age
/eɪdʒ/ (bre, ipa) · [ˈedʒ] /eɪdʒ/ (ame, ipa) · [ˈedʒ] /ˈāj/ (ame, mw)
age — 動詞
- agepresent simple I / you / we / they
- ages3rd person singular
- aging-ing form
- agedpast simple
1. to become older as time passes, or to make someone or something look or seem mor
變老；顯老
隨時間變老或使人顯老
to become older as time passes, or to make someone or something look or seem more mature or worn through the effect of time.
Imran's grandmother has aged a lot since she broke her hip last winter.
Imran 的祖母去年冬天摔傷髖部後，看起來老了很多。
intransitive: person + age + [amount]
The leather jacket was aged on purpose to give it a worn, old look.
這件皮夾克是故意做舊的，以營造出磨損復古的外觀。
passive: be aged + [purpose/result]
Stress can age a person faster than the passing years.
壓力比歲月流逝更容易讓人顯老。
As people age, their skin becomes thinner and more easily damaged.
隨著人們變老，皮膚會變薄，也更容易受損。
Beatrix's father aged well, keeping his energy and good humour into his eighties.
Beatrix 的父親老得很體面，到八十多歲仍精力充沛、幽默風趣。
- rejuvenate
means to make someone feel or look younger, the opposite effect
文法句型
age + (adverb)
age + person/thing (transitive)
be aged (passive)
用法筆記
Commonly paired with adverbs such as well, badly, gracefully, or rapidly to describe the quality or speed of the change. In American English the present participle is spelled aging; in British English it is ageing.
常見錯誤
2. to leave something such as wine, cheese, or wood in suitable conditions so that
陳化；熟成
存放以改善風味或品質
to leave something such as wine, cheese, or wood in suitable conditions so that its flavour, texture, or quality improves over time.
This winery ages its red wine in oak barrels for at least three years.
這家酒莊的紅酒在橡木桶中至少陳化三年。
transitive pattern: [producer] ages [product] in [container]
The cheese was aged in a cool cave for six months before being sold.
這種乳酪在涼爽的洞穴中熟成了六個月才出售。
passive: be aged in [place] for [time]
Some types of vinegar age better in wooden containers than in steel tanks.
有些醋在木製容器中陳化，效果比在鋼槽中更好。
The local cheese-makers age their cheddar for up to two years to give it a strong taste.
當地的起司製造商將切達乾酪熟成長達兩年，使其風味濃郁。
The carpenter let the oak planks age naturally before using them to make furniture.
木匠讓橡木板自然乾燥熟成，然後才用來做家具。
文法句型
age [product] in [container/place]
age for [time period]
be aged (passive)
用法筆記
Typically describes a deliberate, controlled process for improving wine, cheese, spirits, tobacco, or wood. The transitive form often states the container (in barrels, in a cave) or the duration (for two years, for six months).
age — 名詞
- agesingular
- agesplural
1. The measure of how old a person or thing is, based on how many years have passed
年齡
某人或某物存在的年數
The measure of how old a person or thing is, based on how many years have passed since their birth or its creation.
Astrid started playing the violin at the age of six.
Astrid 在六歲的時候開始學小提琴。
You can tell the age of a tree by counting its rings.
你可以透過數樹的年輪來判斷樹的年齡。
countable: the age of [object]
The building's age was estimated at over two hundred years.
這棟建築物的年齡估計超過兩百年。
Children usually start school around the age of five in most countries.
在多數國家，兒童大約在五歲左右開始上學。
文法句型
at the age of [number]
under/over the age of [number]
用法筆記
Frequently used with possessive determiners (his age, their age) and in the pattern "at the age of + number".
常見錯誤
2. A phrase used to tell someone, especially a child or teenager, that their behavi
成熟點
提醒某人行為要符合年齡
A phrase used to tell someone, especially a child or teenager, that their behaviour is too childish and they should behave more maturely for their age.
Stop throwing food and act your age, Arjun.
