acquaintance

acquaintance — 名詞

1. a person you have met, but do not know well enough to call a friend — for exampl

1.名詞B1
釋義

泛泛之交

見過面但不熟的人

a person you have met, but do not know well enough to call a friend — for example, someone you talk to at work or see at a social event a few times.

例句

Amara invited several acquaintances from her yoga class to the birthday party.

Amara 從她的瑜珈課邀請了幾位認識的人來參加生日派對。

collocation: acquaintance from [place/class]

Diego is just an acquaintance — I have only talked to him twice at conferences.

Diego 只是泛泛之交——我只在會議上跟他講過兩次話。

collocation: just an acquaintance

同義詞
  • associate

    emphasizes a work or business connection, not necessarily a personal one

  • contact

    more casual; can mean someone you know only through a professional network

反義詞
  • close friend

    someone you know very well and trust deeply; the opposite degree of closeness

文法句型

acquaintance + from/in/at [place]

用法筆記

Countable. Often modified by old, mutual, or casual to describe the kind of relationship (e.g. an old acquaintance from college, a mutual acquaintance introduced us).

常見錯誤

❌She is my acquaintance.
✅She is an acquaintance of mine.
💡Acquaintance is usually introduced by an article or determiner; it does not behave like 'friend' in possessive structures.

2. used in a small set of fixed phrases that refer to first contact with a person,

2.名詞B2
釋義

初次相識

描述認識、會面等固定用法

used in a small set of fixed phrases that refer to first contact with a person, a slight level of knowledge, or the act of getting to know someone.

例句

It is a great pleasure to make your acquaintance, Professor Amara Okafor.

很榮幸認識您，Amara Okafor 教授。

fixed expression: make someone's acquaintance

On first acquaintance, Lucia seemed quiet, but she was actually very friendly.

初次相識時，Lucia 顯得很安靜，但其實她非常友善。

fixed expression: on first acquaintance

文法句型

make the acquaintance of [someone]

on first acquaintance

[someone] of your acquaintance

have a passing acquaintance with

用法筆記

This sense only appears in a few fixed patterns. Make the acquaintance of... (or make someone's acquaintance) means 'meet someone for the first time'. On first acquaintance means 'when you first meet someone'. A passing acquaintance with something means 'a small amount of knowledge about it'. These phrases are moderately formal; in everyday speech, learners can use meet or know instead.

常見錯誤

❌I made an acquaintance with him yesterday.
✅I made his acquaintance yesterday.' or ✅ 'I made the acquaintance of his brother.
💡The object of make the acquaintance of must be the person being met, or use a possessive: make + [person] + 's acquaintance.

3. a small amount of knowledge or experience of a subject, not enough to be conside

3.名詞B2
釋義

粗淺的知識

對某主題僅有少許了解

a small amount of knowledge or experience of a subject, not enough to be considered deep or expert.

例句

Emma picked up a practical acquaintance with car repairs while helping her uncle in his garage.

Emma 在幫叔叔修車廠的忙時，學到了一些汽車修理的實用知識。

collocation: acquaintance with [subject]

Omar has a nodding acquaintance with Korean history from the documentaries he watches.

Omar 從他看的紀錄片中對韓國歷史有了粗淺的了解。

collocation: nodding acquaintance (means very slight)

同義詞
  • familiarity

    slightly stronger and more neutral; can range from casual to expert

  • knowledge

    broader and more general; does not imply the 'slight' quality that acquaintance carries

反義詞
  • expertise

    deep, specialist knowledge of a subject

文法句型

[have] an acquaintance with [subject]

用法筆記

Uncountable. Often used with a — a passing acquaintance, a nodding acquaintance, a practical acquaintance — to indicate the type or depth of knowledge. The phrase a nodding acquaintance with sounds slightly old-fashioned but is still used in formal writing.

常見錯誤

❌I have acquaintance of French literature.
✅I have an acquaintance with French literature.
💡The correct preposition is with, not of, and the noun usually takes an article (a/an).

4. the state of knowing someone slightly, without the closeness or trust of a frien

4.名詞B2
釋義

點頭之交

彼此認識但不親密的關係

the state of knowing someone slightly, without the closeness or trust of a friendship — the relationship itself, not the person.

例句

Zanele and Sofia's acquaintance began when they shared a taxi during a sudden rainstorm.

Zanele 和 Sofia 的相識始於一場突然的暴風雨中合搭一輛計程車。

collocation: acquaintance began/started

After years of casual acquaintance, Yuna and Kofi finally decided to start a business together.

經過多年的點頭之交，Yuna 和 Kofi 終於決定一起創業。

collocation: casual acquaintance (state/relationship)

同義詞
  • familiarity

    can refer to knowledge of a person, but often sounds more distant or formal

  • association

    emphasises the connection itself, often in a work or professional context

反義詞
  • friendship

    a closer, warmer relationship with mutual trust and affection

文法句型

acquaintance between [people]

acquaintance with [person]

用法筆記

Usually uncountable when it refers to the general state (e.g. a relationship of casual acquaintance). It can be used with a when describing a specific connection (e.g. strike up an acquaintance, renew an acquaintance). Distinguish from sense 1 (NOT CLOSE FRIEND): sense 1 names a person; sense 4 names the tie between people.

常見錯誤

❌We have acquaintance for two years.
✅We have been acquainted for two years.' or ✅ 'Our acquaintance goes back two years.
💡Use the adjective acquainted or the noun phrase our acquaintance; do not use have acquaintance as a verb-like phrase.