bagatelle

/ˌbæɡəˈtel/ (bre, ipa) · /ˌbæɡəˈtel/ (ame, ipa) · /ˌba-gə-ˈtel/ (ame, mw)

bagatelle — 名詞

  • bagatellesingular
  • bagatellesplural

1. an amount of money or an object that is so small or unimportant that it is barel

1.名詞C1
釋義

小錢；瑣事

不重要的小錢或小事

an amount of money or an object that is so small or unimportant that it is barely worth mentioning or dealing with.

例句

Abigail got a refund of three euros, a bagatelle that barely covered her bus fare.

Abigail 只拿到三歐元的退款，這點小錢連她的公車費都不夠付。

a bagatelle — noun phrase describing a trivial sum

The lawyer dismissed the parking fine as a bagatelle next to the company's legal costs.

律師認為那筆停車罰款跟公司的訴訟費用相比，根本是微不足道的小錢。

同義詞
  • trifle

    more common in everyday speech; bagatelle is more formal

  • pittance

    focuses on inadequate pay rather than triviality

反義詞

文法句型

bagatelle (singular); a bagatelle

用法筆記

Most commonly used in the singular about money, often in dismissive contexts ('mere bagatelle', 'a bagatelle'). Also appears in literary or formal writing.

常見錯誤

❌The bagatelle sum was five thousand dollars.
✅The sum of five thousand dollars was no bagatelle.
💡bagatelle always means a small, trivial amount, so a large sum cannot be a bagatelle.

2. a game, usually played on a slanted board with holes at one end, in which player

2.名詞B2
釋義

彈珠檯遊戲

一種將小球打入洞中的板遊戲

a game, usually played on a slanted board with holes at one end, in which players use a cue or a spring-loaded stick to hit small balls into the holes for points.

例句

A worn bagatelle table sat in the corner of the old pub.

那間老酒吧的角落裡仍然放著一張彈珠檯，絨布已被幾十年使用磨損了。

bagatelle table — the physical board used for the game

Sanjay's grandfather taught him how to play bagatelle during rainy afternoons in the village hall.

Sanjay 的祖父在村莊禮堂裡的下雨天午後，教他玩彈珠檯遊戲。

同義詞
  • pinball

    modern electric version; bagatelle is the manual, 19th-century original

文法句型

the bagatelle (game); a bagatelle (board)

用法筆記

Bagatelle is a precursor to modern pinball. The term is most common in Britain and older texts. In the US, 'pinball' is much more frequent for the electric version.

3. a short, light piece of music, usually written for piano, that does not follow a

3.名詞C1
釋義

小品曲

輕快簡短的樂曲或文學小品

a short, light piece of music, usually written for piano, that does not follow a strict or serious form and is meant to sound playful or elegant.

例句

Beethoven wrote a set of eleven bagatelles for piano, each lasting only a few minutes.

貝多芬為鋼琴創作了十一首小品曲，每首都只有幾分鐘長。

bagatelles for piano — musical context collocation

Olivia chose a charming bagatelle by Ligeti for her final piano exam.

Olivia 選擇了 Ligeti 一首迷人的小品曲作為她的鋼琴期末考曲目。

同義詞
  • etude

    a study piece designed for technical practice; less about lightness than a bagatelle

  • intermezzo

    short piece placed between larger sections; similar length but different function

反義詞
  • symphony

    a large-scale orchestral work, opposite in length and seriousness

文法句型

a bagatelle (by composer); bagatelles for [instrument]

用法筆記

In classical music, a bagatelle is a brief, usually light-hearted instrumental work. The form is most associated with Beethoven, who published three sets of bagatelles (Op. 33, 119, 126). This sense also extends to short literary sketches.

常見錯誤

❌The orchestra performed a bagatelle for 45 minutes.
✅The orchestra performed a short bagatelle before the main symphony.
💡a bagatelle is by definition brief.