adopt
adopt — 動詞
1. to become the legal parent of a child whose birth parents are not yours, so that
領養；收養
透過法律程序收養他人小孩
to become the legal parent of a child whose birth parents are not yours, so that you can raise the child as your own.
Una and Priya adopted a baby girl from Vietnam after waiting nearly three years.
Una 和 Priya 等了將近三年，才從越南領養了一個女嬰。
adopt + object (child) for legal-family meaning
The Chen family decided to adopt a four-year-old boy who had grown up in foster care.
陳家決定收養一個從小在寄養家庭長大的四歲男孩。
Many couples wait years before they can legally adopt a newborn in Taiwan.
在台灣，許多夫妻得等好幾年才能合法領養一個新生兒。
Hannah was adopted at six months old and met her birth mother only last summer.
Hannah 在六個月大時被領養，直到去年夏天才見到生母。
文法句型
adopt + somebody
用法筆記
Subject is usually the new parent or family; object is the child. Often paired with the adverb 'legally' to stress the formal process. Distinguish from sense 2 (adopting an animal) — this sense applies only to children.
常見錯誤
2. to take home an animal, usually one from a shelter or the street, and care for i
認養
把流浪或收容的動物帶回家飼養
to take home an animal, usually one from a shelter or the street, and care for it as your own pet.
We adopted a black cat from the local shelter on Saturday morning.
我們週六早上從當地收容所認養了一隻黑貓。
adopt + animal + from [shelter]
Farouk wanted to adopt a rescue dog instead of buying a puppy from a pet shop.
Farouk 想認養一隻救援犬，而不是去寵物店買小狗。
collocation: adopt a rescue dog
After the typhoon, dozens of volunteers came forward to adopt stray puppies.
颱風過後，幾十位志工出面認養流浪幼犬。
The campaign 'Adopt, Don't Shop' encourages people to take animals home from shelters.
「以認養代替購買」這個活動鼓勵大家從收容所把動物帶回家。
- abandon
leave a pet behind, the opposite action
文法句型
adopt + animal
用法筆記
Object is an animal, very often paired with 'from a shelter' or 'from the street'. Distinguish from sense 1 — no legal procedure is involved here, so this sense is closer to ordinary 'take in' than to formal adoption.
常見錯誤
3. to begin to use a new way of doing something — for example, a method, a technolo
採用；採行
開始使用新的方法、做法或技術
to begin to use a new way of doing something — for example, a method, a technology, or an approach — and make it part of how you work.
Many small farms in Yilan have adopted organic methods over the past decade.
宜蘭許多小型農場在過去十年陸續採用了有機方式耕作。
adopt + method/approach
Our marketing team adopted Notion for weekly planning, and our Monday meetings are now half as long.
我們行銷團隊改用 Notion 做每週規劃後，週一開會的時間縮短了一半。
Schools across Taipei are slowly adopting AI tools to give students faster feedback.
台北各地的學校正慢慢採用 AI 工具，讓學生能更快收到回饋。
After the data leak, the company adopted stricter security practices on every server.
資料外洩之後，公司在每一台伺服器上都採用了更嚴格的資安做法。
文法句型
adopt + method/approach/technology
用法筆記
Object is usually a method, approach, technology, system, or set of practices — not a person. Often appears with adverbs like 'widely', 'quickly', or 'gradually'. Distinguish from sense 4 (formally accepting a policy or proposal by vote): this sense is about putting something into daily practice, not voting it through.
常見錯誤
4. if a group such as a parliament, council, or board adopts a proposal, law, or po
通過；採納
機構正式投票使議案或法案生效
if a group such as a parliament, council, or board adopts a proposal, law, or policy, the members vote in favour of it so that it becomes official.
The city council adopted the new noise rules after a long public hearing.
經過一場很長的公聽會，市議會通過了新的噪音規定。
adopt + rule/law/policy in a formal vote
The United Nations adopted a resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire.
聯合國通過了一項決議，呼籲立即停火。
collocation: adopt a resolution
After two hours of debate, the school budget was adopted by a vote of 27 to 4.
