town hall

IPA/ˌtaʊn ˈhɔːl/
IPA/ˌtaʊn ˈhɔːl/

town hall — noun

1. a large building where the people who run a town have their offices and where pu

1.名詞B1
釋義

a large building where the people who run a town have their offices and where public meetings are held

例句

Dario walked to the town hall to pay his parking fine in person.

go to the town hall to do official business

The town hall stands in the main square, with a tall clock above its doors.

town hall as a landmark in the town centre

同義詞
  • city hall

    used for a city rather than a smaller town, common in American English

  • municipal building

    more formal; any building owned by local government

用法筆記

Often used with 'the' as a known local landmark. Distinguish from sense 2: sense 1 is the physical building, while sense 2 is the public question-and-answer meeting.

常見錯誤

I went to town hall yesterday.
I went to the town hall yesterday.
💡in British English this building usually takes 'the'.

2. a meeting open to everyone, where a leader or official listens to people's quest

2.名詞B2
釋義

a meeting open to everyone, where a leader or official listens to people's questions and concerns and replies to them

例句

The mayor held a town hall to hear what residents thought about the new road.

hold a town hall to gather public opinion

At the town hall, Gabriela asked the senator a sharp question about school funding.

ask a question at a town hall

同義詞
  • public forum

    more formal; stresses open discussion of an issue

  • Q&A session

    narrower; focuses only on the question-and-answer part

文法句型

a town hall meeting

用法筆記

Frequently used before another noun, as in 'a town hall meeting' or 'a town hall event'. Common in American politics and, more recently, in workplaces. Distinguish from sense 1, which is the building.

常見錯誤

The mayor held a town hall meeting in the town hall.' (clumsy repeat)
The mayor held a town hall at the library.
💡sense 2 names the event, not the venue, so the meeting can happen anywhere.