chop
/tʃɒp/ (bre, ipa) · /tʃɑːp/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈchäp/ (ame, mw)
chop — 動詞
- choppresent simple I / you / we / they
- chopshe / she / it
- choppedpast simple
- chopping-ing form
1. to use a knife, axe, or similar tool to cut something, especially food, wood, or
切碎；砍
用刀或斧將東西切成小塊
to use a knife, axe, or similar tool to cut something, especially food, wood, or other hard materials, into smaller pieces with a strong downward motion.
Yusuf chopped the onions while Leila heated oil in the pan.
Yusuf 切碎洋蔥，Leila 則在鍋裡熱油。
transitive: chop + object (food item)
The firewood needs to be chopped before the first snow falls.
那些木柴需要在第一場雪來臨前砍好。
passive: be chopped (firewood/fuel)
Aiko chopped the carrots into small pieces for the evening stew.
Aiko 把胡蘿蔔切成小塊，準備晚上燉湯。
The farmer chopped through the thick root with a sharp spade.
農夫用一把鋒利的鏟子砍穿了那條粗根。
After the storm, Ravi chopped the broken branches into smaller logs.
暴風雨過後，Ravi 把折斷的樹枝砍成較小的木段。
文法句型
chop + object
chop + up/off/down + object
chop (intransitive) + at/through
用法筆記
Commonly paired with particles 'up' (chop up the vegetables), 'down' (chop down a tree), and 'off' (chop off a branch). The object is usually something hard or thick that requires force.
常見錯誤
2. to unexpectedly remove or drastically reduce something such as funding, jobs, or
削減；砍掉
大幅削減或終止資金、職位等
to unexpectedly remove or drastically reduce something such as funding, jobs, or services, often as a sudden cost-cutting measure in an organization.
The company chopped two hundred jobs after the merger fell through.
公司合併失敗後，砍掉了兩百個工作職位。
chop + jobs/positions
Government funding for the arts program was chopped last spring.
政府對藝術計畫的補助金去年春天被砍掉了。
passive: funding/ budget + be chopped
The school board chopped several after-school activities to balance the budget.
為了平衡預算，學校董事會砍掉了好幾項課外活動。
The CEO warned that more positions would be chopped if sales did not improve.
執行長警告說，如果銷售沒有改善，更多職位將被砍掉。
文法句型
be chopped
chop + object (funding/jobs/services)
用法筆記
Used almost exclusively in business and finance contexts. The subject is typically an organization (company, government, school board) making drastic cuts. The passive form (be/get chopped) is very common.
常見錯誤
3. when playing cricket or baseball, to strike the ball using a quick bat movement
向下擊球
在板球或棒球中將球向下擊打
when playing cricket or baseball, to strike the ball using a quick bat movement aimed at the ground so that it bounces up from the pitch or field.
Bao chopped the ball straight into the pitch, and it spun past the fielder.
Bao 將球直直地朝球場砍去，球旋轉著越過外野手。
chop + ball + direction (sports context)
The batter chopped at a low fastball and sent it skipping across the dirt.
打擊手朝一顆低角度的快速球向下砍擊，球彈過內野的泥土。
intransitive pattern: chop at + ball
A batsman might chop the ball toward the turf to avoid being caught out.
打者可能會將球向下砍向草皮，以避免被接殺。
The shortstop chopped at the ground ball and threw the runner out at first.
游擊手朝滾地球砍擊，然後在一壘將跑者刺殺出局。
文法句型
chop + the ball
用法筆記
A specialized sports term. In cricket, it describes a defensive shot; in baseball, it refers to a chopping swing that produces a high-bouncing ground ball.
chop — 名詞
- chopsingular
- chopsplural
1. a small, thick piece of meat, usually from a pig or sheep, that still has a flat
排骨；帶骨肉
連骨的小塊肉（常指豬或羊）
a small, thick piece of meat, usually from a pig or sheep, that still has a flat piece of bone attached to one side.
Rohan grilled two lamb chops on the barbecue for dinner.
Rohan 在烤肉架上烤了兩塊羊排當晚餐。
lamb chop / pork chop — common compound nouns
The butcher wrapped the pork chops in brown paper for Priya to take home.
肉販用牛皮紙把豬排包好，讓 Priya 帶回家。
Hana served the chops with mashed potatoes and a side of green beans.
Hana 把排骨配上馬鈴薯泥和四季豆一起上桌。
The recipe calls for four veal chops seasoned with salt and rosemary.
食譜要求四塊小牛排，用鹽和迷迭香調味。
用法筆記
Often preceded by the animal name: lamb chop, pork chop, veal chop. A 'chop' is thicker than a 'cutlet' and always contains a bone.
常見錯誤
2. a strong, downward cutting movement made with a knife, axe, or similar sharp too
砍；劈
用刀或斧頭向下砍的動作
a strong, downward cutting movement made with a knife, axe, or similar sharp tool.
With one clean chop of the axe, Diego split the log in half.
Diego 乾淨俐落地一斧頭就把木頭劈成兩半。
one + clean/single + chop + of + tool
The cook cut through the coconut shell with a single firm chop of the cleaver.
廚師用菜刀對著椰子殼用力砍了一下，把椰子切開了。
Priya brought the knife down in a sharp chop, splitting the squash open.
Priya 用力一刀砍下，將南瓜劈成兩半。
A few more chops and the thick branch came loose from the trunk.
再砍幾下，那根粗樹枝就從樹幹上脫落了。
用法筆記
Describes a single forceful action. Unlike the verb, this noun focuses on the blow itself rather than the cutting result.