不要再亂丟食物了，Arjun，表現成熟一點。
imperative: act your age
The teacher told the teenagers to act their age after they started giggling during the exam.
老師叫那些青少年要表現成熟，因為他們在考試時一直偷笑。
You are fifteen years old — it is time to act your age and take responsibility.
你已經十五歲了——該表現得像個大人，負起責任了。
His grandmother told him to act his age instead of sulking like a child.
他的奶奶叫他別像個孩子一樣賭氣，要表現得成熟點。
文法句型
act your age
act + possessive + age
用法筆記
Almost always used as an imperative or reported command. The possessive matches the subject: act your age, act his age, act their age.
常見錯誤
3. The minimum age set by law at which a person can legally give permission for sex
同意年齡
法律允許性行為的最低年齡
The minimum age set by law at which a person can legally give permission for sex.
The age of consent in Japan was raised from thirteen to sixteen.
日本的法定性同意年齡從十三歲提高到十六歲。
Different countries have different ages of consent, usually between fourteen and eighteen.
不同國家有不同的性同意年齡，通常在十四到十八歲之間。
plural: ages of consent
Activists in several states are campaigning to change the age of consent laws.
好幾個州的倡議人士正在推動修改性同意年齡的法律。
Travelers should check the age of consent before visiting a foreign country.
旅客在前往外國前應先查詢該國的性同意年齡。
- legal age
broader term that covers any age-based legal right, such as drinking or voting
文法句型
the age of consent
age of consent laws
用法筆記
Nearly always used as a fixed phrase 'age of consent'. Not used for other types of consent such as medical or contractual consent.
常見錯誤
4. A named stretch of time in the past, present, or in someone's life, defined by s
時代
有特定特徵的歷史或人生階段
A named stretch of time in the past, present, or in someone's life, defined by specific features, events, or technologies.
We are living in the digital age, where information travels instantly around the world.
我們生活在數位時代，資訊瞬間傳遍世界各地。
pattern: the [adjective] age
The Stone Age ended when humans learned to work with metal.
石器時代在人類學會使用金屬後結束。
Tariq often heard his grandmother speak of the age before smartphones.
Tariq 經常聽祖母說起智慧型手機發明前的時代。
Many people look back on their college years as a special age in their lives.
很多人回顧大學時期時，覺得那是人生中一段特別的時光。
文法句型
the [adjective] age
the age of [noun]
用法筆記
Often preceded by a modifying adjective (golden age, modern age, digital age) or used in the pattern 'the age of + noun' (the age of exploration, the age of steam).
5. A very long period, used in everyday speech to emphasize that something has last
很久
非常長的一段時間（常用複數）
A very long period, used in everyday speech to emphasize that something has lasted or taken much longer than expected.
I have not seen Lien in ages — not since we graduated from high school.
我好久沒見到 Lien 了——從高中畢業後就沒見過。
collocation: in ages / for ages
The package took ages to arrive, even though it was sent by express mail.
那個包裹過了很久才到，即使是用快遞寄送的。
It has been an age since we last visited my aunt in Kyoto.
我們已經好久沒去京都拜訪我阿姨了。
The queue for tickets stretched around the block and took ages to move.
售票隊伍繞了街區一大圈，排了很久才前進。
- a long time
neutral register, less dramatic than 'ages'
- forever
informal and hyperbolic; 'this is taking forever'
- a moment
a very short period of time
文法句型
for ages
ages ago
an age
用法筆記
In this sense 'age' is almost always plural ('ages') or used with the indefinite article ('an age'). Rarely used in formal writing. Do not use with exact time measurements ('five ages').
常見錯誤
6. The condition of being old, or the unavoidable process of getting older, which o
老化
變老的事實或變老的過程
The condition of being old, or the unavoidable process of getting older, which often brings changes to how a person or thing looks or works.
Regular exercise can help slow the effects of age on the body.
規律運動有助於延緩老化對身體的影響。
uncountable: the effects of age
Daniel's skin showed clear signs of age around his eyes and mouth.
