capital
/ˈkæpɪtl/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈkæpɪtl/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈka-pə-tᵊl ˈkap-tᵊl/ (ame, mw) · /ˈkæp.ɪ.təl/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈkæp.ə.t̬əl/ (ame, ipa)
capital — 名詞
1. a city where a nation's government holds its meetings and carries out its offici
首都；首府
國家或地區政府所在地
a city where a nation's government holds its meetings and carries out its official work
Paris is the capital of France and a major centre for art and culture.
巴黎是法國的首都，也是藝術與文化的重要中心。
countable: capital + of + country
The capital was decorated with flags for the national holiday.
首都掛滿了旗幟來慶祝國定假日。
When Leila visited the capital, she went to see the parliament building.
Leila 參觀首都時，也去看了國會大廈。
Each province in the country has its own capital city with government offices.
每個省份都有自己的首府城市和政府機關。
- seat of government
more formal; refers to the location of a government rather than the whole city
- administrative centre
British English; emphasises the bureaucratic function
用法筆記
Often modified by the name of the country or region, as in 'the capital of Japan'. Can be used attributively: 'capital city'.
常見錯誤
2. a city or place regarded as the leading location worldwide or within a region fo
中心；重鎮
某行業或活動最重要的地方
a city or place regarded as the leading location worldwide or within a region for a specific industry, pastime, or product
Milan is widely regarded as the fashion capital of the world.
米蘭被廣泛認為是世界時尚之都。
capital + of + [activity] for metaphorical centre
Los Angeles has long been the entertainment capital of the United States.
洛杉磯長久以來一直是美國的娛樂重鎮。
The small coastal town became the surfing capital of the region after hosting several international competitions.
在舉辦了幾次國際比賽之後，這個沿海小鎮成了當地的衝浪勝地。
Detroit was once known as the automotive capital of the world.
底特律曾被譽為世界汽車工業之都。
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1 (CITY): this sense describes what a place is famous for, not where a government sits. The pattern is usually 'the [activity] capital of [place]'.
3. the larger version of a written character, used for the opening word of a senten
大寫字母
用於句首或專有名詞的大寫字
the larger version of a written character, used for the opening word of a sentence and for the unique names of people, places, and brands
Please write your name in capital letters on the application form.
請用大寫字母在申請表上寫您的名字。
countable: capital letter / capital letters
The word 'Taiwan' begins with a capital T, not a small t.
「台灣」這個詞開頭要用大寫 T，而不是小寫 t。
Teachers remind students to start every sentence with a capital.
老師提醒學生每個句子開頭都要大寫。
Yara noticed that the street sign used all capitals for the street name.
Yara 注意到路牌上的路名全部用了大寫字母。
- uppercase letter
more technical; used in computing and typography
- upper case
written as two words or hyphenated 'upper-case'; an alternative way to name the set
- lowercase letter
the small form of a letter, used for most writing
用法筆記
The short form 'a capital' (omitting 'letter') is common in classroom and proofreading contexts. Plural 'capitals' is also used informally.
常見錯誤
4. money or property that a person or company puts into a business or investment wi
資本；資金
用於投資或創業的錢財
money or property that a person or company puts into a business or investment with the aim of earning more money over time
The company raised enough capital to open three new branches overseas.
該公司籌集了足夠的資金，在海外開了三家新分店。
uncountable: raise capital
Starting a restaurant requires a large amount of capital for equipment and rent.
開一家餐廳需要大量資金來購買設備和支付租金。
Investors provided the capital needed for the renewable-energy research project.
投資者為再生能源研究項目提供了所需資金。
A bank loan gave the startup enough capital to hire its first five employees.
銀行貸款給了這家新創公司足夠的資金來雇用前五名員工。
- funds
more general; can refer to money set aside for a specific purpose
- investment
focuses on money put into something expecting a return
- assets
broader; includes anything of value owned, not just money
用法筆記
Uncountable in this sense — do not say 'a capital' or 'capitals' when referring to money. Also used in compounds: 'capital investment', 'capital market', 'capital gains'.
常見錯誤
5. the ornamental upper piece of a supporting pillar, wider than the pillar's main
柱頭
圓柱頂端的裝飾部分
the ornamental upper piece of a supporting pillar, wider than the pillar's main body and often decorated with carvings
The ancient Greek temple's marble capital was carved with delicate leaf patterns.
這座古希臘神廟的大理石柱頭上雕刻著精緻的葉紋。
countable: architectural term
Each pillar in the museum hall has a beautifully decorated capital in the Corinthian style.
博物館大廳的每根柱子都有裝飾精美的科林斯式柱頭。
The tour guide explained that the column's capital supported the weight of the roof above it.