3. a situation where someone is told they no longer have a job, either because they
解僱；開除
因表現不佳或節省成本而被解職
a situation where someone is told they no longer have a job, either because they did something wrong or because the employer needs to reduce spending.
Tariq got the chop after the entire marketing department was restructured.
整個行銷部門重組後，Tariq 就被解僱了。
get the chop — fixed idiom for dismissal
Several factory managers faced the chop when the new owner took over.
新老闆接手後，好幾位工廠主管都面臨被開除的命運。
face the chop — common collocation
The threat of the chop hung over everyone during the company merger.
公司合併期間，每個人都籠罩在被解僱的陰影下。
Two managers were given the chop after the internal investigation ended.
內部調查結束後，有兩名經理被開除了。
用法筆記
Almost always used in the fixed phrases 'get the chop' or 'face the chop.' The definite article 'the' is required. Less common in formal writing.
常見錯誤
4. the complete and often sudden ending of a business, school, factory, or planned
終止；取消
工廠、學校或計畫的突然終止
the complete and often sudden ending of a business, school, factory, or planned project.
The historic factory got the chop after fifty years of continuous operation.
那間經營了五十年的老工廠被關掉了。
get the chop — for organizations/projects
Plans for a new highway got the chop when the government changed hands.
政權輪替後，新高速公路的計畫就被取消了。
Three rural schools face the chop because of falling student numbers.
由於學生人數不斷減少，三間鄉村學校面臨被關閉的命運。
The proposed housing development got the chop after residents protested loudly.
居民強烈抗議之後，那項擬議中的住宅開發案就被取消了。
- cancellation
more formal and neutral
- closure
standard formal term for ending an institution
- scrapping
informal, emphasizes the suddenness
用法筆記
Use the same fixed phrases as sense 3 ('get the chop' / 'face the chop'), but the subject is an organization or project rather than a person. Distinguish from sense 3 by context: a person gets the chop (loses job) vs. a plan/school gets the chop (is cancelled).
5. the lower part of a person's or animal's face, including the jaws, mouth, and ch
下巴；嘴部
人或動物嘴部和下巴的區域
the lower part of a person's or animal's face, including the jaws, mouth, and cheeks.
The dog's chops were covered in mud after digging in the wet garden.
那隻狗在潮濕的花園裡挖土，滿臉都是泥巴。
plural: animal's chops
The old man's chops quivered as he tried to form the words.
老人試著開口說話時，下巴顫抖著。
Sauce dribbled down the baby's chops as she ate her first bowl of soup.
寶寶喝第一碗湯時，醬汁沿著她的下巴流了下來。
The cat sat on the steps licking its chops after finishing the fish scraps.
貓吃完魚碎肉後坐在台階上舔著嘴邊。
用法筆記
Always plural in this sense. Often used in the idiom 'lick one's chops' (literal: to lick around one's mouth after eating; figurative: to show eager anticipation).
常見錯誤
6. a high level of technical ability or virtuosity, particularly when performing on
演奏技巧
演奏樂器的高超技術
a high level of technical ability or virtuosity, particularly when performing on instruments such as guitar, piano, or saxophone.
The young pianist has serious chops for someone who has only been playing for three years.
那位年輕的鋼琴家才學了三年，就有如此扎實的演奏技巧。
have + adjective + chops
Noa earned his blues chops by playing in small clubs for over a decade.
Noa 在小型俱樂部演奏了十多年，磨練出一身藍調演奏功力。
genre + chops: blues/jazz/rock chops
The guitarist's jazz chops impressed everyone who came to the audition.
那位吉他手的爵士演奏技巧讓來試鏡的每個人都印象深刻。
To play bebop well, a musician needs fast fingers and solid harmonic chops.
要演奏好比博普爵士樂，樂手需要靈活的手指和扎實的和聲功力。
- virtuosity
formal; chops is informal and carries jazz/rock cultural associations
- technique
neutral and broader, not limited to music
用法筆記
Always plural. Originated in 1930s jazz slang: a player's 'chops' originally meant their lips and embouchure, which were essential for brass and wind instruments. The meaning broadened to technical skill on any instrument.
常見錯誤
7. the combination of skills, experience, and natural ability needed to perform a j
本事；能力
勝任某項工作或活動的經驗與能力
the combination of skills, experience, and natural ability needed to perform a job or activity successfully.
Zara has the diplomatic chops to handle the difficult trade negotiations.
Zara 擁有處理棘手貿易談判的外交本事。
have the + adjective + chops + to-infinitive
The young journalist proved her writing chops with that award-winning feature article.
那位年輕記者憑那篇獲獎的特寫文章證明了她的寫作功力。
prove one's + skill + chops
The new manager showed she had the technical chops to lead the engineering division.
新任主管展現出她有能力領導整個工程部門。
After ten years in sales, Dimitri felt he had earned his business chops.
在銷售領域待了十年之後，Dimitri 覺得自己已經累積了足夠的商業實力。
- credentials
more formal; can imply official qualifications rather than proven skill
- expertise
formal and neutral; chops is informal and carries a confident tone
- pedigree
emphasizes background and training rather than raw ability
用法筆記
Always plural. Distinguish from sense 6 (MUSICAL SKILL): sense 7 applies to any professional or creative field — business, writing, acting, diplomacy — but not music, where sense 6 is preferred. The modifier ('diplomatic chops,' 'writing chops,' 'business chops') specifies the domain.