美國文化脫口秀 第380期:英語量詞你會用嗎?

除了many, a few, a lot, 英語里還有好多量詞是課本里學(xué)不到的。比如美國人特別喜歡用的“dozen”，可以形容雞蛋，也能形容人!今天，Jenny和Adam就總結(jié)一下英語里最常用的量詞。快聽節(jié)目吧!

關(guān)鍵詞：

中英文量詞的區(qū)別

measure word: 量詞

Chinese meansure words are very specific, i.e. many can be only used to describe a certain type of thing: 中文的量詞比較特定，不同的量詞對應(yīng)不同的東西

Measure words in English aren't as specific as Chinese: 英語的量詞沒有中文那么特定

But because they're more general, using them appropriately might be challenging: 但是因?yàn)楸容^寬泛，所以要恰當(dāng)使用也不那么容易

美國人最愛用的量詞：a dozen

A dozen: 一打

A dozen means 12:一打表示12個(gè)

Eggs are most commonly bought by the dozen: 最常用來形容雞蛋

A dozen eggs: 一盒雞蛋

We wouldn't call it a box of eggs: 英語里不會說一盒蛋，而是說一打雞蛋

You can also buy half a dozen eggs: 也可以買小盒的，半打

Half a dozen or a half dozen?

Both are correct: 兩種說法都是正確的

Dozens can also be used in the plural form: 打還可以變成復(fù)數(shù)

Dozens of people: 好多人(幾十個(gè))

Dozens of options: 許多的選擇

Dozens究竟是多少?

Since English doesn't really have a word for "tens", dozens is used to express the idea:由于英語沒有一個(gè)詞表明“幾十”，所以dozens用來形容幾十這個(gè)數(shù)量

"Dozens" is the next step down from hundreds: “dozens”代表幾十個(gè)，再上去就是幾百個(gè)

最浪漫的量詞：a couple

現(xiàn)在常說的“CP", 就是couple. 不過美國人可不會說“CP", 這是有亞洲特色的英語。

A couple

A couple: 兩個(gè)，也是一對戀人、愛人的意思

A couple到底是幾個(gè)?

Strictly speaking, "a couple" means 2: 嚴(yán)格來說，a couple是兩個(gè)

A couple of pens: 兩支筆

A couple of cups: 兩個(gè)杯子

But in everyday conversations, it could also mean several, a few: 但是日常口語里，它也能指幾個(gè)、多個(gè)

Let's get a couple of tomatoes: 我們買幾個(gè)番茄

Let's get a couple of apples: 我們買幾個(gè)蘋果

It really depends on the context: 具體的數(shù)量，還是要通過語境分析

A few

This is a word everyone learns early on: 這個(gè)詞大家應(yīng)該是最早學(xué)到的

注意語法

A few___ 不是 a few of ___

Most measure words are followed by "of" but "few" is an exception: 量詞通常都用“of”鏈接后面的名詞，但“a few”是個(gè)例外(few同理)

"a few pens", not "a few of pens": 是 few pens,而不是a few of pens

但是有例外

The only time you use "a few of" is when you're not being specific: 當(dāng) a few后面跟的不是具體事物時(shí)，要加of。比如:

a few of these

a few of those

a few of us

英語量詞你會用嗎?

做菜必備量詞: a pinch, a handful

Measure words used in cooking/recipes 做菜、菜譜常用的量詞

A pinch: 一小撮

Add a pinch of salt, a pinch of pepper: 加一小撮鹽、一小撮胡椒

A handful: 一把

A handful of nuts: 一把堅(jiān)果

More measure words for cooking 更多做菜時(shí)常用的量詞

A spoonful: 一勺

A table spoon of: 一湯匙

A tea spoon of: 一茶匙

形容大數(shù)量的量詞

A ton of: 美國人最愛用

Americans love using the word "a ton": 美國人非常愛用“a ton"這個(gè)詞

An actual ton is 1000kg: 這個(gè)詞確切的重量是一噸、1000公斤

Canadians spell the word as "tonne": 加拿大人的拼法是tonne

In spoken English, a ton means "a lot": 口語里，a ton的意思是很多、大量的

A ton of homework": 很多作業(yè)

A ton of work: 很多工作

Ton in the plural form: ton也能當(dāng)復(fù)數(shù)

Most common use of "tons": tons最常見的用法

We had tons of fun at the party: 派對真好玩兒

There are tons of people in Shanghai Disney: 上海迪士尼人爆多

*Instead of saying "people mountain people sea", you should say "tons of people": 以后別再說“people mountain people sea"這個(gè)錯誤的老梗了，大家跟我說“tons of people"

Versatile measure words 百搭量詞

A bunch: 一捆、一堆、一群

A bunch of flowers: 一束花

A bunch of carrots: 一捆胡蘿卜

A bunch of people: 一群人(幾個(gè)到十幾個(gè)的范圍，沒有幾十個(gè)那么多)

A bunch of money: 一些錢 (不是太多、也不是太少)

A pile：一堆

A pile of work: 一堆工作，通常形容堆積了很多

* You can't use pile to describe people: 不能說”a pile of people"

特定量詞一：動物

There are really specific measure words for animals: 英語里形容動物的量詞是最特定的

A school of fish: 一群魚

A flock of birds: 一群鳥

A pride of lions: 一群獅子

特定量詞二：食物

Food also has very specific measure words: 食物也有特定對應(yīng)的量詞

A piece or slice of toast: 一片面包

A loaf of bread: 一條面包 ，切片面包組成的一長條

A baguette, not a loaf of baguette: 不過法棍是個(gè)例外，直接說a baguette, 不是a loaf of baguette

A cup of coffee: 一杯咖啡

A bowl of oatmeal: 一碗麥片

A box of cereal: 一盒早餐谷物