decode

/diːˈkəʊd/ (bre, ipa) · /diːˈkəʊd/ (ame, ipa) · /(ˌ)dē-ˈkōd/ (ame, mw)

decode — verb

  • decodepresent simple I / you / we / they
  • decodeshe / she / it
  • decodedpast simple
  • decoding-ing form

1. to turn a message that has been written using a secret set of symbols or letters

1.動詞及物B2
釋義

to turn a message that has been written using a secret set of symbols or letters back into ordinary text that can be easily read and understood.

例句

During the war, the team worked all night to decode the enemy's secret radio messages.

decode + noun phrase (radio messages)

Mei-Lin used the key she found in the old book to decode her great-aunt's coded diary entries.

同義詞
  • decipher

    more about working out the meaning of something hard to read or understand, not necessarily in code; 'decode' is more technical

  • crack

    informal, suggests breaking a code or puzzle through effort; 'crack the code' is a fixed phrase

  • decrypt

    specifically about converting encrypted (scrambled) data back to original form using a key

反義詞
  • encode

    to convert ordinary text into a secret code

  • encrypt

    to scramble data so that only authorised parties can read it

文法句型

decode + noun phrase (message/code/signal)

be decoded + into + noun phrase

用法筆記

Frequently used with 'encrypted', 'coded', or 'secret' before the object noun. The passive form is common when describing the message itself rather than the person decoding it: 'The message was decoded by the intelligence team.' Distinguish from sense 2 (foreign language) where no secret code is involved — the information is just in an unfamiliar language.

常見錯誤

❌He decoded the Spanish poem on the first try.' (when he just read it in Spanish)
✅He translated the Spanish poem on the first try.
💡'decode' for foreign language sense (sense 2) implies active effort to work out meaning, not fluent reading.
❌The computer decoded the encrypted files into plain text.
✅The computer decrypted the encrypted files into plain text.
💡If the files were encrypted (not just encoded), 'decrypt' is more precise; 'decode' covers the conversion from code to readable form.

2. to work out the meaning of a foreign word or phrase by using the vocabulary and

2.動詞及物B2
釋義

to work out the meaning of a foreign word or phrase by using the vocabulary and grammar rules you have learned.

例句

Samira opened a translation app on her phone to decode the Korean street signs while travelling in Seoul.

to decode + noun phrase (Korean street signs) — foreign language context

The translator paused to decode the archaic French expression that appeared in the 18th-century letter.

同義詞
  • decipher

    broader — can mean working out any kind of unclear writing, not just a foreign language

  • make out

    phrasal verb, more informal; suggests straining to see or hear clearly

  • figure out

    informal; general problem-solving, not specific to language

文法句型

decode + noun phrase (word/phrase/language/text)

decode + what/how/why clause

用法筆記

Object is typically a foreign-language word, phrase, text, or expression you encounter while reading or listening. Unlike sense 1 (CRACK CODE), there is no deliberate secrecy — the difficulty comes from lack of fluency. Use 'translate' when the output is in the reader's own language; use 'decode' when the reader is still figuring out the basic meaning within the original language.

常見錯誤

❌She decoded the French menu into English for her friend.
✅She translated the French menu into English for her friend.
💡'decode' keeps you inside the foreign language; 'translate' moves between languages.
❌He decoded the novel from cover to cover in one weekend.
✅He read the novel from cover to cover in one weekend.
💡if you understood it fluently without effort, 'decode' is the wrong word.

3. to change a stream of electronic information into a form that a computer, televi

3.動詞及物B2
釋義

to change a stream of electronic information into a form that a computer, television, or other device can use, such as sounds, pictures, or readable text.

例句

The set-top box decodes the digital television signal and shows the programme on the screen.

technical object: digital television signal

Kenji installed a new software library that can decode video files from the office security cameras.

同義詞
  • convert

    more general; 'decode' implies reversing an encoding process

  • interpret

    less technical; can suggest making sense of raw data

  • demodulate

    highly technical; the electronic process of extracting a signal from a carrier wave

反義詞
  • encode

    to convert audio/video data into a format suitable for transmission or storage

  • compress

    to reduce file size, often part of the encoding process

文法句型

decode + noun phrase (signal/data/broadcast/stream)

be decoded + into + noun phrase

decode + audio/video/digital + noun phrase

用法筆記

Subject is often a device, software, or system rather than a person. The object is almost always a technical signal type (digital signal, video stream, audio data, broadcast, transmission). The antonym in this sense is 'encode' — converting a signal into a transmittable form. Do not confuse with 'decrypt', which specifically refers to reversing encryption (scrambling that requires a key).

常見錯誤

❌This phone cannot decode the encrypted photo.
✅This phone cannot decrypt the encrypted photo.
💡If the data was encrypted (scrambled for security), use 'decrypt'. 'Decode' applies when the signal is merely compressed or formatted, not scrambled.
❌The old radio cannot decode the pirate broadcast.
✅The old radio cannot receive the pirate broadcast.
💡'decode' is about signal format conversion, not about picking up a transmission.