eat
eat — 動詞
- eatpresent simple I / you / we / they
- eatshe / she / it
- atepast simple
- eatenpast participle
- eating-ing form
1. to put food into your mouth, chew it with your teeth, and then swallow it so tha
吃
將食物放入口中咀嚼吞下
to put food into your mouth, chew it with your teeth, and then swallow it so that your body can use it for energy and growth.
Megan ate a big bowl of noodles for lunch at the new cafe.
Megan 在那家新咖啡館午餐吃了一大碗麵。
eat + specific meal/food as object
After his morning run, Hao always eats an apple and a banana.
Hao 晨跑後總會吃一顆蘋果和一根香蕉。
habitual present simple with eat
The children ate all the cookies while their mother was in the garden.
孩子們趁媽媽在花園裡的時候，把餅乾全吃光了。
The doctor told my grandmother to eat more green vegetables every day.
醫生告訴我祖母每天要多吃綠色蔬菜。
Talia asked what her guests wanted to eat for breakfast at the hotel.
Talia 問她的客人早餐想在旅館吃什麼。
eat + for + meal name (breakfast/lunch/dinner)
- eat breakfast/lunch/dinner
- eat well
- eat healthily
- eat too much
- eat slowly
- fast
to eat nothing, usually for religious or health reasons
文法句型
eat + object (food/meal)
eat (without object) — 'Have you eaten?'
用法筆記
Irregular verb: eat → ate (past tense) → eaten (past participle). Common meal collocations: eat breakfast / lunch / dinner. Common adverb collocations: eat well / badly / healthily / too much.
常見錯誤
2. to accept responsibility for a cost, loss, or expense yourself, rather than aski
承擔
自行負擔成本或損失
to accept responsibility for a cost, loss, or expense yourself, rather than asking a customer or partner to pay it.
The company had to eat the entire loss after the client canceled the order.
客戶取消訂單後，這家公司不得不承擔全部損失。
eat + financial loss
Small shops often eat the cost of returning faulty goods to keep customers happy.
小商店為了讓顧客滿意，常常自行負擔退換瑕疵品的費用。
eat the cost of [something]
The airline agreed to eat the cost of hotel rooms for the stranded passengers.
這家航空公司同意為受困旅客負擔旅館房間費用。
The builder ate the loss and fixed the roof instead of going to court.
這名建築商自行吸收損失並免費修理屋頂，而不是打官司。
eat the loss = accept financial responsibility
- eat the cost
- eat the loss
- eat the expense
文法句型
eat + cost/loss/expense
用法筆記
Often used in business contexts about absorbing expenses. The object is typically an unpleasant financial item (cost, loss, expense).
3. to gradually destroy, weaken, or use up something by a continuous chemical or ph
侵蝕；耗盡
逐漸消耗或破壞
to gradually destroy, weaken, or use up something by a continuous chemical or physical process — for example, rust eating away metal, or costs eating into your savings.
The sea air slowly ate away the metal lock on the old gate.
海風慢慢侵蝕了舊大門上的金屬鎖。
eat away = gradual destruction by environment
The cost of repairs ate up most of the family's savings for the year.
維修費用耗盡了這家人今年大部分的積蓄。
eat up = consume entirely (financial)
Years of neglect had eaten away at the wooden floorboards in the kitchen.
多年的疏忽逐漸侵蝕了廚房裡的那些木地板。
The rising price of fuel ate into every delivery driver's weekly income.
燃料價格不斷上漲，侵蝕了每位送貨司機的每週收入。
eat into = consume valuable resources
- eat away at
- eat into
- eat up resources
- rust eats metal
文法句型
eat + object + away
eat away at + object
eat into + object
用法筆記
Frequently used with phrasal particles: 'away', 'away at', 'up', 'into'. 'Eat away at' emphasizes the gradual, continuous nature of the destruction.
常見錯誤
4. to trouble or annoy someone in a persistent, nagging way, so that they cannot st
困擾
持續困擾使人煩心
to trouble or annoy someone in a persistent, nagging way, so that they cannot stop thinking about the problem.
Christopher has been silent all morning — I wonder what is eating him today.
Christopher 整個早上都不說話——我不知道今天到底是什麼事在困擾他。
what is eating [person]? = what is bothering them?
Guilt ate at Padma for years after she refused to help her brother.
Padma 因為當年拒絕幫助弟弟，多年來一直被罪惡感折磨。
eat at [person] = nagging, persistent worry
Resentment ate at Dario for months after his manager took credit for his work.
Dario 的主管將他的功勞據為己有，這份怨恨折磨了他好幾個月。
eat at + person = ongoing resentment/dissatisfaction
The thought of the final exam ate at Mert until he could not fall asleep.