Daniel 的眼睛和嘴巴周圍出現明顯的老化跡象。
collocation: signs of age
The museum's wooden floorboards had cracked and warped with age.
博物館的木地板隨著歲月而開裂扭曲。
Nadia's face looked youthful, but her hands revealed her true age.
Nadia 的臉看起來很年輕，但她的手透露了真實年齡。
Many people worry about age and try various treatments to look younger.
很多人擔心老化，於是想盡各種辦法讓自己看起來更年輕。
- youth
the state of being young
文法句型
with age
signs of age
the effects of age
用法筆記
Uncountable in this sense — do not say 'an age' or 'ages' when referring to the process of getting older (that would revert to sense 5).
常見錯誤
7. the age set by law at which a person is officially considered old enough to take
法定年齡
法律規定的成年門檻
the age set by law at which a person is officially considered old enough to take on adult rights and responsibilities, such as voting, signing contracts, or getting married without parental permission
Andrei came of age when he turned eighteen and signed up to vote the next day.
Andrei 年滿十八歲時正式成年，隔天就去登記投票。
come of age — reach the legal age of adulthood
The club would not let Ziad in because he was still under age for the event.
俱樂部不讓 Ziad 進去，因為他的年齡還未達到活動規定。
under age — not yet old enough by law
Nellie asked the store clerk what the legal age was for buying lottery tickets.
Nellie 問店員購買彩券的法定年齡是幾歲。
When Ari came of age, his uncle helped him open his first bank account.
Ari 成年時，他的叔叔幫他開了第一個銀行戶頭。
Tanvi found out that the legal age to drive a car in Spain is eighteen.
Tanvi 發現在西班牙開車的法定年齡是十八歲。
- adulthood
a neutral term for the state of being an adult, without the legal-specific focus
- legal majority
formal legal term for the age at which someone gains full adult rights; more technical than 'age'
- age of consent
narrower — only covers the legal age for sexual activity, not the full set of adult rights
文法句型
come of age
under age (predicative)
legal age for + noun / to + verb
用法筆記
Frequently appears in the fixed phrases 'come of age' (reach legal adulthood), 'under age' (below the legal threshold), and 'over age' (above it). Unlike sense 1 (YEARS LIVED), this sense refers to a legal threshold rather than the actual number of years a person has been alive.
常見錯誤
age — 名詞字尾
1. used to form a noun that refers to the total amount, collection, or combined qua
總量；集合
某事物的總數或集合體
used to form a noun that refers to the total amount, collection, or combined quantity of something, such as the total length of railway tracks in a system (trackage) or the amount of film recorded on a reel (footage).
The railway company paid a fee based on the trackage it used on the southern line.
那間鐵路公司根據它在南線上使用的軌道總長度繳納了費用。
trackage = total length of railway track used
The documentary team reviewed over a hundred hours of footage before editing the final cut.
紀錄片團隊在剪接最終版本前檢視了超過一百小時的影片素材。
footage = total amount of film recorded
Grape growers reported a record tonnage of wine this autumn.
葡萄種植者今年秋天通報了創紀錄的葡萄酒總噸數。
Inventory systems now track the total yardage of fabric stored in the warehouse.
庫存系統現在可以追蹤倉庫中存放的布料總碼數。
The mill processed a large footage of timber each day during the busy season.
那間磨坊在旺季每天加工大量木材。
用法筆記
The base noun typically refers to something measurable (length, weight, volume). The derived -age noun is usually uncountable in this sense.
常見錯誤
2. used to form a noun that refers to the action, process, or business of doing som
行動；過程
執行某事的行動或過程
used to form a noun that refers to the action, process, or business of doing something — for example, the haulage of raw materials by truck, the storage of household items in a rented unit, or the scope of protection provided by an insurance policy (coverage).
The factory hired a private firm to handle the haulage of steel beams to the construction site.
那間工廠聘請了一家私人公司負責將鋼樑運送到工地。
haulage = the business/process of transporting goods
Cold storage is essential for keeping dairy products fresh before they reach the shops.
