alert
alert — 形容詞
1. paying close attention to what is happening around you, so that you can notice p
警覺的；機敏
注意周遭、能立刻反應的狀態
paying close attention to what is happening around you, so that you can notice problems or react quickly when something matters.
The lifeguard stayed alert as children splashed in the deep end of the pool.
孩子們在泳池深水區戲水時，那位救生員始終保持警覺。
stay alert (vigilant in a risky setting)
Drivers must be alert to cyclists when turning right at busy junctions.
駕駛在繁忙路口右轉時，必須對騎自行車的人保持警覺。
alert to + noun for the danger you watch for
After two cups of coffee, Hana felt sharp and alert during the morning meeting.
喝了兩杯咖啡後，Hana 在早會中感覺頭腦清晰、十分機敏。
Park rangers remain alert for signs of forest fires during the dry summer months.
在乾燥的夏季，公園巡守員會持續警戒森林火災的跡象。
Grandma is ninety, but her mind is still bright and alert.
奶奶已經九十歲了，但腦筋依然清楚又靈敏。
- drowsy
physically sleepy, opposite of mentally awake
- inattentive
failing to notice what is happening around you
文法句型
alert to + noun
stay/remain/be alert
用法筆記
Often followed by 'to' (a danger) or 'for' (signs of something). Frequently appears in the linking pattern 'be / stay / remain alert', describing either physical watchfulness or mental sharpness.
常見錯誤
alert — 名詞
1. an official message that tells people about a danger or important event so that
警報；通知
提醒人們危險或重要事件的訊息
an official message that tells people about a danger or important event so that they can prepare or take action.
The weather service issued a flood alert for villages along the river yesterday evening.
氣象局昨晚對沿河村莊發布了洪水警報。
issue + alert (official sender)
Imani's phone buzzed with an earthquake alert just seconds before the shaking began.
Imani 的手機在地震開始搖晃前幾秒響起了地震警報。
modern collocation: phone + alert
Police sent out a public alert after the small girl went missing from the playground.
小女孩在遊樂場走失後，警方對外發出了協尋通報。
Hospitals across the city received a security alert about a suspicious package at the train station.
市內各醫院都收到了關於火車站可疑包裹的安全警報。
I get a daily news alert from the BBC app on my phone every morning.
我每天早上都會從手機上的 BBC App 收到一則新聞通知。
- warning
broader; can be spoken, written, or implied
- notification
neutral message; not necessarily about danger
- alarm
often a sound or stronger emotional response
文法句型
a [type] alert
issue / receive an alert
用法筆記
The most common modern use is digital: app notifications, weather warnings, amber alerts. Often paired with verbs like 'issue', 'send', 'receive', 'get'. Distinct from sense 2: this is the warning message itself, not the state of being prepared.
常見錯誤
2. a condition in which a group such as soldiers, police, or staff is fully ready t
警戒狀態
隨時準備行動以應付危險的狀態
a condition in which a group such as soldiers, police, or staff is fully ready to act because something dangerous might happen.
Border troops were placed on high alert after the unexpected drone activity last night.
昨晚出現意外的無人機活動後，邊境部隊進入高度警戒狀態。
on high alert (idiomatic fixed phrase)
Hospitals across Tokyo went on full alert as the typhoon approached the coast.
颱風逼近海岸時，東京各家醫院全面進入警戒狀態。
on full alert
Airport staff remained on alert throughout the night following the bomb threat.
那起炸彈威脅事件後，機場人員整夜保持在警戒狀態中。
The mayor put fire crews on alert before the wildfires reached the edge of town.
野火逼近城邊之前，市長就讓消防隊進入警戒待命狀態。
- stand-down
the cancellation of an alert state
文法句型
on (high / full) alert
put / place on alert
用法筆記
Almost always appears in the prepositional phrase 'on (high/full) alert'. Subject is usually an organisation, force, or group of professionals — not a single private person. Distinct from sense 1: this describes the readiness, not the warning message itself.
常見錯誤
alert — 動詞
1. to tell someone quickly that a dangerous or urgent situation is happening, so th
警告；通報
迅速告知某人危險或緊急狀況
to tell someone quickly that a dangerous or urgent situation is happening, so they can act before it gets worse.
A neighbour alerted the fire brigade after she smelled smoke coming from the empty house.
一位鄰居聞到空屋傳出煙味後，立刻通報了消防隊。
alert + emergency service
Lifeguards quickly alerted swimmers to the sudden change in the tide.
救生員迅速警告游泳客潮汐突然改變了。
alert + sb + to + danger
The bank alerted Mr. Chen by text message when an unusual payment left his account.
陳先生帳戶出現一筆異常付款時，銀行立刻發簡訊通知他。
Witnesses alerted the police as soon as they saw the white van speed past the school.
目擊者一看見白色廂型車從學校旁飛馳而過，立刻通報警方。
文法句型
alert + somebody
alert + somebody + to + noun
用法筆記
Always transitive — you alert SOMEONE, not just 'alert' on its own. The thing you warn about goes after 'to' (alert sb to a problem) or in a 'that' clause (alert sb that something has happened).
常見錯誤
2. to make someone notice or become aware of something important, often a problem o
提醒；使注意
讓某人察覺到某件重要的事情
to make someone notice or become aware of something important, often a problem or fact they had missed.
The audit alerted senior managers to several gaps in the company's safety procedures.
那次稽核讓高階主管注意到公司安全程序中的多項漏洞。
alert + sb + to + a problem
Dr. Patel was alerted to the unusual test result by a junior nurse on the ward.
Patel 醫生是被病房裡一位年輕護理師提醒，才知道那項異常的檢驗結果。
passive: be alerted to + noun
A short article in the local paper first alerted residents to the planned road closure.
當地報紙上一篇短文，最先讓居民注意到即將實施的道路封閉。
Her trembling hands alerted me to how nervous she really was about the speech.
她顫抖的雙手讓我察覺，她對這場演講其實有多緊張。
- inform
neutral; just gives information, no urgency
- make aware
plain phrasing; common in everyday speech
- draw attention to
focuses on pointing something out, not on warning
文法句型
alert + somebody + to + noun
be alerted to + noun
用法筆記
Frequently passive ('was alerted to'). Differs from sense 1 by scope: sense 1 warns of an urgent danger; sense 2 simply makes someone aware of a fact, problem, or detail they had not noticed. The trigger here can be a report, sign, or piece of evidence rather than an emergency.