character
/ˈkærəktə(r)/ (bre, ipa) · [kˈɛrɪktɚ] /ˈkærəktər/ (ame, ipa) · [kˈɛrɪktɚ] /ˈker-ik-tər ˈka-rik-/ (ame, mw)
character — 名詞
- charactersingular
- charactersplural
1. the set of habits, beliefs, and other traits that distinguish one person, place,
特質；特性
使某人或某物與眾不同的特質
the set of habits, beliefs, and other traits that distinguish one person, place, or thing from all others — for instance, the friendly character of a small town, or the generous character of a neighbour you admire.
The old town has kept its traditional character despite the new shopping centre.
儘管新購物中心落成，這座老城鎮依然保留了其傳統特質。
character of a place
Growing up in a small fishing village shaped Noor's character and taught her to value patience.
在一個小漁村長大的經歷塑造了 Noor 的性格，教會她學會耐心。
character shaped by specific experiences
Brandon noticed a stubborn character in the way his uncle refused to ask for help.
Brandon 注意到他舅舅拒絕求助的方式顯示出一種固執的特性。
The peaceful character of the neighbourhood makes it a great place to raise children.
這個社區寧靜的特色使其成為養育孩子的好地方。
The generous character of the local community helped the family rebuild after the fire.
當地社區的慷慨特質幫助這個家庭在火災後重建家園。
文法句型
character + of + noun
adjective + character
用法筆記
Often paired with an adjective that names the quality (generous character, fragile character). The preposition 'of' introduces the thing being described.
常見錯誤
2. an interesting, unusual, or attractive quality that makes a place, object, or pe
特色；風格
有趣、與眾不同的吸引力
an interesting, unusual, or attractive quality that makes a place, object, or person stand out and feel special or memorable.
The old hotel has a lot of character, with its wooden floors and handmade furniture.
這間老旅館很有特色，鋪著木地板，擺著手工打造的家具。
have character
Sofia thought the new apartment block was boring because it had no character at all.
Sofia 覺得那棟新公寓大樓毫無特色可言，非常單調。
Tourists love the narrow streets of Lisbon's Alfama district because every corner is full of character.
觀光客很喜歡里斯本 Alfama 區狹窄的街道，因為每個角落都充滿了特色。
The café owner painted the walls with bright murals to give the place more character.
咖啡館老闆在牆上畫了鮮豔的壁畫，為店裡增添更多特色。
The old bungalow on Elm Street had so much character that couples lined up to rent it.
Elm 街那棟老平房非常有特色，情侶們紛紛排隊等著租。」
- personality
used more for people than places; 'a city with personality' is slightly informal
- charm
emphasises pleasantness and attraction more than distinctiveness
文法句型
have character
full of character
lack character
用法筆記
Always uncountable in this sense. Usually describes places, buildings, or objects rather than people — for people the equivalent idea is 'personality'.
常見錯誤
3. the inner strength and determination to do what is right, keep going through har
毅力；品格
面對困難時的堅定與原則
the inner strength and determination to do what is right, keep going through hardship, and stay true to your principles — even when it is difficult.
Admitting a mistake in front of a large group takes real character.
在一大群人面前承認錯誤需要真正的品格。
take character (requires strength)
Tunde showed great character by continuing his studies after his father lost his job.
Tunde 在父親失業後仍堅持學業，展現了很大的毅力。
Coaching the junior football team taught Aarav that losing a match can also build character in young players.
執教青少年足球隊讓 Aarav 體認到，輸球也能培養年輕球員的品格。
The long climb tested the hikers' character as much as their physical fitness.
長途攀爬不僅考驗了登山者們的體能，也考驗了他們的毅力。
Even after her classmates mocked her, Amira showed strong character by defending the new student.
即使被同學嘲笑，Amira 仍站出來為新同學辯護，展現了堅定的品格。
- weakness
lack of moral strength or determination
文法句型
show character
build character
test someone's character
用法筆記
Uncountable. Frequently used with 'strength of character' as an emphatic variant. Common in contexts of overcoming adversity or making principled choices.
