Plain Meaning(定義、用法、例句與發音)

plain

verb

快速理解

What does "Plain" mean?What are 2-3 core uses of "Plain"?

作為動詞的「plain」極為罕見,主要為古語或方言用法,意為抱怨或哀嘆。

  1. 1

    抱怨;訴苦

    EN: to complain or lament

    翻譯: 抱怨或哀嘆

  2. 2

    哀悼

    EN: to mourn or bewail

    翻譯: 哀悼或悲嘆

小提醒:注意:現代英語中,「plain」幾乎從不作為動詞使用。表達「抱怨」時,應使用動詞「complain」。將「plain」用作動詞可能會造成誤解。

發音(How to Pronounce "Plain" in English

How to pronounce "Plain" in English?"Plain" US vs UK pronunciation

點擊下方的 US / UK 按鈕可播放發音。

Real-life Examples of "Plain" from YouTube Videos

Reggie Watts disorients you in the most entertaining way | TED

TED

(Laughter). Once we understand that all the spheres in the sky are just large, infinite planes, it will be plain to see (Laughter).

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Definitions(定義)

What are the definitions of "Plain"?How does "Plain" change by context?

1. to complain or express dissatisfaction

抱怨;訴苦

He's always plaining about the weather.

他總是在抱怨天氣。

She plained to her manager about the heavy workload.

她向經理抱怨工作量太大。

2. to lament or mourn (archaic/poetic)

哀悼;悲嘆(古語/詩歌用語)

The widow plained for her lost husband.

寡婦為她逝去的丈夫哀悼。

In the poem, the hero plained his fallen comrades.

在詩中,英雄為他倒下的戰友悲嘆。

3. to make a mournful sound

發出哀鳴聲

The wind plained through the empty halls of the castle.

風在城堡空蕩的大廳中發出哀鳴。

The old violin plained a sorrowful tune.

那把舊小提琴拉出哀傷的曲調。

Grammar & Patterns(句型)

What are common sentence patterns for "Plain"?How to make natural sentences with "Plain"?
PatternMeaningExample
plain + noun抱怨、訴苦He is always **plaining** his bad luck. (他總是在抱怨自己的壞運氣。)
plain about + noun/gerund對…發牢騷She **plained** about the noisy neighbors all night. (她整晚都在對吵鬧的鄰居發牢騷。)
plain that + clause抱怨說…The customer **plained** that the service was too slow. (顧客抱怨說服務太慢了。)
plain to + person向某人訴苦He **plained** to his manager about the heavy workload. (他向經理訴苦工作量太大。)

用法說明

How is "Plain" different from similar structures?What usage mistakes are common with "Plain"?

plain to do vs plain doing

  • "plain to do" 通常用於表達一個具體的、一次性的意願或提議。
  • "plain doing" 則更常描述一種習慣性的、普遍的喜好或享受。
  • 在詢問或表達禮貌的請求時,通常使用 "Would you plain to...?" 或 "I'd plain to..." 的形式。
  • 在動詞 "prefer" 和 "hate" 之後,兩種結構的含義區別可能更為明顯。 EN: I plain to finish this report by 5 PM today. 翻譯: 我打算今天下午五點前完成這份報告。

EN:I plain working from home because it saves commute time.

翻譯:我喜歡在家工作,因為可以省下通勤時間。

EN:Would you plain to join us for dinner?

翻譯:您想和我們一起吃晚餐嗎?

EN:She plains listening to music while exercising.

翻譯:她喜歡一邊運動一邊聽音樂。

總結建議

一般來說,表達具體意圖或禮貌邀請時用 "plain to do",描述一般喜好時則用 "plain doing"。

易混淆對比

What is the difference between "Plain" and similar words?How to choose "Plain" vs alternatives?

plain vs complain

"plain" 作為動詞極其罕見,主要意為「抱怨」或「哀嘆」,而 "complain" 是表達不滿、痛苦或投訴的常用動詞。

plain vs explain

"plain" 作動詞意為「抱怨」或「哀嘆」,而 "explain" 意為「解釋、說明」,兩者詞義完全不同。

plain vs lament

動詞 "plain" 與 "lament" 都表示哀嘆或表達悲傷,但 "lament" 更常用且正式,而 "plain" 已屬古語。

口語用法

How is "Plain" used in spoken English?What is the spoken vs formal difference for "Plain"?

