babysit

/ˈbeɪbisɪt/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈbeɪbisɪt/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈbā-bē-ˌsit/ (ame, mw)

babysit — verb

1. to look after another family's child or baby for a few hours, usually at the fam

1.動詞及物 / 不及物B1
釋義

to look after another family's child or baby for a few hours, usually at the family's house, while the parents are away at work or out for the evening.

例句

Ines babysits her neighbor's twins every Friday evening so the parents can go out.

babysit + someone (the children directly)

Could you babysit for the Watanabe family on Saturday while they attend a wedding?

babysit for + parent name (preposition shows whose kids)

同義詞
  • mind

    British, informal: 'mind the kids' — same idea, more casual

  • watch

    American, informal: 'watch the kids for an hour' — shorter time frame implied

  • sit for

    American shortening of babysit, often with the parent's name

文法句型

babysit + someone

babysit for + parent

babysit while + clause

用法筆記

Subject is usually a teenager, neighbor, friend, or relative — not the child's own parents. The job is short-term (an evening or a few hours), not full-time childcare. Use 'babysit + child' to name the kid, or 'babysit for + parent' to name whose child it is.

常見錯誤

❌My mom babysits me every night.
✅My mom looks after me every night.
💡parents do not 'babysit' their own children; the word implies someone else's child.
❌I babysit at the kindergarten as my full-time job.
✅I work at the kindergarten as my full-time job.
💡babysitting is short and casual, not a full-time career.

2. to look after several young children inside the carer's house as a regular dayti

2.動詞不及物B2
釋義

to look after several young children inside the carer's house as a regular daytime paid job, while the kids' parents are away at work.

例句

Mrs. Alvarez babysits five toddlers in her living room from Monday to Friday.

regular weekday schedule shows it is a job

Once her son started school, Yuki began to babysit at home for extra income.

babysit at home as a paid job

同義詞
  • childmind

    British: more formal label for the same paid home-based work

  • run a daycare

    American: similar idea but suggests a registered business

文法句型

babysit (for a living)

babysit at home

用法筆記

Distinguish from sense 1: this sense is regular paid work done at the carer's own home, often for several children at once. Sense 1 is a short occasional favour or evening job, usually at the parents' house.

常見錯誤

❌She babysits at the children's house every weekday as her career.
✅She babysits at her own house every weekday.
💡for the career sense, the carer's home is the workplace, not the children's home.