bacteria

/bækˈtɪəriə/ (bre, ipa) · /bækˈtɪriə/ (ame, ipa) · /bak-ˈtir-ē-ə/ (ame, mw)

bacteria — 名詞

1. extremely small living things, made of just one cell, that live almost everywher

1.名詞B1
釋義

細菌

肉眼看不見的單細胞微小生物

extremely small living things, made of just one cell, that live almost everywhere — in soil, water, food, and inside the bodies of people and animals; some kinds cause illness while others are useful, for example for making yogurt or breaking down waste.

例句

Dr. Lin warned the students that bacteria can multiply quickly inside warm chicken soup.

林醫師警告學生，細菌在溫熱的雞湯裡會迅速繁殖。

subject of plural verb: bacteria + multiply

Mira scrubbed her hands with soap to wash away any bacteria from the raw fish.

Mira 用肥皂仔細搓洗雙手，把生魚上的細菌沖掉。

collocation: wash away / kill bacteria

同義詞
  • germs

    informal everyday word, often suggests something that causes illness

  • microbes

    broader term covering bacteria, viruses, fungi, and other microscopic life

  • microorganisms

    formal scientific term for any tiny living thing seen only under a microscope

文法句型

bacteria + plural verb

type/kind of bacteria

用法筆記

Strictly the plural of bacterium and almost always takes a plural verb (bacteria are, bacteria cause). The singular bacterium is rare in everyday English; in casual speech learners may also hear bacteria used as a mass noun (a lot of bacteria), but bacterias is not standard.

常見錯誤

❌A bacteria was found in the water.
✅A bacterium was found in the water.' OR 'Bacteria were found in the water.
💡singular is bacterium; bacteria is plural.
❌Bacterias grow fast in warm milk.
✅Bacteria grow fast in warm milk.
💡bacteria is already plural; never add -s.
❌The bacteria is harmless.
✅The bacteria are harmless.
💡pair bacteria with a plural verb in formal writing.