呢啲常見嘅英文單字,究竟係單數定眾數?

數到數唔到,唔係靠彩數。

Man Hok Saang 文學生
4 min readMar 10, 2020
Photo by Raphael Schaller on Unsplash

英文嘅nouns有分singular同plural,但係根據使用習慣同埋本身字嘅意思,有啲單字即使喺眾數嘅情況下都只係會用單數嘅樣見人。今次就分幾類常見嘅字講一講。

最常見但係好多人都錯嘅系列

代表1︰homework

記住,學校嘅功課係永遠多到數唔到,所以homework係uncountable。(Er…)

想要數得到,喺後面加 assignment呢隻字或者前面放個 quantifier(量詞)。

  • A piece of homework (assignment)
  • Two pieces of homework (assignments)
  • Too much homework // Too many homework assignments

代表2︰stuff

呢隻字口語好常用,但佢其實係uncountable,鍾意加 “s”嘅同學可以用返 “things”。

代表3︰furniture

我知傢俬係數到,但係係鍾意加 “s”嘅同學麻煩忍一忍,呢隻字一樣都要用quantifier︰

  • A piece of furniture
  • Two pieces of furniture

單數眾數意思會唔同系列

代表1︰work vs works

work係指「工作」,係uncountable(數唔到)。

例︰I’ve got so much work to do. (一件又好,兩件又好,都係用work。)

當work變成countable嘅時候,佢嘅意思就會變咗做「(尤指繪畫、書籍或音樂)作品,著作」。(works仲有其他意思,呢度淨係講呢個比較常見嘅意思。)

例1︰This novel is his best work to date.

例2︰The museum has many works by Picasso as well as other modern painters.

代表2︰staff vs staffs

當staff係uncountable嘅時候係解「(全體)員工」,呢隻字好多同學都會用錯。如果想要數得到又唔錯嘅話,不如加多一隻字喺佢後面,變成︰

  • a staff member
  • two staff members

當staff變成countable嘅時候,即係staff(s),佢嘅意思就係「 拐杖」,所以要小心啲用啦。(Countable嘅staff仲有其他意思,呢度揀咗最常見嗰個。)

代表3︰damage vs damages

當damage係單數嘅時侯,佢嘅意思係「 損害,危害;損壞;傷害」,而呢啲損傷係指人或者財物。呢個情況下damage呢隻字係uncountable。

例︰Strong winds had caused serious damage to the roof.

但係當你用damages嘅時候,佢個意思就會變咗做「賠償(金),賠款」。就完全唔關上面嘅人物損傷事。

例︰The politician was awarded £50,000 in damages over false allegations made by the newspaper.

口快快加 “s”系列

代表︰terms/apps

成日都聽人講話有個terms/apps……雖然都明個意思,但係其實「一個」嘅話就只會係 “term/app” (app係application嘅簡稱)。我覺得平時可以嘅話,即使中英夾雜講嘢,但係只要有呢個單數眾數嘅意識,呢個會係一個好好訓練自己腦袋嘅練習。

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Man Hok Saang 文學生
Man Hok Saang 文學生

Written by Man Hok Saang 文學生

I like to read and I try to write. Sometimes I write in English, sometimes Cantonese. 🇭🇰Hong Kong 香港 FB, IG: manhoksaang

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