冷藏儲存對於乳製品在送達商店前保持新鮮非常重要。
storage = the process of keeping things in a place
Henrik started a small cartage company that delivers furniture within the city.
Henrik 開了一間小型的傢俱運送公司，在城裡送貨。
The port authority charges a fee for the warehousing of imported electronics.
港務局對進口電子產品收取倉儲費。
Rohan runs a local courier service that offers same-day parcel delivery across the district.
Rohan 經營一間本地快遞公司，提供市區當日包裹遞送服務。
Aarav checked the coverage of his travel insurance before the trip to Japan.
Aarav 在出發去日本之前確認了他的旅遊保險的保障範圍。
用法筆記
Frequently used in commercial and logistics contexts. Unlike sense 3, this sense emphasizes the ongoing activity or service rather than its finished result. 'Coverage' is a common example that refers to the scope of protection rather than a logistics activity.
常見錯誤
3. used to form a noun that refers to the total of damaged, broken, or lost items r
破損量；耗損
行動造成的累積損失或損壞
used to form a noun that refers to the total of damaged, broken, or lost items resulting from an action or event — for example, breakage refers to the amount of glass or pottery that got broken during transport, or to the cost of replacing those broken items.
The moving company charged extra to cover any breakage that might occur during the trip.
搬家公司另外收取費用，以負擔運送過程中可能發生的破損。
breakage = items broken as a result of an action
Ayesha checked every plate for cracks and noted the breakage in the inventory log.
Ayesha 檢查了每一個盤子是否有裂痕，並在庫存記錄中記下了破損數量。
The shop's insurance policy covers all breakage of display items caused by customers.
那間商店的保險理賠顧客造成的展示品破損。
After the storm, the farm reported a significant spoilage of fruit in the orchard.
暴風雨過後，農場通報果園裡的水果有嚴重的損耗。
Leakage from the old pipe damaged the ceiling of the apartment below.
舊水管的滲漏損壞了樓下公寓的天花板。
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 2: sense 3 focuses on the accumulated outcome (what was spoiled, broken, or lost), while sense 2 focuses on the activity itself. Often found in insurance, shipping, and quality-control contexts.
常見錯誤
4. used to form a noun that refers to a charge, fee, or allowance calculated on a p
費率；計量
按單位計算的費用或數量
used to form a noun that refers to a charge, fee, or allowance calculated on a per-unit basis, such as the amount paid per mile (mileage) or the carrying capacity measured in tons (tonnage).
The company reimburses employees for mileage when they use their own cars for work.
公司在員工因公使用自己的汽車時，會按里程數給予補貼。
mileage = allowance paid per mile travelled
The cable company charges by the meterage of fibre optic cable installed in each neighbourhood.
有線電視公司根據各社區安裝的光纖電纜公尺數收費。
meterage = charge per metre of cable installed
Taxis in the city charge according to the meterage of the route travelled.
城裡的計程車根據行駛路線的距離公尺數收費。
The county charges an irrigation fee based on the acreage of each property, at $40 per acre.
郡政府根據每塊地的英畝數收取灌溉費，每英畝四十美元。
Vikram checked the odometer reading to report the correct mileage for his monthly travel claim.
Vikram 檢查了里程表讀數，以便在每月的差旅報銷中申報正確的里程數。
用法筆記
Common in transport, shipping, and reimbursement contexts. The base unit (mile, metre, ton, acre) determines the measurement; adding -age turns it into a rate or charge based on that unit.
5. used to form a noun that refers to a building, house, or institution where a par
場所；機構
特定人群居住或受照顧的地方
used to form a noun that refers to a building, house, or institution where a particular group of people live, receive care, or carry out their work — for example, an orphanage is a home for children whose parents have died, a parsonage is the house provided for a church minister, and a hermitage is a remote dwelling where a hermit lives alone.
The old orphanage on Maple Street was turned into a community centre last year.
Maple 街上那間舊孤兒院去年被改成了社區中心。
orphanage = home for children without parents
Lisa volunteered at the local orphanage every Saturday to read stories to the children.
