bothering
bothering — 動詞
- botheringpresent simple I / you / we / they
- botherings3rd person singular
- botheringing-ing form
- botheringedpast simple
1. to spend time or energy doing something, especially when you are not sure the ef
費心；費事
花費精力去做不確定是否值得的事
to spend time or energy doing something, especially when you are not sure the effort is worthwhile; most often used in negative sentences or questions about whether something is worth doing.
Layla did not bother to lock the door before she left for work.
Layla 出門上班前連門都懶得鎖。
negative: did not bother + to-infinitive
Why bother cleaning the windows right before a thunderstorm?
暴風雨快來了，何必費心擦窗戶？
why bother + -ing form for rhetorical question
Niran never bothers to read the instructions before assembling furniture.
Niran 組裝家具從來不看說明書。
Theo bothered to check the train schedule only after missing the last one.
Theo 直到錯過末班車，才想起去查火車時刻表。
Yuna said she would not bother applying for a visa that takes six months to process.
Yuna 說她才不想費心去申請一個要等六個月的簽證。
- take the trouble
slightly more formal; always affirmative
- make the effort
used both positively and negatively
- go to the trouble
implies more inconvenience than 'bother'
文法句型
not bother + to-infinitive
bother + -ing form
why bother?
用法筆記
In affirmative sentences this sense often carries a tone of regret or surprise that effort was made. The negative pattern ('didn't bother') is far more common in everyday conversation.
常見錯誤
2. used to say that a person is too lazy, tired, or uninterested to do something, s
懶得
因懶惰或疲倦而不願做某事
used to say that a person is too lazy, tired, or uninterested to do something, so they simply decide not to do it.
Ryan could not be bothered to take out the rubbish, so it stayed in the kitchen all weekend.
Ryan 懶得倒垃圾，所以垃圾袋在廚房放了一整個週末。
could not be bothered + to-infinitive
João cannot be bothered getting up early for the market, so he always goes in the afternoon.
João 懶得早起去市場，所以總是下午才去。
cannot be bothered + -ing form
Felipe could not be bothered to check the oil level before the long drive.
Felipe 懶得出發前檢查機油量。
Nia looked at the long queue and decided she could not be bothered waiting.
Nia 看到長長的人龍，決定懶得等了。
The old dog could not be bothered to chase the cat and just watched from the porch.
那隻老狗懶得追貓，只是趴在門廊上看著。
- cannot be arsed
very informal, British slang — do not use in formal writing
- too lazy to
more direct, slightly stronger criticism
- take the trouble
implies making an effort despite difficulty
文法句型
can't be bothered + to-infinitive
can't be bothered + -ing form
用法筆記
This is a fixed expression and does not combine freely with other modal verbs (you cannot say 'won't be bothered'). 'Couldn't be bothered' is past tense. The subject is most often a person, but can also be an animal.
常見錯誤
3. to cause a person to become anxious, uneasy, or upset about something that preoc
使擔憂
讓人心裡感到不安或難受
to cause a person to become anxious, uneasy, or upset about something that preoccupies their thoughts.
The test results bothered Aarav more than he was willing to admit to his parents.
考試結果讓 Aarav 很在意，但他不願意對父母承認。
bother + person (direct object)
It bothered Otis that his younger sister never returned his calls.
妹妹從來不回電話，這讓 Otis 心裡很不舒服。
it + bother + person + that-clause
Layla was bothered by the strange scratching sound coming from the attic at night.
Layla 被閣樓夜裡傳來的奇怪抓撓聲搞得心神不寧。
The doctor's serious tone bothered Nia, even though she tried to stay calm.
醫生嚴肅的語氣讓 Nia 很擔心，雖然她努力保持鎮定。
Eitan said the rude comment did not bother him, but his face told a different story.
Eitan 說那句無禮的話他並不放在心上，但他的表情騙不了人。
文法句型
bother + person
bother + person + that-clause
be bothered + by
用法筆記
Subject is often an abstract thing (a situation, a thought, a remark) rather than a person. In the passive form ('be bothered by'), the agent is frequently a situation more than a person. Distinguish from sense 4 (annoy): this sense describes internal worry, not external irritation from being interrupted.
常見錯誤
4. to interrupt, pester, or cause trouble for someone, especially in small repeated
煩擾；打擾
打斷或干擾人，使人感到煩躁
to interrupt, pester, or cause trouble for someone, especially in small repeated ways that make them irritated.
Theo's younger brother kept bothering him while he was trying to study for finals.
Theo 的弟弟一直在他準備期末考時吵他。
keep + bothering + person + while-clause (repeated irritation)
Yuna told the telemarketer firmly not to bother her again.
Yuna 斬釘截鐵地告訴推銷員不要再來打擾她。
The noisy jackhammer outside bothered everyone in the apartment building.
外面吵鬧的破碎機讓公寓裡每個人都很煩。
Eitan asked politely, 'Am I bothering you? I can come back another time.'
