1. to use money to pay for goods or services
花費（金錢）
I spend too much on coffee every month.
我每個月在咖啡上花費太多。
They spent a fortune on their new car.
他們花了一大筆錢買新車。
Spend Meaning（定義、用法、例句與發音）
spend
verb
快速理解
What does "Spend" mean?What are 2-3 core uses of "Spend"?
「spend」主要表示花費金錢、時間或精力。
- 1
花費金錢
EN: to use money to pay for goods or services
翻譯: 花錢購買商品或服務
- 2
度過時間
EN: to pass time in a particular way or place
翻譯: 以特定方式或在特定地方度過一段時間
- 3
耗費精力
EN: to use energy or effort on something
翻譯: 在某事上耗費精力或努力
小提醒：注意「spend」的過去式和過去分詞都是「spent」，且後面常接「on + 名詞」或「(in) + V-ing」。
發音（How to Pronounce "Spend" in English）
How to pronounce "Spend" in English?"Spend" US vs UK pronunciation
點擊下方的 US / UK 按鈕可播放發音。
Real-life Examples of "Spend" from YouTube Videos
Steven Schwaitzberg: A universal translator for surgeons
TED
“We have more than 100 translators covering 63 languages and we spend millions of dollars just in our little hospital.”
(1 out of 166)
Definitions（定義）
What are the definitions of "Spend"?How does "Spend" change by context?
2. to pass or use time in a particular way or place
度過，花費（時間）
We spent the weekend at the beach.
我們在海灘度過了週末。
He spends hours playing video games.
他花好幾個小時玩電子遊戲。
3. to use energy, effort, or resources on something
耗費（精力、資源）
The project spent most of our team's energy.
這個專案耗費了我們團隊大部分的精力。
Don't spend all your political capital on this one issue.
不要把所有的政治資本都耗費在這一個議題上。
4. to stay somewhere for a period of time, especially as a guest
（尤指作為客人）逗留，暫住
She spent a few nights at her friend's apartment.
她在朋友的公寓住了幾晚。
He spent the summer with his grandparents in the countryside.
他在鄉下和祖父母一起度過了夏天。
Grammar & Patterns（句型）
What are common sentence patterns for "Spend"?How to make natural sentences with "Spend"?
| Pattern | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| spend + [time] | 花費（時間） | I spend an hour reading every day. (我每天花一小時閱讀。) |
| spend + [money] + on + [noun] | 花費（金錢）在…上 | She spent a lot of money on books. (她花了很多錢在書上。) |
| spend + [money] + V-ing | 花費（金錢）做… | He spent $100 fixing his car. (他花了100元修理他的車。) |
| spend + [time] + V-ing | 花費（時間）做… | We spent the afternoon hiking. (我們花了一下午健行。) |
| spend + [time] + with + [person] | 花費（時間）與…在一起 | He likes to spend weekends with his family. (他喜歡與家人共度週末。) |
| spend + [time] + at/in + [place] | 花費（時間）在（某地） | She spent a year in Japan. (她在日本待了一年。) |
| spend + [resource/effort] + on + [noun] | 投入（資源/精力）在…上 | The company spends a lot of effort on quality control. (這家公司投入大量精力在品質控管上。) |
用法說明
How is "Spend" different from similar structures?What usage mistakes are common with "Spend"?
spend doing vs spend to do
- spend + 時間/金錢 + (in) doing something 是最常見且正確的結構，表示「花費（時間/金錢）做某事」。介系詞 in 經常被省略。
- spend + 時間/金錢 + to do something 在口語中偶爾出現，但被許多文法學家視為不標準或較不自然。它試圖表達「為了做某事而花費（時間/金錢）」。
- 在正式寫作或考試中，建議避免使用 spend to do 的結構，以確保文法正確性。
對比範例： EN: She spends two hours practicing the piano every day. 翻譯: 她每天花兩小時練習鋼琴。
EN:He spent a fortune to buy that vintage car.
翻譯:他花了一大筆錢去買那輛古董車。
EN:We spent the whole afternoon cleaning the garage.
翻譯:我們花了整個下午清理車庫。
EN:They would spend a lot of money to travel first class.