常見錯誤
4. a person, creature, or other being that appears in a story, movie, play, or vide
角色；人物
故事、電影或遊戲中的人物
a person, creature, or other being that appears in a story, movie, play, or video game, whether real or imaginary.
The novel's main character is a young artist who moves to a small village.
這部小說的主角是一位搬到小村莊居住的年輕藝術家。
main character
To play a medieval noblewoman on stage, Bao spent three months learning to ride horses and sew costumes.
為了在舞台上飾演中世紀貴族女性，Bao 花了三個月學習騎馬和縫製戲服。
role as [specific type of character]
Children often draw pictures of their favourite cartoon characters from television.
孩子們經常畫他們最喜歡的電視卡通人物。
The video game lets players create their own character before starting the adventure.
這款電玩遊戲讓玩家在展開冒險之前先創造自己的角色。
In the school play The Crucible, each character represents either honesty or fear during the witch trials.
在學校話劇《熔爐》中，每個角色分別代表審巫案中的誠實或恐懼。
文法句型
main character
play a character
like a character
常見錯誤
5. a person considered from the point of view of a particular quality they have, es
人物；份子
現實中具備某種突出特質的人
a person considered from the point of view of a particular quality they have, especially when that quality is strongly noticeable.
Old Mr. Nakamura was a remarkable character who still fixed bicycles at the age of eighty-two.
Nakamura 老先生是個了不起的人物，八十二歲了還在修理腳踏車。
remarkable character + specific trait
The police saw a suspicious character hanging around the back of the bank.
警察看到一個可疑份子在銀行後面徘徊。
suspicious character
Rohan is a cheerful character who always makes his classmates laugh during lunch break.
Rohan 是個開朗的人物，午餐時間總能讓同學們開懷大笑。
The receptionist was a nasty character who refused to help us with our bags.
旅館櫃檯人員是個相當惡劣的傢伙，拒絕幫我們搬行李。
Nikos is a cheerful character who always brings homemade pastries to the office on Monday mornings.
Nikos 是個開朗的人物，每週一早上都會帶 homemade 糕點到辦公室。
- person
neutral, no emphasis on a particular quality
- individual
slightly more formal, often used in official contexts
文法句型
an interesting character
a suspicious character
adjective + character
用法筆記
Always follows an adjective that names the quality (generous character, shady character). Without the adjective, 'a character' means an eccentric person (sense 6).
常見錯誤
6. a person whose lifestyle, views, or appearance are noticeably unusual, so that o
怪人；奇人
行為與眾不同而有趣的人
a person whose lifestyle, views, or appearance are noticeably unusual, so that others find them amusing or likeable because of their oddness.
Our neighbour is a real character — he walks his pet parrot every morning at six.
我們的鄰居真是個怪人，每天早上六點帶著他的寵物鸚鵡散步。
a real character
The old librarian was quite a character, always wearing mismatched socks and humming to herself.
那位圖書館老館長真是個奇人，老是穿著不成對的襪子，嘴裡哼著歌。
quite a character
Uncle Jin is a bit of a character who collects old door handles.
Jin 叔叔有點古怪，他從世界各地收集古董門把。
Mr. Asher is our village character — he rides a unicycle to the market every Friday.
Asher 先生是我們村裡的奇人——他每個星期五都騎獨輪車去市場。
文法句型
a bit of a character
quite a character
a real character
用法筆記
Informal. Often used with 'real', 'quite a', or 'a bit of a'. The tone is affectionate or amused, not critical. If you want to criticise someone for being strange, use 'oddball' or 'weirdo' instead.
常見錯誤
7. a letter, number, punctuation mark, or any written symbol used in a writing syst
字元；字
書寫或印刷的文字、數字或符號
a letter, number, punctuation mark, or any written symbol used in a writing system, especially when counting or referring to individual symbols.
The password must contain at least eight characters, including one number.