經過兩個小時的辯論，學校預算以 27 票對 4 票表決通過。
Parliament finally adopted the climate bill after three rounds of revision.
經過三輪修訂，國會終於通過了氣候法案。
文法句型
adopt + a resolution/policy/law
用法筆記
Subject is normally an institutional body — a council, parliament, board, committee, or assembly. Frequently appears in the passive ('was adopted by [number] votes'). Distinguish from sense 3: sense 3 is about putting something into practice, while this sense is specifically about a formal vote that turns a proposal into official policy.
常見錯誤
5. to choose a name, custom, country, or identity that did not originally belong to
採用；改用
把外來的名字、習俗或身份當作自己的
to choose a name, custom, country, or identity that did not originally belong to you, and start treating it as your own.
When she moved to Tokyo, Sara adopted the Japanese name Sakura for her work emails.
搬到東京後，Sara 在工作信件裡改用「櫻」這個日文名字。
adopt + a new name
His grandfather adopted Canadian citizenship in 1972 and never looked back.
他的祖父在 1972 年取得加拿大國籍，從此沒再回頭。
collocation: adopt citizenship
The Taipei rock band Mayday adopted a short Latin motto for their new album cover.
台北搖滾樂團五月天為新專輯封面採用了一句簡短的拉丁文格言。
Many young directors have adopted Wong Kar-wai's slow, dreamy style as their own.
許多年輕導演把王家衛那種緩慢、夢幻的風格當成自己的來用。
文法句型
adopt + name/custom/identity
用法筆記
Object is typically a name, identity, custom, citizenship, or visible style. The thing adopted clearly originates elsewhere, which is what separates this sense from sense 3 (a method or technology, where origin is less central).
常見錯誤
6. to start showing a particular attitude, tone, or manner, especially because you
擺出；表現出
刻意顯露某種態度、語氣或姿態
to start showing a particular attitude, tone, or manner, especially because you have decided to.
Throughout the press conference, the minister adopted a calm and patient tone.
整場記者會上，部長都表現出冷靜、有耐心的語氣。
adopt + tone/attitude
Yael adopted a more serious manner the moment his boss walked in.
老闆一走進來，Yael 立刻擺出比較嚴肅的態度。
The teacher adopted a friendly attitude so the new students would feel safe asking questions.
老師擺出親切的態度，讓新生敢開口提問。
When questioned by reporters, the senator adopted the position that she had nothing to hide.
面對記者追問，那位參議員採取「自己沒有任何事情需要隱瞞」的立場。
- drop
stop using a particular tone or manner
文法句型
adopt + attitude/tone/manner
用法筆記
Object describes how the subject behaves or speaks: 'tone', 'attitude', 'manner', 'stance', 'position'. Implies a deliberate choice — this is what separates it from simply 'be' or 'feel'. Often signals that the behaviour is for a particular audience or moment.
常見錯誤
7. to give regular money or help to a thing such as a road, a zoo animal, or a scho
認養；贊助
出資長期支持某物以掛名贊助
to give regular money or help to a thing such as a road, a zoo animal, or a school class, in return for being named as its sponsor.
A local bakery adopted the small park near our office and pays for new flowers each spring.
辦公室附近的小公園被一家在地烘焙坊認養，每年春天都由他們出錢買新花。
adopt + place/section as a sponsor
Visitors can adopt a giraffe at Taipei Zoo for a yearly fee that supports its food and care.
民眾可以年費認養台北動物園的長頸鹿，費用用來支應牠的飲食與照護。
collocation: adopt an animal at a zoo
Several companies have adopted sections of the highway and put up small signs by the road.
好幾家公司認養了高速公路的部分路段，並在路邊立起小招牌。
Our bookstore adopted a classroom in Hualien and sends new picture books every term.
我們書店認養了花蓮的一間教室，每學期都寄新的繪本過去。
- sponsor
very close meaning; the most common everyday alternative
文法句型
adopt + a road/animal/area
用法筆記
Common in fundraising contexts ('Adopt-a-Highway', 'adopt an animal'). The subject keeps the thing where it is and only sponsors it — nothing is taken into the home, which separates this sense from senses 1, 2, and 5.