Lisa 每週六到當地的孤兒院當志工，為小朋友讀故事。
The church built a new parsonage next door for the incoming minister and her family.
教會在隔壁為新來的牧師一家蓋了一間新的牧師館。
Christopher's great-grandfather once lived in the parsonage behind the old stone church.
Christopher 的曾祖父曾經住在舊石造教堂後面的牧師館裡。
The hermitage stood deep in the forest, far from any town or road.
那座隱修院坐落在森林深處，遠離任何城鎮或道路。
A new vicarage was built next to St. Mary's Church to house the incoming vicar.
聖瑪麗教堂旁邊新建了一間牧師住宅，供即將上任的牧師居住。
The village still has a traditional rectory that serves as the home for the local priest.
這個村莊仍然保留著一間傳統的教會宅邸，作為當地神職人員的住所。
用法筆記
The base noun typically identifies a group of people (orphan, parson, vicar, hermit) or their role. The -age noun names the building associated with that group. Many such words are falling out of everyday use as institutions change.
常見錯誤
6. used to form a noun that refers to a social position, rank, condition, or relati
地位；身份
社會階級或所處的狀態
used to form a noun that refers to a social position, rank, condition, or relationship that a person or group holds — for example, peerage is the rank of a British noble, bondage is the condition of being controlled by another, and patronage is the support given by a wealthy or influential person.
Anna was granted a seat in the House of Lords after being elevated to the peerage.
Anna 獲封貴族身份後，在上議院獲得了一個席位。
peerage = the rank of a British noble
The novel tells the story of a village that lived in bondage under a cruel landowner for decades.
這本小說講述了一個村莊在殘酷地主的統治下遭受數十年奴役的故事。
bondage = the condition of being controlled by another
Darius received a scholarship based on his family's patronage of the arts for many years.
Darius 基於家族多年來對藝術的贊助而獲得了獎學金。
In feudal times, a person's parentage determined the opportunities available to them.
在封建時代，一個人的出身決定了他們可獲得的機會。
João studied the history of the English peerage for his university dissertation.
João 為他的大學論文研究了英國貴族制度的歷史。
The museum exhibition included documents about the baronetage of the 18th century.
博物館的展覽包括了十八世紀從男爵爵位的相關文件。
Yara researched how the viscountage was passed down through generations of the same family.
Yara 研究了子爵爵位在同一個家族中傳承數代的方式。
用法筆記
This sense is formal and often historical. 'Bondage' is the only common everyday word formed this way; most -age words in this sense (peerage, baronetage, viscountage) refer to aristocratic ranks in British history. 'Patronage' and 'parentage' are broader examples that describe a relationship or origin rather than an official rank.
常見錯誤
7. used to form nouns that refer to an amount of money paid for a specific service,
費用
表示特定服務的付費
used to form nouns that refer to an amount of money paid for a specific service, especially one involving transporting, storing, or handling goods
Ada checked the postage before sending the package to her aunt in Berlin.
Ada 在寄包裹到柏林給她姑姑之前，先確認了郵費。
postage = fee for mailing
The removal company charged extra cartage for carrying the furniture up to the fourth floor.
搬家公司把傢俱搬到四樓，額外收取了搬運費。
cartage = fee for transporting goods by vehicle
When the engine died near the marina, Yuna paid towage to bring her boat back.
引擎在碼頭附近故障時，Yuna 支付了拖船費才把船拉回來。
The port rules state that every ship must pay wharfage for using the loading dock.
港口規定指出，每艘船使用裝卸碼頭都必須支付碼頭使用費。
Nila asked about brokerage fees before hiring a firm to sell her apartment.
Nila 在委託公司出售她的公寓之前，先詢問了仲介費。
文法句型
[noun] + -age
用法筆記
This suffix attaches to nouns (post, cart, wharf) to form a new noun meaning the fee charged for that service. Words ending in this sense of -age are common on invoices, shipping documents, and port authority rules.