密碼必須包含至少八個字元，其中包括一個數字。
eight characters (password)
Adina is learning to write Chinese characters, but she finds some of them very complicated.
Adina 正在學寫中文字，但她覺得有些字非常難寫。
Chinese character
The social media post was limited to two hundred and eighty characters, so Ignacio had to shorten his message.
那則社群媒體貼文限制兩百八十個字元，Ignacio 只好把內容縮短。
The ancient stone tablet was covered in carved characters that no one could read.
那塊古代石板上刻滿了無人能解讀的文字。
Esme learned that the Chinese character for 'mountain' (山) came from a drawing of three peaks.
Esme 學到中文字「山」是從三座山峰的圖畫演變而來的。
文法句型
number of characters
in characters
Chinese character
用法筆記
Often used with numbers ('a 5-character code') and in computing contexts ('character encoding', 'special characters').
常見錯誤
8. what most people think about a person, particularly concerning that person's hon
名聲；信譽
他人對你品德與可信度的評價
what most people think about a person, particularly concerning that person's honesty, trustworthiness, and moral quality.
The newspaper article was a character attack that damaged the politician's reputation unfairly.
那篇報紙文章是一場人身攻擊，不公平地損害了那名政治人物的信譽。
character attack
The judge asked for character references from people who knew the defendant.
法官要求認識被告的人提供品德證明。
character reference
Liam is a person of good character, so everyone trusted him with the money.
Liam 一直是個名聲很好的人，所以每個人都放心把錢交給他。
The manager's lies about Gabriel's work ethic severely damaged his character within the company.
主管對 Gabriel 工作態度撒的謊，嚴重損害了他在公司內的名聲。
When the library needed a treasurer, Henry's good character in the neighbourhood made him the trusted choice.
圖書館需要財務幹事時，Henry 在社區的良好名聲讓大家信任他出任此職。
- reputation
focuses on what others believe, which may be inaccurate; 'character' is about actual moral quality
- standing
more formal, emphasises position in a community hierarchy
- disrepute
the state of having a bad reputation
文法句型
character attack
good character
damage someone's character
用法筆記
Close in meaning to 'reputation', but 'character' focuses more on actual moral qualities, while 'reputation' focuses on what people believe (which may not match reality).
常見錯誤
character — 形容詞
- characterpositive
- more charactercomparative
- most charactersuperlative
1. describing an actor who specialises in playing unusual, eccentric, or strongly d
性格的；特型
飾演與本人反差大的角色的
describing an actor who specialises in playing unusual, eccentric, or strongly distinctive roles that are very different from the actor's own personality.
After years of small roles, Tomás became known as a fine character actor.
經過多年飾演小角色後，Tomás 成了一名出色的性格演員。
character actor
The director needed a character actor who could convincingly play a 19th-century sailor.
導演需要一位能逼真飾演十九世紀水手的特型演員。
Min played a quirky taxi driver in the film and became known as a fine character actor.
Min 在片中飾演一位古怪的計程車司機，從此成為知名的性格演員。
Caleb trained as a character actor to master a famous scientist's mannerisms.
Caleb 接受特型演員訓練，以掌握一位著名科學家的舉止神情。
文法句型
character actor
character part
用法筆記
Only used before a noun (attributive position). You cannot say 'That actor is very character.' The noun always relates to acting (actor, role, part).
2. describing a role or scene in a performance that calls for playing a strikingly
性格角色的
需扮演獨特人物的
describing a role or scene in a performance that calls for playing a strikingly odd or distinctive type of person, one very different from the performer's own nature.
The new play offers character roles for a blind musician and a gruff ship captain, both requiring experienced actors.
這齣新劇提供了盲人音樂家和粗暴船長等性格角色，都需要經驗豐富的演員來詮釋。
character role + specific role types
Niran landed his first character part in a television drama about a circus family.
Niran 在一部關於馬戲團家庭的電視劇中得到了他的第一個性格角色。
character part
Winning the Berlin film festival's best character performance award got Constanza noticed by studio directors.