Eitan 有禮貌地問：「我打擾到你了嗎？我可以改天再來。」
João hates it when passengers bother the bus driver with questions about the route.
João 很討厭乘客拿路線問題來煩公車司機。
- leave alone
the opposite of pestering or disturbing
- help
providing assistance instead of causing trouble
文法句型
bother + person
stop bothering + person
keep bothering + person
bother + person + about/with + thing
用法筆記
This sense is commonly used in the continuous form ('you are bothering me'). Unlike sense 3 (worry), the irritation here comes from external actions — noise, interruptions, questions — not from internal worry. Often used in polite requests: 'Sorry to bother you, but...'
常見錯誤
bothering — 名詞
1. difficulty, extra effort, or small problems that cause inconvenience in everyday
麻煩
生活上造成不便的額外困難或精力
difficulty, extra effort, or small problems that cause inconvenience in everyday life.
João went to all the bother of booking a hotel, but the trip was cancelled anyway.
João 費了一番功夫訂好旅館，結果行程還是取消了。
go to the bother of + -ing
Nia could not see the bother in walking an extra two blocks for better coffee.
Nia 不覺得多走兩個街區去喝更好的咖啡有什麼麻煩。
see the bother in + -ing (questioning whether something is troublesome)
The parcel arrived three days late, but Aarav said it was no bother at all.
包裹晚了三天才到，但 Aarav 說一點也不麻煩。
Felipe saved himself a lot of bother by ordering the parts online instead of visiting the shop.
Felipe 在網上訂了零件，省去了跑一趟店裡的麻煩。
Layla thought the extra paperwork was more bother than it was worth.
Layla 覺得額外的文書工作麻煩得不太值得。
- trouble
almost identical; 'trouble' is more common in questions
- inconvenience
more formal, used in polite apologies
- hassle
informal, stronger sense of frustration
- convenience
ease and lack of difficulty
文法句型
be a bother
go to the bother of
save someone the bother
用法筆記
This sense is uncountable — use 'a lot of bother' or 'no bother', never 'a bother' to mean inconvenience (though 'a bother' does work for sense 2, meaning an annoying thing). The phrase 'no bother' is a common polite reply to 'thank you'.
常見錯誤
2. someone or something that is annoying or causes minor problems, often by interru
惱人的事
令人討厭或造成小麻煩的人事物
someone or something that is annoying or causes minor problems, often by interrupting or creating extra work.
Theo's noisy old motorbike is a real bother to the neighbours who work night shifts.
Theo 那輛吵死人的老機車對上夜班的鄰居來說真是個大麻煩。
a real bother (emphasising annoyance)
Layla found the long customs queue a bother, but there was no way around it.
Layla 覺得通關的長長隊伍很煩人，但又別無選擇。
find + noun + a bother
Ryan thought the new software update was more of a bother than an improvement.
Ryan 覺得這次軟體更新與其說是改進，不如說是添麻煩。
Niran's old printer is a constant bother — it jams every single time he needs a printout.
Niran 那台舊印表機真是個麻煩精——每次要列印就一定卡紙。
Eitan's neighbour is a bit of a bother, always asking to borrow tools he never returns.
Eitan 的鄰居有點煩人，老是來借工具卻從不歸還。
文法句型
be a bother
a real bother
用法筆記
Countable — you can say 'a bother' or 'such a bother'. Unlike sense 1 (uncountable trouble), this refers to a specific person or thing. Common in the phrase 'what a bother!' as an exclamation of mild frustration.
常見錯誤
3. a lingering feeling of slight worry or inner irritation that does not go away ea
煩惱
揮之不去的輕微憂慮或不安
a lingering feeling of slight worry or inner irritation that does not go away easily.
A faint bother about the unpaid bill lingered in Otis's mind through the whole meeting.
Otis 對那張未繳帳單的隱約不安，在整場會議中揮之不去。
faint bother + about (vague worry)
Eitan expressed his bother over the missing documents to the office manager.
Eitan 向辦公室經理表達了關於文件遺失的憂慮。
express bother over + noun
The constant drizzle was a quiet source of bother for the couple planning an outdoor wedding.
連綿的細雨讓那對計劃舉辦戶外婚禮的夫婦心裡隱隱發愁。
Nia tried to push aside her bother about the strange email, but the feeling kept coming back.
Nia 試著不去想那封奇怪的郵件，可是那股不安感總是又浮上心頭。
Yuna felt a small bother every time she passed the empty room at the end of the hall.
Yuna 每次經過走廊盡頭那個空房間，心頭就掠過一絲不安。
- peace of mind
the opposite of lingering worry
文法句型
a source of bother
with bother
用法筆記
This sense is less common in everyday speech than the verb forms. It overlaps with 'worry' but suggests a milder, more vague kind of unease. Often used with adjectives like 'faint', 'small', or 'vague'.