compose

/kəmˈpəʊz/ (bre, ipa) · /kəmˈpəʊz/ (ame, ipa) · /kəm-ˈpōz/ (ame, mw)

compose — 動詞

  • composepresent simple I / you / we / they
  • composeshe / she / it
  • composedpast simple
  • composing-ing form

1. to write music, poetry, or other works that require careful thought and skill, s

1.動詞及物 / 不及物B1
釋義

創作；撰寫

寫出音樂或文學作品

to write music, poetry, or other works that require careful thought and skill, such as formal letters or essays

例句

Emre composed a short piece for piano to play at his best friend's wedding.

Emre 為了在摯友的婚禮上演奏，創作了一首簡短的鋼琴曲。

compose + piece of music

The poet composed a beautiful sonnet about the changing of the seasons.

那位詩人創作了一首關於季節變化的美麗十四行詩。

compose + poetic work

同義詞
  • create

    more general, for any kind of making or producing

  • write

    broader, for any type of writing, not just formal

  • craft

    emphasizes skill and careful attention to detail

文法句型

compose + music/poem/letter

compose (intransitive, as a profession)

用法筆記

Unlike 'write', which works for any kind of writing, 'compose' suggests a careful, deliberate creative process. It is most common with music, poetry, and formal correspondence.

常見錯誤

❌I composed a quick note to my friend.
✅I wrote a quick note to my friend.
💡'Compose' sounds unnatural for casual or quick writing; it implies careful creation.

2. to be formed or made up of particular parts, elements, or people — used in the p

2.動詞及物 / 不及物B2
釋義

由…組成

由多個部分構成一個整體

to be formed or made up of particular parts, elements, or people — used in the passive form 'be composed of'

例句

The committee is composed of twelve members from different departments across the university.

該委員會由來自大學各院系的十二名成員組成。

be composed of + group members

Water is composed of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom.

水由兩個氫原子和一個氧原子組成。

be composed of + chemical elements

同義詞

文法句型

be composed of + noun phrase

用法筆記

Always used in the passive structure 'be composed of'. The active counterpart (sense 3) reverses the subject and object: the parts become the subject.

常見錯誤

❌The team is composed by five experts.
✅The team is composed of five experts.
💡Always use 'of', not 'by', after 'composed'.

3. to form a larger unit as the parts or elements that make it up — for instance, t

3.動詞及物B2
釋義

構成

多項元素共同形成

to form a larger unit as the parts or elements that make it up — for instance, the different age groups that compose a town's population

例句

Women compose more than half of the university's teaching staff this year.

今年女性構成了該大學教職員的半數以上。

parts + compose + whole group

Solar and wind power now compose nearly a third of the region's electricity supply during the summer months.

太陽能與風力發電在夏季月份約佔該地區供電量的三分之一。

同義詞
  • constitute

    formal, interchangeable in most cases

  • form

    general, less formal

  • make up

    informal, common in spoken English

文法句型

noun (parts) + compose + noun (whole)

用法筆記

The active counterpart of 'be composed of' (sense 2). The parts form the subject of the sentence. Not used in the passive.

常見錯誤

❌Twelve chapters are composed of the book.' (same structure as sense 2)
✅Twelve chapters compose the book.
💡Sense 3 is active; the parts are the subject.

4. to calm your inner feelings of nervousness, anger, or worry so that you feel qui

4.動詞及物B2
釋義

冷靜

使情緒恢復平靜

to calm your inner feelings of nervousness, anger, or worry so that you feel quiet and in control again

例句

Lara took a deep breath and closed her eyes to compose herself before the interview.

Lara 深吸一口氣，閉上眼睛讓自己在面試前冷靜下來。

compose + reflexive pronoun (oneself)

After the heated argument, Ilan sat down quietly and tried to compose his thoughts.

在那場激烈的爭論之後，Ilan 靜靜地坐下來，試著讓自己的思緒冷靜下來。

compose + thoughts / mind

同義詞
  • calm down

    phrasal verb, more informal and common in everyday speech

  • collect oneself

    idiomatically similar, focus on gathering one's thoughts

  • settle

    broader meaning, can apply to situations as well as people

反義詞
  • agitate

    to make someone feel worried or angry

文法句型

compose + reflexive pronoun

用法筆記

Used only reflexively with 'compose + oneself' or 'compose + one's thoughts/mind'. The focus is on the internal feeling of calm returning.

常見錯誤

❌The music composed the angry audience.
✅The audience composed themselves after the interruption.
💡This sense is always reflexive; you compose yourself, not someone else.

5. to arrange your face, voice, or body language so that you appear calm in front o

5.動詞及物C1
釋義

鎮定

控制外表以顯平靜

to arrange your face, voice, or body language so that you appear calm in front of others, even if you still feel upset inside

例句

Walid composed his face into a neutral expression before opening the meeting room door.

Walid 在打開會議室門之前，把臉上的表情調整成中性的樣子。

compose + face/expression

Apinya took a moment to compose herself after the difficult phone call before returning to the dinner table.

Apinya 在那通困難的電話之後稍微讓自己鎮定下來，才回到餐桌旁。

compose oneself + return after an upsetting event

同義詞
反義詞

文法句型

compose + reflexive pronoun/expression/features/voice

用法筆記

Also reflexive, but unlike sense 4, the focus is on controlling the OUTWARD appearance — your face, voice, or expression — rather than the internal feeling. The person may still feel upset inside.

6. to put text, pictures, and other elements into an ordered page layout for a prin

6.動詞及物C1
釋義

排版

安排文字圖片版面

to put text, pictures, and other elements into an ordered page layout for a printed book, magazine, newspaper, or digital publication

例句

The designer composed the newspaper page using professional layout software on her computer.

設計師用她電腦上的專業排版軟體編排報紙版面。

compose + page / newspaper layout

Before printing the book, the editor composed each page with careful attention to spacing.

在印刷書籍之前，編輯仔細注意間距，編排每一頁。

同義詞
  • lay out

    more common in modern English, especially in design contexts

  • arrange

    general, works for any type of organization

  • set

    traditional printing term, now rare

文法句型

compose + page/document/text/layout

用法筆記

A technical term from traditional printing and desktop publishing. In modern everyday conversation, 'lay out' or 'design' is more common than 'compose'.