chat
/tʃæt/ (bre, ipa) · /tʃæt/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈchat/ (ame, mw)
chat — verb
- chatpresent simple I / you / we / they
- chatshe / she / it
- chattedpast simple
- chatting-ing form
1. to talk with someone in a relaxed, friendly way about everyday things that are n
to talk with someone in a relaxed, friendly way about everyday things that are not serious or important
Priya and her neighbour chatted over the garden fence for nearly an hour.
chat + with + about, intransitive
The two old friends sat in the café and chatted about their grandchildren.
chat about [topic]
Tomás met Yara in the hall and they chatted a few minutes before class.
Instead of working, the office staff spent the morning chatting by the coffee machine.
Ravi loves to chat with anyone who shares his interest in old films.
- lecture
formal, one-way, and instructional rather than two-way and relaxed
文法句型
chat with someone
chat about something
chat to someone
用法筆記
Commonly followed by 'with' or 'to' before the person you are talking to, and 'about' before the topic.
常見錯誤
2. to exchange written messages with someone in real time through an internet servi
to exchange written messages with someone in real time through an internet service or a phone app, allowing immediate two-way conversation
Leila and Diego chat on WhatsApp every evening after work.
chat on [platform name]
The teacher set up a group so students could chat about homework questions online.
Hana prefers to chat by text rather than make phone calls.
During the video call, Noa chatted with colleagues in the side message window.
Kofi asked the customer service team to chat with him about his order.
- message
can include both direct/private and non-real-time messages
- instant message
more formal, often used as a noun or verb in business settings
文法句型
chat with someone on [platform]
chat online
用法筆記
Often used with the name of an app or platform: 'chat on Messenger,' 'chat in the group,' 'chat via text.' This sense usually refers to written, not spoken, communication.
常見錯誤
chat — noun
- chatsingular
- chatsplural
1. a relaxed, informal spoken conversation between two or more people, usually abou
a relaxed, informal spoken conversation between two or more people, usually about everyday subjects
Yara and I had a lovely chat over coffee this morning.
have a chat — common collocation
After walking her dog, Mei had a chat with a neighbour and felt less lonely.
The two managers had a quiet chat before the meeting started.
Aiko enjoys a good chat with her family at the dinner table every evening.
- conversation
more general; can be formal or informal, serious or light
- talk
can refer to a discussion on a specific topic, often more purposeful
- gossip
a chat about other people's private affairs, often with negative tone
- lecture
a formal, one-way speech rather than an exchange
用法筆記
Used as both a countable noun ('I had a chat') and an uncountable noun ('We had some chat about the weather'). In informal British English, 'have a chat' is a very common fixed phrase.
常見錯誤
2. a written exchange of messages that happens in real time on the internet or thro
a written exchange of messages that happens in real time on the internet or through a smartphone messaging service
The group chat about the school trip already has over fifty messages.
group chat — compound noun
Nadia had an online chat with customer service to solve the billing problem.
online chat — common collocation
The chat was moving so fast that Theo could barely keep up.
Keiko typed a quick message in the family WhatsApp group saying she was running late.
- instant message
can refer to a single message or a conversation, slightly more formal
- text conversation
emphasises that it is text-based
- direct message
specifically a private one-on-one online message
用法筆記
Often used in compound nouns: 'group chat,' 'video chat,' 'online chat,' 'chat room.' Unlike noun sense 1, this sense refers to written (not spoken) communication, though video chat includes audio.
常見錯誤
3. all the people taking part in an online text conversation, thought of as a singl
all the people taking part in an online text conversation, thought of as a single group
The whole chat voted to hold a potluck at the park on Saturday afternoon.
the chat [group] + singular verb
Our work chat has been debating the new project deadline all week long.
Aiko added three new friends to the chat about weekend travel plans.
The chat went quiet as everyone processed Tomás's surprising news.
- group
more general; does not imply an ongoing conversation
- message group
more explicit about the medium
用法筆記
This sense treats the group as a collective entity. It can take a singular verb ('the chat is') or a plural verb ('the chat are') depending on whether the focus is on the group as a whole or its individual members.