allowance
/əˈlaʊəns/ (bre, ipa) · /əˈlaʊəns/ (ame, ipa) · /ə-ˈlau̇-ən(t)s/ (ame, mw)
allowance — 名詞
1. a fixed sum of money paid to someone on a regular schedule by an employer, gover
津貼；補助
機構定期發給的特定用途款項
a fixed sum of money paid to someone on a regular schedule by an employer, government, or other body, usually to help cover a specific cost such as housing, travel, or meals.
Renata's company pays a monthly travel allowance of two hundred pounds.
Renata 的公司每月發兩百英鎊的差旅津貼。
[type] allowance: travel allowance
Soldiers stationed overseas receive a small housing allowance each month.
駐紮海外的士兵每個月會領到一筆住房補助。
collocation: housing allowance
The new mothers' allowance helps pay for nappies, formula, and baby clothes.
新手媽媽津貼可以用來買尿布、奶粉和嬰兒衣物。
Saoirse lives on a tight student allowance from a government grant.
Saoirse 靠政府補助的學生津貼勉強過日子。
His firm cut the meal allowance from fifteen dollars to ten.
公司把伙食津貼從十五美元砍到十美元。
文法句型
a [type] allowance
an allowance for [purpose]
用法筆記
Subject is usually an institution (employer, government, school) rather than a private individual. Often appears as a compound noun: travel allowance, meal allowance, housing allowance.
常見錯誤
2. the maximum quantity of something that rules permit you to have, use, or earn be
限額；額度
規定可使用或攜帶的最大量
the maximum quantity of something that rules permit you to have, use, or earn before a charge or limit applies — for example, baggage on a flight or income before tax.
Each passenger on the flight has a baggage allowance of twenty kilograms.
這班飛機每位旅客的行李限額是二十公斤。
collocation: baggage allowance
Greta exceeded her data allowance and had to pay an extra ten pounds.
Greta 用超過她的數據限額，多繳了十英鎊。
exceed one's allowance
The personal tax allowance rises slightly every April.
個人免稅額每年四月會略為提高。
Children under twelve get a smaller sugar allowance than adults each day.
十二歲以下兒童每天可允許的糖量比成人少。
Xander packed carefully so his suitcase stayed within the airline's allowance.
Xander 仔細打包，讓行李重量控制在航空公司的限額內。
文法句型
a [type] allowance
exceed/within one's allowance
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1: this sense is a permitted ceiling (you may use up to X), while sense 1 is a payment you receive. The allowance here is not money you get — it is a limit on what is allowed.
常見錯誤
3. a small sum of money that a parent gives a child on a regular basis, which the c
零用錢
父母定期給孩子自由支配的小錢
a small sum of money that a parent gives a child on a regular basis, which the child is free to spend on whatever they like.
Mia's parents give her a five-dollar allowance every Saturday morning.
Mia 的父母每週六早上給她五美元零用錢。
give somebody an allowance
Tom saved his weekly allowance for two months to buy a skateboard.
Tom 把每週的零用錢存了兩個月，買到一塊滑板。
weekly allowance
Children who do their chores earn a bigger monthly allowance in our family.
在我們家，會做家事的小孩每月零用錢比較多。
Many parents stop giving an allowance once a child gets a part-time job.
很多父母在孩子開始打工後就不再給零用錢。
- pocket money
the usual British term for the same thing
文法句型
give somebody an allowance
weekly/monthly allowance
用法筆記
Common in American English; British speakers more often say 'pocket money' for the same idea, and 'allowance' in BrE often points to sense 1 or 2 instead.
常見錯誤
4. extra time, room, or resources that you build into a plan because you expect a d
預留量；緩衝
計畫中為意外保留的時間或餘裕
extra time, room, or resources that you build into a plan because you expect a delay, problem, or other variable to come up.
We left at six to make allowance for traffic on the bridge.
我們六點就出發，預留了過橋塞車的時間。
make allowance for [delay]
The carpenter cut each plank with an allowance of two centimetres for sanding.
木匠裁每塊木板時都多留兩公分，方便日後打磨。
an allowance of [amount]
The budget includes an allowance for unexpected medical bills.
預算中已預留一筆款項，因應臨時的醫療開銷。
Engineers added a generous allowance for thermal expansion in the bridge design.
工程師在橋樑設計中為熱漲冷縮預留了寬裕的空間。
文法句型
make (an) allowance for [something]
用法筆記
Object must be a possible problem or variable (traffic, delays, errors, expansion). Frequently appears inside the phrase 'make (an) allowance for' — see the idiom entry for that fixed expression.
5. the willingness to be gentler with a person's mistake or bad behaviour because y
體諒；寬容
因對方處境而不嚴厲苛責
the willingness to be gentler with a person's mistake or bad behaviour because you remember a special difficulty in their situation.
The teacher made allowances for Yuki, who had only studied English for six months.
Yuki 才學英語六個月，老師對她特別體諒。
make allowances for [somebody]
Grandma made every allowance for the twins when they broke her favourite vase.
雙胞胎打破奶奶最愛的花瓶時，她對他們處處體諒。
make every allowance for [somebody]
Coaches must make allowances for younger players who are still learning the rules.
對於還在熟悉規則的小球員，教練必須多一些體諒。
His boss made every allowance for the long hours Xander had worked that week.
Xander 那週工時很長，老闆對他處處體諒。
- leniency
softer treatment, especially in punishment
- indulgence
letting someone do as they wish, sometimes too much
- understanding
shows sympathy with the person's situation
- strictness
judging without softer treatment
文法句型
make allowances for [somebody]
用法筆記
Almost always used in the plural inside the phrase 'make allowances for somebody' — see the idiom entry. Distinguish from sense 4: sense 4 plans around problems, while sense 5 forgives or excuses people.
常見錯誤
allowance — 動詞
1. to give a person or group only a set quantity of something — typically food, dri
配給；定量發
按固定份量發給食物或物資
to give a person or group only a set quantity of something — typically food, drink, or fuel — for each day or week.
During the long voyage, the captain allowanced each sailor two cups of fresh water a day.
在漫長的航程中，船長每天只配給每位水手兩杯淡水。
allowance somebody [amount]
The relief workers allowanced rice carefully so the supply would last six weeks.
救援人員小心配給白米，希望存糧能撐到六週。
allowance [resource] carefully
Mountaineers were allowanced four biscuits each evening when supplies ran low.
物資吃緊時，登山者每晚只獲配四片餅乾。
The army cooks allowanced sugar to one spoon per soldier at breakfast.
軍中伙夫早餐時，每位士兵只發一匙糖。
文法句型
allowance somebody [an amount]
用法筆記
Rare and old-fashioned; the modern verb of choice is 'ration'. You may meet 'allowance' as a verb in historical writing about ships, armies, or expeditions.