coins
coins — 名詞
1. A disc-shaped piece of metal that an official authority produces so people can u
硬幣
金屬製的小圓形貨幣
A disc-shaped piece of metal that an official authority produces so people can use it as payment.
Fatima found a few coins under the sofa cushions while cleaning.
Fatima 在清理沙發時，在坐墊下找到了幾枚硬幣。
countable: a few coins, two coins
An old silver coin in the drawer had a picture of a king on it.
抽屜裡的一枚舊銀幣上印著一位國王的頭像。
Kenji collects coins from different countries and keeps them in a blue album.
Kenji 收集各國的硬幣，把它們收在一本藍色的集幣冊裡。
The cashier placed the coins on the counter and counted them one by one.
收銀員把硬幣放在櫃檯上，一枚一枚地數。
Tourists often check their coins for rare dates and special designs.
遊客經常檢查自己的硬幣，尋找稀有年份和特殊圖案。
用法筆記
Countable — each individual piece is 'a coin', and a set of them are 'coins'. Frequently used with 'collect', 'find', 'count'.
常見錯誤
2. Metal money thought of as a general type of payment, especially the small amount
零錢
金屬貨幣的統稱
Metal money thought of as a general type of payment, especially the small amounts people carry for everyday purchases.
The bus driver asked if I had coins for the fare instead of a big note.
公車司機問我是否有零錢付車費，而不是用大鈔。
coins + for [purpose]
Olga emptied her purse and counted the coins for the parking meter.
Olga 把錢包裡的東西倒出來，數了數硬幣要投停車計時器。
When the power went out, the shop could only accept coins for payment.
停電時，商店只能接受硬幣付款。
Tariq keeps a jar of coins on his desk for coffee and snacks.
Tariq 在桌上放了一個硬幣罐，用來買咖啡和零食。
- change
more common in everyday speech; 'Do you have change for the bus?'
- loose change
coins that are not stored in a wallet or purse
用法筆記
Uncountable when referring to coins as a category of money: 'He paid in coins.' To refer to individual pieces, use the countable sense (noun sense 1).
常見錯誤
coins — 動詞
1. To create a new word or phrase, or to use an existing one in a fresh way that be
創造
發明新詞或新說法
To create a new word or phrase, or to use an existing one in a fresh way that becomes part of the language.
The term 'robot' was coined by the Czech writer Karel Čapek in 1920.
「機器人」這個詞是由捷克作家 Karel Čapek 在 1920 年創造的。
passive: [term] + is/was coined + by [person]
Linguists believe that teenagers coined the word 'selfie' through casual use.
語言學家認為「自拍」這個俚語是青少年在日常使用中創造出來的。
Dr. Okafor coined a phrase to describe the situation: 'digital footprints'.
Dr. Okafor 創造了一個說法來描述這種情況：「數位足跡」。
The advertising team coined the slogan 'Just Do It' for a global campaign.
廣告團隊為一場全球活動創造了「Just Do It」這個標語。
文法句型
coin + a word / term / phrase / expression
用法筆記
Almost always used about the first known use of a word or phrase. The creator is named after 'by' in passive sentences.
常見錯誤
2. To make a large amount of money in a short time, especially through a successful
大賺
短期內快速賺取大量錢財
To make a large amount of money in a short time, especially through a successful business or product.
After the app went viral, the developers were coining it in from sales.
這個應用程式爆紅後，開發者靠銷售賺得盆滿缽滿。
informal: be coining it (in)
Miguel's restaurant is so popular that he is coining money every month.
Miguel 的餐廳非常受歡迎，開業以來他一直在大把賺錢。
With thousands of daily orders, the online store is absolutely coining it.
每天都有數千張訂單，這家網路商店正在快速賺錢。
- make a fortune
more formal and emphatic
- rake it in
similar informal register, suggests effortless profit
- lose money
to spend more than you earn
文法句型
be coining it (in)
be coining money
用法筆記
Always used in informal contexts, most naturally in continuous tenses ('is coining it', 'was coining money'). The fixed expression 'coining it in' is especially common in British English.
常見錯誤
3. To press a piece of metal between engraved tools to form a coin with a particula
鑄造
用壓印方式製作金屬貨幣
To press a piece of metal between engraved tools to form a coin with a particular design.
The Royal Mint has been coining gold and silver pieces for centuries.
皇家鑄幣廠幾個世紀以來一直在鑄造金幣和銀幣。
coin + [metal] into [coins]
Workers at the factory coin millions of small coins for the central bank.
工廠的工人每週為中央銀行鑄造數百萬枚小額硬幣。
coin + millions / thousands + of + coins
A special machine coins new pennies by stamping metal discs with a design.
一台特殊的機器通過在金屬圓片上壓印圖案來鑄造新硬幣。
文法句型
coin + metal / coins
用法筆記
Less common in everyday speech; 'mint' is more frequent for describing the process of making coins today.
常見錯誤
coins — 形容詞
1. Connected with the study, collection, or production of coins as a topic or activ
硬幣的
與硬幣的收藏或製造有關
Connected with the study, collection, or production of coins as a topic or activity.
The museum has a large coin collection that dates back to ancient Rome.
這間博物館收藏了大量硬幣，歷史可追溯至古羅馬時期。
coin collection / coin collector / coin club
Kenji joined a local coin club to meet other collectors and trade pieces.
Kenji 加入了當地的硬幣俱樂部，結識其他收藏家並交換藏品。
The coin market in London attracts dealers from all over the world.
倫敦的硬幣市場吸引了來自世界各地的交易商。
用法筆記
Only used before a noun (attributive). You cannot say 'This collection is coin' — instead say 'This is a coin collection'.
常見錯誤
2. (Of a machine or device) designed to work when one or more coins are placed into
投幣式
投入硬幣即可使用的
(Of a machine or device) designed to work when one or more coins are placed into a slot.
The old coin-operated washing machine in the basement takes only quarters.
地下室那台老舊的投幣式洗衣機只收兩毛五的硬幣。
collocation: coin-operated + [machine/appliance]
Aisha put two coins into the coin-operated dryer and pressed the start button.
Aisha 把兩枚硬幣投入投幣式烘乾機，然後按下了啟動鍵。
The arcade has rows of coin-operated video games from the 1980s.
這間遊樂場裡有一排排 1980 年代的投幣式電玩機台。
Coin-operated lockers at the train station let travellers store bags safely.
火車站的投幣式置物櫃讓旅客可以安全存放行李。
- pay-to-use
broader term; includes card and coin payment
- vending
specifically about machines that sell items
- free
available without payment
- card-operated
operated by credit or debit card
用法筆記
Usually written with a hyphen. Used before nouns like 'machine', 'locker', 'phone', 'vending machine'. Modern equivalents use card payments, so this term is often used for older or simpler devices.