更為重要，應使用其他表達方式。
×The main purpose is mainly to educate the public.
✓The main purpose is to educate the public.
句子中同時使用 "main" 和 "mainly" 會造成語意重複。既然已經用了 "main purpose"（主要目的），就不需要再用 "mainly" 來修飾動詞 "is"。
×Mainly, I think we should reconsider the budget.
✓Above all, I think we should reconsider the budget.
"mainly" 放在句首並直接接續個人觀點或結論並不常見，聽起來不自然。在句首表達「最重要的是」或「首先」時，應使用 "above all", "primarily", "first of all" 等。
詞形變化
What are the word forms of "Mainly"?What are tense/participle forms of "Mainly"?