abcs

abcs — noun

1. The complete set of letters from A to Z used in written English, or the earliest

1.名詞A2
釋義

The complete set of letters from A to Z used in written English, or the earliest skills a child learns when starting to read and write.

例句

Emma learned her ABCs before she started kindergarten.

learn + possessive + ABCs — common literacy pattern

The teacher pointed to each letter while the whole class sang the ABCs together.

同義詞
  • alphabet

    More formal; 'alphabet' can refer to any letter system (Greek, Russian), while 'ABCs' is specific to English.

  • letters

    Refers to individual written characters rather than the complete set as a system.

文法句型

the ABCs

learn/know/teach + possessive + ABCs

用法筆記

Often appears with a possessive pronoun (one's ABCs) when talking about an individual's learning. Written in capitals (ABCs) even when the word is not a proper noun.

常見錯誤

I know my abcs from A to Z.
I know my ABCs from A to Z.
💡The word is almost always written in capitals even in ordinary text.

2. The most important simple facts or skills that you need to know first when you b

2.名詞B1
釋義

The most important simple facts or skills that you need to know first when you begin learning a subject or doing an activity.

例句

The book teaches the ABCs of investing for young adults.

the ABCs of [subject] — standard pattern

Before you bake bread, you need to learn the ABCs of working with yeast.

同義詞
  • basics

    The closest synonym; 'basics' is slightly more neutral, while 'ABCs' has a friendly, informal tone.

  • fundamentals

    More formal than 'ABCs' and implies a foundation that everything else depends on.

  • essentials

    Focuses on what is truly necessary rather than the simplest starting points.

反義詞

文法句型

the ABCs of + [subject/field]

用法筆記

Almost always used with 'the' before 'ABCs' and 'of' after it, followed by the name of the field. Common in book titles and course names ('The ABCs of Gardening').

常見錯誤

I need to learn investment ABCs.
I need to learn the ABCs of investing.
💡Requires 'the' before 'ABCs' and 'of' before the topic.