being
/ˈbiːɪŋ/ (bre, ipa) · [bˈiɪŋ] /ˈbiːɪŋ/ (ame, ipa) · [bˈiɪŋ] /ˈbē(-i)ŋ/ (ame, mw)
being — 名詞
- beingsingular
- beingsplural
1. any person, animal, spirit, or other life form thought of as something alive and
生命體
活著並能獨立存在的生物
any person, animal, spirit, or other life form thought of as something alive and real.
Schoolchildren learned that every being in the forest depends on clean water.
孩子們學到森林裡每個生命體都依賴乾淨的水。
every being in the forest
The film imagines tiny beings repairing broken machines inside a sleeping robot.
那部電影想像一群微小生命體在熟睡的機器人裡修理壞掉的機件。
imagines tiny beings + -ing clause
Temple paintings showed birds, people, and spirits as equal beings before heaven.
寺廟壁畫把鳥、人與靈體都畫成在天道前平等的生命體。
After the rescue, the biologist checked each injured being for signs of shock.
獲救後，那位生物學家檢查每個受傷的生命體是否有休克跡象。
文法句型
a being
living/human/spiritual + being
用法筆記
Often used in the plural when speaking about all forms of life or imagined creatures. Singular use can sound slightly formal or philosophical, especially in phrases like 'a spiritual being'.
常見錯誤
2. the fact or condition of existing rather than being absent, imagined, or not yet
存在
事物實際存在的狀態
the fact or condition of existing rather than being absent, imagined, or not yet real.
For Lina, music was not just a hobby but a way of being.
對 Lina 來說，音樂不只是嗜好，而是一種存在方式。
a way of being
The retreat gave Marco a calmer state of being during a stressful year.
那次靜修讓 Marco 在壓力沉重的一年裡進入更平靜的存在狀態。
state of being
Scientists still debate how life first came into being on Earth.
科學家至今仍在爭論生命最初如何在地球上開始存在。
The poet wrote about being itself as a mix of memory and desire.
那位詩人把存在本身寫成記憶與渴望的混合。
- nonexistence
the condition of not existing at all
- absence
used when something or someone is not there
文法句型
come into being
state/way of being
用法筆記
Often appears in phrases such as 'come into being' and 'state of being'. Distinguish from sense 3: this sense is about existence itself, while sense 3 is about a person's inner nature.
常見錯誤
3. the deepest part of a person's nature, feelings, or sense of self.
本性
人的內在本質與自我感
the deepest part of a person's nature, feelings, or sense of self.
Years in exile changed Mei's whole being, not just her habits.
流亡歲月改變了 Mei 的整個本性，不只是她的習慣。
whole being
The insult shook the singer's being more than the bad review did.
那句羞辱的話傷到那位歌手的本性，遠比差評還重。
The long illness shook Manuela's sense of being at the deepest level.
長期的病痛在最深層動搖了 Manuela 的自我感。
In her memoir, Leila describes art as the center of her being.
在回憶錄裡，Leila 把藝術寫成自己本性的中心。
文法句型
whole being
the center/core of someone's being
sense of being
用法筆記
Usually appears with words like 'whole', 'center', 'core', or 'sense of', and often with a possessive. Unlike sense 2, it points to a person's inner nature rather than existence in general.
being — 形容詞
- beingpositive
- more beingcomparative
- most beingsuperlative
1. existing or accepted only for now, especially in the phrase 'for the time being'
暫時
目前先這樣，之後可能改變
existing or accepted only for now, especially in the phrase 'for the time being'.
For the time being, the clinic is treating patients in two borrowed classrooms.
目前診所暫時在兩間借來的教室裡看診。
for the time being
We're staying with Noor's aunt for the time being until the lease begins.
在租約開始前，我們暫時住在 Noor 的阿姨家。
The museum has closed its upper floor for the time being after the leak.
漏水之後，博物館暫時關閉了上層樓面。
Christopher will handle the morning shift for the time being while Ava recovers.
Ava 康復之前，Christopher 會暫時接下早班。
- permanent
lasting for the long term rather than only for now
文法句型
for the time being
用法筆記
This use is almost always part of the fixed phrase 'for the time being'. It describes a temporary present arrangement rather than something settled for the long term.
常見錯誤
being — 連接詞
1. because; used before a clause to explain the reason for something, especially in
因為
用來提出事情發生的原因
because; used before a clause to explain the reason for something, especially in informal or regional English.
Being the roads were flooded, the coach stayed in Kaohsiung overnight.
因為道路淹水，那輛長途巴士只好在高雄過夜。
Being + clause
I left the office early, being I had promised my niece a ride.
因為我答應過要載姪女一程，所以提早離開辦公室。
main clause + being + clause
Being that the printer was broken, we signed the forms by hand.
因為印表機壞了，我們就改用手寫方式簽表格。
The driver left the package next door, being nobody answered the gate.
因為沒人來應門，司機就把包裹放在隔壁。
- because
the normal and more neutral way to give a reason
- since
common in writing and speech when the reason is already known
- seeing that
also informal, with a similar explanatory tone
文法句型
being + clause
being that + clause
用法筆記
This use is much rarer than 'because' or 'since' and may sound regional to many speakers. It introduces a full clause and can also appear in the phrase 'being that'.