colloquial

/kəˈləʊkwiəl/ (bre, ipa) · /kəˈləʊkwiəl/ (ame, ipa) · /kə-ˈlō-kwē-əl/ (ame, mw)

colloquial — 形容詞

  • colloquialpositive
  • more colloquialcomparative
  • most colloquialsuperlative

1. describing words or expressions that people use in relaxed, everyday talk with f

1.形容詞B2
釋義

口語的

用於日常對話而非正式場合的

describing words or expressions that people use in relaxed, everyday talk with friends or family, rather than in serious writing or official documents.

例句

The word 'gonna' is a colloquial way of saying 'going to' in everyday English speech.

「gonna」這個字是日常英語對話中「going to」的口語說法。

colloquial way of saying — pattern: colloquial + noun describing language

Diego's teacher advised him not to use colloquial phrases in his university application essay.

Diego 的老師建議他不要在大學申請論文中使用口語用語。

colloquial phrases — contrast with formal writing

同義詞
  • informal

    Broader term — applies to situations, dress, behaviour, not just language

  • conversational

    Emphasises the back-and-forth rhythm of dialogue; can apply to written texts that read like speech

  • everyday

    Highlights the ordinary, routine nature of the language; less technical than 'colloquial'

反義詞
  • formal

    Describes language that follows strict rules and is used in official or serious contexts

  • literary

    Characteristic of written literature rather than spoken conversation

文法句型

colloquial + noun (language/expression/term)

用法筆記

Restricted to describing language (words, phrases, expressions); not used for people or behaviour. For a person you would say they 'use colloquial language', never that they 'are colloquial'. Compare with 'informal', which can apply to dress, behaviour, and situations as well as language.

常見錯誤

❌He is very colloquial when chatting with his colleagues.
✅He uses very colloquial language when chatting with his colleagues.
💡'colloquial' describes words and expressions, not a person's way of behaving.