public house

IPA/ˌpʌblɪk ˈhaʊs/
IPA/ˌpʌblɪk ˈhaʊs/

public house — noun

1. in Britain, a place where alcoholic drinks are sold and drunk, often also servin

1.名詞B2
釋義

in Britain, a place where alcoholic drinks are sold and drunk, often also serving cooked food — the more formal term for a pub

例句

The village public house has been open since the 1700s.

time expression + public house: describes establishment's history

My uncle always calls it a 'public house' instead of a 'pub'.

register contrast: formal term vs. common short form

同義詞
  • pub

    the everyday short form, A2 level, used in both speech and writing

  • tavern

    more dated term, C1 level, sometimes used in historical contexts or in US English

  • bar

    more general term, A2 level, can refer to any place serving alcohol internationally

  • inn

    B2 level, a pub that also offers overnight accommodation

用法筆記

In everyday conversation British speakers almost always use the short form pub. Public house is reserved for formal writing, official signs, or legal contexts.

常見錯誤

❌I went to a public house in Chicago.
✅I went to a bar in Chicago.
💡public house is a specifically British term and sounds odd outside the UK.
❌The public house is open for breakfast.
✅The pub is open for breakfast.
💡in casual speech, use pub instead of the full formal form public house.