引述

在引述他人的抱怨或牢騷時,常用 "plain" 來重現其直接、不拐彎抹角的語氣。 EN: She just came out and said, "I'm plain tired of all the excuses." 翻譯: 她直接走出來說:「我實在受夠了這些藉口。」

EN:He looked at me and plain told me the project was doomed.

翻譯:他看著我,直截了當地告訴我這個專案完蛋了。

語氣強調

用於加強語氣,強調某事的簡單、明顯或徹底的程度,常與 "just" 或 "simply" 連用。 EN: That's just plain wrong; the numbers don't add up. 翻譯: 那根本就是錯的,數字根本對不起來。

EN:I'm not annoyed, I'm plain furious about how they handled it.

翻譯:我不是有點惱火,我對他們的處理方式簡直是火冒三丈。

停頓填充

在思考如何表達或組織想法時,作為一個短暫的停頓填充詞,類似於「說真的」、「老實說」。 EN: Well, plain... I think we need to start over from scratch. 翻譯: 嗯,說真的…我覺得我們需要從頭來過。

EN:It's just... plain... hard to explain how disappointed I am.

翻譯:這實在是…老實說…很難解釋我有多失望。

正式寫作注意:在正式書面語(如學術論文、商業報告、官方文件)中,應避免將 "plain" 用作副詞來強調。建議改用更正式的詞彙,如 "simply", "utterly", "clearly", 或 "absolutely",或直接重組句子結構以符合正式語體的要求。

常見短語

What common collocations use "Plain"?What fixed phrases with "Plain" should I remember?

plain for

plain for something

公開承認或坦白某事

plain about

plain about something

對某事直言不諱、坦率

plain to

plain to someone

向某人坦白或清楚說明

plain out

plain out

完全坦白、和盤托出

plain one's heart

plain one's heart (to someone)

傾訴心聲、坦露內心

plain the truth

plain the truth

坦白說出真相

常見錯誤

What are common mistakes with "Plain"?Which "Plain" sentences look correct but are wrong?

×I need to plain the fabric before sewing.

I need to make the fabric plain before sewing.

「plain」作為動詞極其罕見且古舊,現代英語中幾乎不用。學習者常誤將其當作「使...變簡單/樸素」的動詞使用。正確應使用「make (something) plain」或更常見的動詞如「simplify」。

×She plained her feelings to me yesterday.

She made her feelings plain to me yesterday.

「plain」不作為規則動詞進行時態變化(plain/plained/plaining)。表達「清楚說明」時,應使用固定片語「make plain」,其中「plain」是形容詞,動詞「make」根據時態變化。

×Customers often plain about the service.

Customers often complain about the service.

學習者可能混淆「plain」(形容詞/罕見古舊動詞)與常見動詞「complain」(抱怨)。兩者拼寫相似但意義與用法完全不同。「抱怨」的正確動詞是「complain」。

×She plained to understand the concept.

She made it plain that she understood the concept.

若想使用「plain」表達「清楚表明」,不能將其作為不及物動詞直接接子句。必須使用「make it plain (that)...」的結構,其中「it」是形式受詞。

×I will plain my design to make it more modern.

I will simplify my design to make it more modern.

在現代英語中,幾乎不會用「plain」作動詞表示「使...變得樸素或簡單」。應根據語意使用更準確的動詞,如「simplify」(簡化)、「tone down」(使柔和)、或「use a plain design」(使用樸素的設計)。

詞形變化

What are the word forms of "Plain"?What are tense/participle forms of "Plain"?
plains(3rd_singular)plaining(present_participle)plained(past)plained(past_participle)
plain 在英語中是什麼意思?