翻譯:他們願意花很多錢去坐頭等艙旅行。
總結建議
在絕大多數情況下，請使用 spend + 時間/金錢 + (in) V-ing 的結構，避免使用 spend to do。
易混淆對比
What is the difference between "Spend" and similar words?How to choose "Spend" vs alternatives?
spend vs cost
「spend」的主語是花費金錢或時間的人；「cost」的主語是商品或服務本身，表示其價格或代價。
spend vs take
「spend」的主語是人，表示主動花費時間；「take」的主語通常是活動或事物，表示完成某事需要多少時間。
spend vs waste
「spend」是中性詞，指花費金錢或時間；「waste」帶有負面含義，指浪費、白費金錢或時間。
口語用法
How is "Spend" used in spoken English?What is the spoken vs formal difference for "Spend"?
引述
在口語中，常用來引述或轉述他人的消費行為或決定。 EN: He was like, "I'm going to spend all my savings on this trip." 翻譯: 他當時就說：「我要把所有的積蓄都花在這趟旅行上。」
EN:So she goes, "Don't spend it all in one place."
翻譯:然後她就說：「別在一個地方就把錢花光。」
語氣強調
與特定副詞或短語連用，以強調消費的極端程度或方式。 EN: I can't believe you spent that much on a pair of shoes! 翻譯: 我真不敢相信你花那麼多錢買一雙鞋！
EN:We spent the whole day just browsing around.
翻譯:我們花了整整一天就只是到處逛逛。
停頓填充
在思考或組織語句時，用來填充停頓，特別是當想描述如何度過時間時。 EN: So... we spent... you know, the afternoon at the park. 翻譯: 所以…我們花了…你知道的，一個下午在公園。
EN:How did I spend my weekend? Well, I spent... mostly just relaxing at home.
翻譯:我怎麼過週末的？嗯，我花了…大部分時間就是在家放鬆。
正式寫作注意：在正式或學術寫作中，應避免使用上述口語化的引述結構（如 "He was like..."）和填充停頓（如 "...you know..."）。建議使用更精確的動詞（如 "allocate", "invest", "utilize"）或更正式的結構來表達時間或金錢的運用，例如 "allocate funds to" 或 "devote time to"。
常見短語
What common collocations use "Spend"?What fixed phrases with "Spend" should I remember?
spend time
spend time (on something/doing something)
花費時間（在某事上／做某事）
spend money
spend money (on something)
花錢（在某物上）
spend the day
spend the day (doing something)
度過一天（做某事）
spend a fortune
spend a fortune (on something)
花一大筆錢（在某物上）
spend energy
spend energy (on something/doing something)
耗費精力（在某事上／做某事）
spend the night
spend the night (somewhere/doing something)
過夜（在某處／做某事）
spend wisely
spend (money/time) wisely
明智地花費（金錢／時間）
常見錯誤
What are common mistakes with "Spend"?Which "Spend" sentences look correct but are wrong?
×I spent a lot of money for clothes.
✓I spent a lot of money on clothes.
The preposition after 'spend money' should be 'on', not 'for', when indicating what the money was used to purchase.
×I spent two hours to do my homework.
✓I spent two hours doing my homework.
After 'spend time', the activity should be expressed with a gerund (verb-ing), not an infinitive ('to do').
×I spent my holiday.
✓I spent my holiday at the beach. / I enjoyed my holiday.
'Spend' requires an object (time/money) and usually needs a complement (e.g., a place, an activity, or 'on' + noun) to make the meaning complete. The sentence is too vague without it.
×This book spent me $20.
✓This book cost me $20. / I spent $20 on this book.
The subject of 'spend' must be a person (the spender). For the thing that requires payment, use 'cost'.
×I spent to buy a new phone.
✓I spent money to buy a new phone. / I spent $800 on a new phone.
'Spend' is a transitive verb and requires a direct object (e.g., money, time). It cannot be followed directly by an infinitive of purpose without the object.
×I spent my childhood to live in Taipei.
✓I spent my childhood living in Taipei.
Similar to mistake #2, after 'spend + time period', the accompanying activity should be in the gerund form, not the infinitive form.
詞形變化
What are the word forms of "Spend"?What are tense/participle forms of "Spend"?
spends(3rd_singular)spending(present_participle)spent(past)spent(past_participle)