essentials

essentials — noun

1. the basic things, such as food, clothes, or tools, that you must have to live, t

1.名詞B1
釋義

the basic things, such as food, clothes, or tools, that you must have to live, travel, or do a job properly

例句

Adina packed only the essentials for the overnight train to Kaohsiung.

the essentials for + trip/task

After the storm, volunteers delivered water, rice, and other essentials to the village.

essentials in an emergency-relief context

同義詞
  • necessities

    slightly more formal and often broader, covering needs in life as well as concrete items

  • basics

    emphasises the minimum acceptable set, but can also refer to simple skills or facts

  • supplies

    focuses more on stored materials for a task, trip, or emergency

反義詞
  • luxuries

    pleasant extras that are not necessary

  • extras

    additional things beyond the minimum you need

文法句型

the essentials

the bare essentials

essentials for + task/place

用法筆記

Usually used in the plural to mean the minimum set of things needed for daily life, travel, or a task. Common modifiers include 'bare', 'daily', 'travel', and 'emergency'.

常見錯誤

❌We only took the essential for the hike.
✅We only took the essentials for the hike.
💡this meaning usually appears in the plural because it refers to a set of necessary things.
❌The essentials is in the blue box.
✅The essentials are in the blue box.
💡'essentials' is a plural noun, so it takes a plural verb.

2. the main facts, ideas, or features of a subject after less important details hav

2.名詞B2
釋義

the main facts, ideas, or features of a subject after less important details have been left out

例句

Christopher explained the essentials of the tax plan in ten calm minutes.

the essentials of + subject

The guidebook gives travellers the essentials of local train travel.

同義詞
  • basics

    the everyday choice for the simplest important points, often in learning contexts

  • fundamentals

    more formal and often used for principles or skills that form a foundation

  • core points

    plain English phrase that stresses the most important ideas in a summary

反義詞
  • details

    smaller pieces of information that are not central

  • extras

    information added beyond the main points

文法句型

the essentials of + subject

reduce something to the essentials

cover / explain / understand the essentials

用法筆記

Usually follows verbs like 'cover', 'explain', 'know', or 'reduce', and it is often followed by 'of' plus the topic. Distinguish from sense 1, which refers to physical things you need rather than the key points of a subject.

常見錯誤

❌The teacher explained the essentials about grammar.
✅The teacher explained the essentials of grammar.
💡use 'of' after 'essentials' when naming the subject.