贏得柏林影展最佳性格演出獎讓 Constanza 受到各大製片公司的關注。
Iris auditioned for a character cameo as a circus fortune-teller for a Netflix drama.
Iris 為 Netflix 影集試鏡一個馬戲團算命師的性格客串角色。
文法句型
character role
character part
用法筆記
Attributive only. Overlaps with the first adjective sense, but this sense focuses on the nature of the role itself rather than the actor's specialisation.
character — 動詞
- characterpresent simple I / you / we / they
- characters3rd person singular
- charactering-ing form
- characteredpast simple
1. to describe the typical qualities or features of a person, thing, or situation i
刻劃；描述
描述某人或某物的特點
to describe the typical qualities or features of a person, thing, or situation in a detailed or formal way.
In Jane Austen's novel, the heroine is charactered through her witty remarks and quiet acts of generosity.
在珍·奧斯汀的小說中，女主角透過機智的言談和低調的慷慨之舉被刻劃出來。
passive: be charactered through [traits]
The World Bank report characters the region's economic challenges as being rooted in rapid urban growth.
世界銀行的報告將該地區的經濟挑戰描述為根源於快速的城市化。
characters [noun] as [description]
What words would you use to character the atmosphere of your hometown to a foreign visitor?
你會用哪些詞語向外國訪客描述你家鄉的氛圍呢？
Amara's essay characters that the city's character changed completely after the new railway was built.
Amara 的文章指出，這座城市的特色在新鐵路建成後完全改變了。
- characterize
standard modern verb; 'character' as a verb is now rare
- describe
broader, less specific about identifying essential qualities
文法句型
character + object
character someone as something
用法筆記
Very rare in everyday English. The verb 'characterize' is far more common. This sense is mostly found in formal academic writing and literary criticism.
2. to represent or portray a person or type of person in a work of art, especially
描繪；表現
以突出特點的方式呈現
to represent or portray a person or type of person in a work of art, especially in a way that highlights their distinctive qualities.
In the film, the hero is charactered as a reluctant warrior who would rather talk than fight.
在這部電影中，英雄被描繪成一個寧可談判也不願戰鬥的戰士。
passive: be charactered as
How would you character the villain in that story — as purely evil or as someone with understandable motives?
你會如何描繪那個故事裡的反派——純粹邪惡，還是出於某種可以理解的原因？
In the fifteenth-century fresco, each saint is charactered with a distinctive halo and symbolic object.
在這幅十五世紀的壁畫中，每位聖人都以獨特的光環和象徵物被刻寫出來。
In the portrait, the artist charactered her grandmother by the warmth painted into the eyes.
在這幅肖像畫中，藝術家透過畫中溫暖的眼神來描繪她的祖母。
文法句型
character + object
character someone as something
用法筆記
Archaic or highly literary. Modern writers use 'portray', 'depict', or 'characterize' instead.
3. to engrave, inscribe, or carve written symbols, letters, or decorative marks ont
刻寫；銘刻
在硬質表面上刻字或符號
to engrave, inscribe, or carve written symbols, letters, or decorative marks onto a hard surface such as stone, metal, or wood.
A master carver from Kyoto charactered each wooden panel with scenes from the old folktale.
來自京都的雕刻大師在每塊木板上刻上了古老民間傳說中的場景。
active: character [object] with [decoration]
The old tomb had been charactered centuries ago by workers using simple iron tools.
這座古墓在數百年前由工人使用簡單的鐵製工具刻成。
passive perfect: had been charactered
The blacksmith charactered the blade near the hilt with the owner's name and a short prayer.
鐵匠在刀身靠近刀柄處刻上了主人的名字和一段簡短的祈禱文。
On the back of the marble plaque was charactered a single date: 12 March 1847.
大理石牌匾的背面刻著一個日期：1847 年 3 月 12 日。
文法句型
be charactered with something
用法筆記
Archaic and extremely rare in modern English. Almost always used in the passive voice. The modern equivalent is 'engraved' or 'inscribed'.