導遊解釋說，柱頭承受著上方屋頂的重量。
The stone carver spent weeks shaping the capital for the new courthouse pillars.
石雕師傅花了數週時間為新法院的柱子雕刻柱頭。
- column top
everyday language; less precise than 'capital'
- head
rare; appears in older architectural texts
- base
the bottom part of a column
用法筆記
Technical term in architecture. Three main classical styles — Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian — each with a distinct type of capital. Usually encountered in descriptions of historical buildings.
capital — 形容詞
1. written in the larger form of a letter, as used at the start of a sentence or a
大寫的
以大寫字母書寫的
written in the larger form of a letter, as used at the start of a sentence or a proper name
Is the first letter of your surname capital or lowercase?
你姓氏的第一個字母是大寫還是小寫？
The sign was printed in capital letters so that everyone could read it clearly.
這個標誌是用大寫字母印的，這樣每個人都能看清楚。
attributive: capital letters
Please make sure the title is written in a capital A followed by lowercase text.
請確保標題的第一個字母用大寫 A，後面用小寫。
A capital C at the start of a word often signals that it is a proper noun.
一個字的第一個字母如果大寫，通常表示它是專有名詞。
- uppercase
more common in computing and technical contexts; also used predicatively ('This letter is uppercase')
- upper-case
hyphenated variant; interchangeable with 'uppercase'
- lowercase
the small form of letters used for most writing
用法筆記
Usually placed before a noun ('capital letter', 'capital A'). When used predicatively ('This A is capital'), it sounds dated or technical — 'uppercase' is more natural in that position.
常見錯誤
2. relating to a crime or legal case that is considered serious enough to be punish
死刑的
可判處死刑的罪行或案件
relating to a crime or legal case that is considered serious enough to be punishable by death
Murder is treated as a capital offence in many countries around the world.
謀殺在世界許多國家被視為死罪。
collocation: capital offence
The lawyer argued that the case did not meet the definition of a capital crime under state law.
律師辯稱，根據州法，此案不符合死刑罪的定義。
Countries that still have capital punishment usually restrict it to the most serious crimes.
仍然保留死刑的國家通常只將它用於最嚴重的罪行。
The jury had to decide whether the defendant was guilty of a capital offense.
陪審團必須裁定被告是否犯下死罪。
- punishable by death
explanatory phrase; not an adjective but a post-modifier
- life-threatening
⚠ different meaning — 'capital' in this sense relates to legal punishment, not danger
用法筆記
Almost always used before a noun in fixed phrases: 'capital offence', 'capital crime', 'capital punishment'. Not used as a standalone predicate (✗ 'The crime was capital').
常見錯誤
3. most important; being the main or fundamental element among a set of things
首要的
最重要或最根本的
most important; being the main or fundamental element among a set of things
The capital objective of the climate summit was to agree on emissions targets.
氣候峰會的首要目標是就排放目標達成共識。
formal register: capital objective
Reducing waste is a matter of capital importance for the manufacturing industry.
減少廢棄物對製造業來說至關重要。
The board discussed the capital question of whether to expand into Asian markets.
董事會討論了是否拓展亞洲市場的首要問題。
The capital aim of the new policy is to improve access to healthcare for rural families.
這項新政策的首要目標是改善農村家庭獲得醫療服務的機會。
For the team, winning the championship was a matter of capital importance.
對這支隊伍來說，贏得冠軍是至關重要的事。
用法筆記
Rather formal and somewhat old-fashioned. More common in fixed expressions like 'capital importance' than in everyday speech. 'Chief', 'primary', or 'main' are more natural alternatives in modern English.
4. extremely good; of the highest quality or standard
極好的
第一流、非常出色的
extremely good; of the highest quality or standard
That was a capital idea for improving the community garden.
改善社區花園真是個極好的主意。
informal British: capital idea
The chef prepared a capital meal for the wedding guests.
主廚為婚禮賓客準備了一頓極好的餐點。
Rohan gave a capital performance in the school play last Friday.
Rohan 上週五在學校話劇中表現極佳。
A capital suggestion, Priya — let us try that approach first.
真是極好的建議，Priya — 我們先試試這個方法吧。
- excellent
standard modern equivalent; neutral register
- first-rate
slightly formal; emphasises top quality
- splendid
similar old-fashioned tone; British English
- brilliant
very common in modern British English for 'very good'
用法筆記
Considered old-fashioned or dated in most English-speaking regions, but still in occasional use in British English for humorous or emphatic effect. 'Excellent' or 'brilliant' are more common alternatives today.