import
/ɪmˈpɔːt/ (bre, ipa) · /ɪmˈpɔːrt/ (ame, ipa) · /im-ˈpȯrt ˈim-ˌpȯrt/ (ame, mw) · /ˈɪmpɔːt/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈɪmpɔːrt/ (ame, ipa)
import — verb
- importpresent simple I / you / we / they
- imports3rd person singular
- importing-ing form
- importedpast simple
1. to buy products or goods that come from another country and bring them into your
to buy products or goods that come from another country and bring them into your country, usually to sell them
Japan imports most of its oil from countries in the Middle East.
import + from + [country/region]
Cheese that is imported from France often costs more than the locally made kind.
To import machinery without paying the full tax, you need a government permit.
The company decided to import fabric from India instead of buying from local suppliers.
Darius showed us that importing steel from overseas can reduce production costs.
- bring in
less formal, everyday language
- buy from abroad
focuses on the purchasing step rather than transportation
- export
to send goods out of your country to other countries
文法句型
import + noun phrase + from + [country/place]
be imported + from + [country/place]
常見錯誤
2. to bring a custom, idea, fashion, or way of doing things from one country or cul
to bring a custom, idea, fashion, or way of doing things from one country or culture into another, where it was not common before
The custom of drinking afternoon tea was imported from Britain into many former colonies.
passive: be imported from… into…
Heloísa's grandfather imported his traditional cooking methods when he moved to Brazil.
The company tried to import the Japanese practice of morning meetings into its offices.
Schools in the region imported new teaching methods from Finland to improve student results.
- introduce
more general, does not emphasise the foreign origin as strongly
- bring over
informal, common in conversation
- export
to send practices or ideas out of one culture to others
文法句型
import + noun phrase + from + [place] + into + [place]
be imported from + [country/culture] + into + [country/culture]
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1 (IMPORT GOODS): sense 1 is limited to buying and selling physical products for trade; sense 2 extends to ideas, traditions, practices, and customs that are brought into a culture. Commonly used in the passive voice.
常見錯誤
3. to load or transfer data from one computer system, program, or file into a diffe
to load or transfer data from one computer system, program, or file into a different one so that it can be read or used there
Quan imported the photos from his camera into the editing software on his laptop.
import + [data] + from + [device] + into + [program]
The program can import data from a spreadsheet and turn it into a chart.
Before you begin editing, you need to import the font files into the design tool.
Yael showed everyone how to import contacts from the old phone to the new one.
This software cannot import documents that were saved in the older file format.
- export
the opposite direction — to send data out of a program or system
文法句型
import + noun phrase + from + [device/program] + into/to + [device/program]
常見錯誤
4. to carry a particular meaning or to suggest something beyond the surface level;
to carry a particular meaning or to suggest something beyond the surface level; to imply or indicate
The ambassador's careful words imported a warning that the talks could fail.
formal: subject + import + that-clause
Christopher's silence did not import agreement; he was still weighing the arguments.
What does this sudden change in leadership import for the future of the university?
The professor's measured tone imported more meaning than the words themselves carried.
文法句型
[abstract noun] + import + [abstract noun]
[abstract noun] + import + that-clause
用法筆記
Restricted to formal, literary, or rhetorical contexts. Does not occur in everyday conversation. The subject is typically an abstract noun (silence, tone, words, change, news).
常見錯誤
import — noun
- importsingular
- importsplural
1. products or goods that one country receives from another country, usually so tha
products or goods that one country receives from another country, usually so that they can be sold
The country's imports of machinery and electronics increased sharply last year.
imports of [product type]
Cheaper imports from overseas have hurt the local furniture-making industry.
The government placed new taxes on foreign imports to protect local farmers.
Japan's main imports include oil, coal, and natural gas from several countries.
Most of the fruit in this shop is an import from a warmer country.
- foreign goods
describes the origin rather than the action of bringing in
- overseas products
focuses on the source location
- exports
goods sent out of a country for sale elsewhere
文法句型
[country]'s imports + of + [product type]
imports + from + [country/region]
用法筆記
Usually used in the plural (imports) when referring to goods as a category. The singular (an import) refers to one specific product or type of product brought from abroad.
常見錯誤
2. the activity or process of bringing products, fashions, or services into a count
the activity or process of bringing products, fashions, or services into a country from abroad
The import of foreign cars was banned during the trade dispute.
the import of [goods] — uncountable action noun
Adisa works in the import and export department of a large trading company.
New rules for the import of food products have made the inspection much stricter.
The sudden ban on the import of steel parts caused problems for local manufacturers.
- importation
more formal, less common in everyday speech
- export
the activity of sending goods out of a country
- exportation
formal equivalent
文法句型
the import of + [goods/product type]
用法筆記
Uncountable — describes the activity rather than the physical products. Distinguish from sense 1 (FOREIGN GOODS): sense 1 refers to the actual products; sense 2 refers to the action or process of bringing them in.
3. the quality of being important or significant; the hidden or deeper meaning of s
the quality of being important or significant; the hidden or deeper meaning of something that is not stated directly
The peace agreement was an event of great historical import for the region.
of great/little/no import — formal fixed phrase
Kabir did not fully understand the import of the lawyer's warning until later.
Matters of national import should be discussed openly in the parliament.
The import of her speech became clear only after the results were announced.
- significance
more common and less formal
- meaning
focuses on the message rather than the weight
- consequence
emphasises the impact or result
- insignificance
the state of being unimportant
文法句型
of great/little/no import
the import of + [noun phrase]
用法筆記
Uncountable noun used in formal writing and speeches. Most commonly appears in the fixed phrases 'of great import', 'of little import', 'of no import'. The adjective 'important' is far more common in everyday language for expressing the same idea.