kiwis
kiwis — noun
- kiwissingular
- kiwisesplural
1. A small oval fruit whose brown skin is covered in fine hairs and whose inside is
A small oval fruit whose brown skin is covered in fine hairs and whose inside is bright green with a ring of tiny black seeds.
The grocer stacked the kiwis in a wooden crate near the front door.
stacked the kiwis — common verb collocation for displaying fruit
For a quick breakfast, Yuki sliced two kiwis and stirred them into her yogurt.
sliced two kiwis — typical preparation verb
A ripe kiwi feels slightly soft when you press it gently with your thumb.
The green smoothie was made from kiwis, spinach, a banana, and orange juice.
At the night market near her apartment, Manuela bought a bag of kiwis and ate two on the walk home.
- kiwifruit
Full formal name, used more in writing than in casual speech
- Chinese gooseberry
Older name from the fruit's origin; now very rare in everyday use
文法句型
kiwi(s) + verb
a/the kiwi
kiwis as subject/object
常見錯誤
2. A protected animal found only in New Zealand, covered in hairlike feathers inste
A protected animal found only in New Zealand, covered in hairlike feathers instead of normal plumage, with a long narrow beak and wings too small for flying. It serves as the country's national emblem and appears on its coins and official logos.
Using its long beak, the kiwi probes the soil for worms and insects at night.
probe the soil with its beak — describing the bird's feeding behaviour
At the wildlife sanctuary, Sofia watched a kiwi shuffle along the enclosure floor.
New Zealand's one-dollar coin has a picture of a kiwi on one side.
The zookeeper explained that kiwis have nostrils at the tip of their beaks.
Because kiwis cannot fly, they are easy targets for introduced predators like stoats.
- apteryx
Scientific genus name; almost never used outside biology texts
文法句型
a/the kiwi
kiwis + verb
用法筆記
Often used in conservation contexts. The kiwi is a symbol of New Zealand's unique wildlife and is protected by law. 'Kiwi' (uncapitalised) can refer to the bird, but when used as a national emblem it is often capitalised.
常見錯誤
3. Someone whose home is in New Zealand. This friendly, informal label is widely us
Someone whose home is in New Zealand. This friendly, informal label is widely used by New Zealanders to describe themselves.
Emma met a cheerful kiwi who offered to show her around the city of Wellington.
cheerful kiwi — adjective + demonym collocation
The cafe was opened by two young kiwis who moved to Taipei to study Mandarin.
At the hostel, some kiwis invited Diego on a South Island road trip.
The rugby team, all kiwis, ran onto the field as the crowd cheered.
Nicholas, a Kiwi from Christchurch, helped Salma change a flat tyre on the roadside near Kaikōura.
- New Zealander
The formal and neutral term; 'Kiwi' is the friendly, informal version
文法句型
a kiwi / kiwis + verb
Kiwi as demonym
用法筆記
When referring to people, 'kiwi' is usually capitalised ('a Kiwi', 'the Kiwis') but many New Zealanders also write it in lowercase informally. It is considered friendly and inoffensive — unlike many national nicknames, New Zealanders widely embrace it.
常見錯誤
❌ 'She is a kiwi woman.' (with lowercase k) — Both capitalised and lowercase forms are used, but for people, capitalised 'Kiwi' is more standard in writing.
❌ 'Kiwi can mean the fruit or the person.' — Yes, but context usually makes the meaning clear. When speaking about people, the word is often capitalised to avoid confusion with the fruit.
kiwis — adjective
- kiwispositive
- more kiwiscomparative
- most kiwissuperlative
1. Connected with New Zealand or its people, culture, products, or way of life.
Connected with New Zealand or its people, culture, products, or way of life.
Elena fell in love with the Kiwi accent after spending a summer in Auckland.
Kiwi accent — common attributive pattern
The shop sold Kiwi wool sweaters, honey, and hand-carved wooden jewellery.
Amara ordered a flat white coffee at a small Kiwi cafe in the city centre.
The festival featured Kiwi films, live music, and traditional Maori dance performances.
Wei tried a Kiwi meat pie for the first time and thought it was delicious.
- New Zealand
Standard attributive adjective ('New Zealand wine'), used in formal writing instead of 'Kiwi'
文法句型
Kiwi + noun
用法筆記
Used before nouns to describe things that come from or are typical of New Zealand. Unlike the noun senses, the adjective is most often spelled with a capital K ('Kiwi') to show it is a proper adjective derived from the national nickname.
常見錯誤
❌ 'I bought a kiwi wool scarf.' — When describing something as being from New Zealand, the capitalised form 'Kiwi' is preferred to avoid confusion with the fruit.
❌ 'Kiwi is a fun adjective.' — Yes, but it is only used before a noun; you do not say 'This food is very kiwi.'