day-to-day

/ˌdeɪ tə ˈdeɪ/ (bre, ipa) · /ˌdeɪ tə ˈdeɪ/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈdā-tə-ˈdā/ (ame, mw)

day-to-day — 形容詞

1. describing the ordinary tasks, events, or routines that fill each working day or

1.形容詞B1
釋義

日常的

形容構成例行生活或工作的日常活動

describing the ordinary tasks, events, or routines that fill each working day or each part of normal life

例句

Hoa handles the day-to-day running of the bakery while her sister manages the accounts.

Hoa 負責麵包店的日常營運，她姐姐則管理帳務。

attributive collocation: day-to-day running of [a business]

The deputy mayor takes care of day-to-day decisions when the mayor is travelling.

市長外出時，由副市長處理日常決策。

attributive collocation: day-to-day decisions

同義詞
  • everyday

    very close in meaning; 'everyday' is more general ('everyday clothes'), 'day-to-day' stresses the repeated daily-routine aspect

  • routine

    emphasises the regular, expected nature of the activity; can also follow 'be' (the work is routine)

  • daily

    literally means 'each day'; 'day-to-day' is broader and refers to the texture of normal life, not strict daily frequency

反義詞
  • exceptional

    describes events outside the normal routine

  • long-term

    describes planning or work that looks beyond the immediate day

文法句型

day-to-day + noun (life, running, work, tasks)

用法筆記

Only used attributively (before a noun). Cannot follow 'be' — you cannot say 'the work is day-to-day'. Most frequent collocations are 'day-to-day life / running / business / operations / work / activities / decisions / basis'.

常見錯誤

❌My job is very day-to-day.
✅My job involves a lot of day-to-day tasks.
💡'day-to-day' only goes before a noun, not after 'be'.
❌She handles the running day-to-day of the shop.
✅She handles the day-to-day running of the shop.
💡the adjective goes before the noun it modifies, not after.

2. describing a way of living, planning, or surviving that deals only with each day

2.形容詞B2
釋義

得過且過

形容只顧眼前、無暇規劃未來的生活方式

describing a way of living, planning, or surviving that deals only with each day as it comes, without thinking ahead to the future

例句

After losing his job, Omar's family lived a day-to-day existence on small loans from neighbours.

失業後，Omar 一家靠鄰居的小額借款過著得過且過的日子。

attributive collocation: day-to-day existence (precarious living)

The refugees in the camp focused on day-to-day survival, not on next year's plans.

難民營裡的人專注於眼前的生存，無暇思考明年要在哪裡安頓。

contrast with long-term planning

同義詞
  • hand-to-mouth

    stronger, almost always about poverty and food/money insecurity

  • short-term

    more neutral; focuses on the time horizon rather than the precarious feeling

反義詞
  • long-term

    the natural opposite for plans and outlook

  • forward-looking

    describes a person or plan that anticipates the future

文法句型

day-to-day + noun (existence, survival, planning)

用法筆記

Distinguish from sense 1 (ROUTINE): sense 1 is neutral, describing ordinary daily activity; sense 2 carries a sense of difficulty or limitation — the person plans only one day ahead because they cannot plan further. Typical objects include 'existence', 'survival', 'living', 'planning'.

常見錯誤

❌After the storm, the village had a day-to-day life.
✅After the storm, the village lived a day-to-day existence.
💡for this short-term-survival meaning, use 'existence' or 'survival' rather than 'life'.

day-to-day — 名詞