affair
affair — noun
1. a particular topic, problem, or situation that someone is thinking about, workin
a particular topic, problem, or situation that someone is thinking about, working on, or has to handle.
The minister called the strike a serious affair that needed quick action.
adjective + affair (serious / urgent / private)
Maria told her brother that her divorce was her own affair.
possessive + own + affair (= someone's responsibility)
Choosing a school for the twins became a long, stressful affair for the Lin family.
The mayor said pollution was a local affair, not a national one.
Aunt Rosa believed that money should never be a family affair at the dinner table.
文法句型
affair + of + noun
the + adjective + affair
用法筆記
Often paired with an adjective that classifies the matter (private, family, local, personal, internal, simple, complicated). Distinguish from sense 2: here the matter is neutral; in sense 2 it carries scandal or strong public reaction.
常見錯誤
2. a public event or series of actions, often involving wrongdoing by people in pow
a public event or series of actions, often involving wrongdoing by people in power, that shocks or angers many people.
The Watergate affair forced President Nixon to leave office in 1974.
the + proper-noun + affair (named scandal)
Reporters in Taipei kept digging until the bribery affair reached the front page.
noun + affair (bribery / spying / corruption)
The whole affair embarrassed the company and cost the chairman his job.
Voters were still angry about the cash-for-votes affair months after the election.
- scandal
stronger and more direct; focuses on moral outrage
- controversy
stresses public disagreement rather than wrongdoing
- case
more neutral; common in legal or media contexts
文法句型
the + proper-noun + affair
用法筆記
Usually preceded by 'the' plus a name or topic (the Dreyfus affair, the doping affair). Often appears with verbs of investigation and reaction: 'investigate', 'cover up', 'expose', 'be rocked by'.
常見錯誤
3. a romantic or sexual connection, often kept secret, between two people when at l
a romantic or sexual connection, often kept secret, between two people when at least one of them is already married to or partnered with someone else.
Daniel ended his marriage after his wife discovered the affair with her colleague.
discover / end / confess + an affair
Sophie had a brief affair with a photographer she met in Paris.
have + a + adj + affair (with someone)
Rumours of an affair between the senator and his secretary spread quickly through the office.
The novel tells the story of a love affair that lasts only one summer.
- marriage
official, public partnership rather than a hidden one
文法句型
have an affair (with someone)
用法筆記
Almost always implies secrecy, infidelity, or short duration. Use 'have an affair (with)' for the verb pattern. The compound 'love affair' can also describe a strong but temporary enthusiasm for something non-human (e.g. 'her love affair with jazz').
常見錯誤
4. an organised social occasion or gathering, usually labelled by an adjective such
an organised social occasion or gathering, usually labelled by an adjective such as elegant, quiet, glamorous, or dull.
The wedding was a small affair held in a garden behind the church.
a small / quiet / grand affair (describing an event)
Mrs. Chen hosts a charity dinner every spring; it is always a glamorous affair.
a glamorous / formal affair
The end-of-year party turned out to be a dull affair with no music or dancing.
Graduation in this town is a low-key affair, just coffee and short speeches.
文法句型
a + adjective + affair
用法筆記
Almost always takes a descriptive adjective immediately before it (small, grand, formal, casual, low-key, glamorous, dull). Without that adjective, 'affair' rarely means 'social event'.
常見錯誤
5. an object of an unusual or hard-to-describe kind, named loosely by its appearanc
an object of an unusual or hard-to-describe kind, named loosely by its appearance or how it works.
Her hat was an enormous affair covered in feathers and silk roses.
a + adj + affair (loose label for an object)
Grandfather pulled out a strange wooden affair that looked half radio, half clock.
a strange / odd / curious affair
The coffee machine in our office is a noisy metal affair from the 1980s.
Lucas built the kite from bamboo sticks; the finished thing was a wobbly paper affair.
- thing
much more neutral and far more common in this loose sense
- contraption
informal; suggests a complicated, odd-looking machine
- gadget
informal; usually a small useful device
文法句型
a + adjective + affair (= object)
用法筆記
Informal and slightly humorous. The speaker uses 'affair' because they cannot or do not want to give the object a precise name. Almost always preceded by an adjective that describes size, material, or appearance.