期末考的念頭不斷困擾著 Mert，讓他無法入睡。
eat at [person] = gradual mental distress
- what's eating you?
- eat at someone
- guilt eats away at
文法句型
eat + person (as object)
eat at + person
用法筆記
The fixed question 'What's eating you / him / her?' is a common informal way to ask why someone seems upset or annoyed. Avoid this phrase in formal writing or speech. The phrasal form 'eat at + person' works for ongoing emotional distress ('Jealousy ate at him for years').
常見錯誤
eat out
phrasal verbto eat a meal at a restaurant rather than at home.
外出用餐；上館子
The Wang family decided to eat out at a Japanese restaurant last Friday.
We eat out every Saturday because both parents work late on weekdays.
eat in
phrasal verbto eat a meal at home rather than at a restaurant.
在家吃飯
We are too tired to cook, so let us just eat in and order some pizza.
Rachid prefers to eat in during the week to save money on food.
eat up
phrasal verbto eat all of the food that has been given to you; also used figuratively to mean consume entirely, leaving nothing.
吃光；耗盡
Otis told his son to eat up all the beans before he could have dessert.
The new video game system ate up every minute of his free time over the weekend.
eat into
phrasal verbto gradually use or take away a large part of something valuable, especially money, time, or savings.
耗費；侵蝕（金錢、時間等）
The rising rent was eating into the family's monthly budget by a worrying amount.
Long meetings eat into the time that the team could spend on actual work.
eat away / eat away at
phrasal verbto gradually damage, weaken, or destroy something over time, either physically (e.g. rust on metal) or emotionally (e.g. guilt).
侵蝕；逐漸損壞
Rust had been eating away at the old iron gate for many years.
The acid in the rain slowly ate away the surface of the stone statue.
eat away
phrasal verbTo gradually destroy or damage something over time.
侵蝕；腐蝕
The acid ate away the metal surface.
Time will eat away at the stone.
eat away at
phrasal verbTo gradually reduce or destroy something, or to make someone feel worried over time.
侵蝕；折磨
Guilt was eating away at him for weeks.
The constant criticism ate away at her confidence.
eat like a horse
idiomto eat a very large amount of food; to have a big appetite.
吃得很多；食量大
Despite being small, Mauricio eats like a horse and never gains any weight.
After the long hike, everyone ate like a horse at the mountain restaurant.
eat like a bird
idiomto eat only a very small amount of food; to have a small appetite.
吃得極少；食量很小
My aunt eats like a bird — half a sandwich is enough to fill her up.
The doctor told Ramón he eats like a bird and needs to add more protein to his meals.
A situation where people compete very hard and are willing to hurt others to succeed.
狗咬狗；殘酷競爭
In the startup world, it's often a case of dog eat dog.
Maya learned that politics is a dog-eat-dog business.
eat somebody alive
idiomTo criticize or punish someone very severely because you are extremely angry with them.
嚴厲批評；狠狠懲罰
The coach will eat you alive if you miss practice again.
If the boss finds out, she'll eat him alive.
eat dirt
idiomTo accept bad treatment or humiliation without fighting back.
忍氣吞聲；低聲下氣
He had to eat dirt and apologize for the mistake.
Sara refused to eat dirt and stood up for herself.
An encouragement to enjoy life now without worrying about the future.
及時行樂
After finals, we decided to eat, drink and be merry.
Why not eat, drink and be merry while you're young?
eat your heart out!
idiomUsed to boast that someone or something is better than another person or thing.
羨慕吧！
Look at my new car! Eat your heart out, Tom!
She sang so well—eat your heart out, Beyoncé!
To feel very unhappy because you want someone or something you cannot have.
苦苦思念；渴望
He's been eating his heart out for her since she left.
Don't eat your heart out over that job; you'll find another.
eat humble pie
idiomTo admit that you were wrong and apologize for a mistake.
低頭認錯；賠禮道歉
After losing the bet, he had to eat humble pie.
The politician ate humble pie and withdrew his statement.
To trust someone completely and be willing to do whatever they say.
百依百順；完全聽從
The kids will eat out of her hand if she gives them candy.
Within a week, the new manager had them eating out of his hand.
To eat a very large amount of someone else's food, often causing a burden.
吃光家產；吃垮
My teenage son is eating us out of house and home.
The guests ate them out of house and home during the holiday.
eat your words
idiomTo admit that what you said earlier was wrong.
收回前言；承認錯誤
He predicted I'd fail, but I made him eat his words.
When the results came out, she had to eat her words.
To want to enjoy both sides of a situation that are usually impossible to have together.
魚與熊掌兼得
You can't have your cake and eat it—choose one.
She wants a high salary and lots of free time, but she can't have her cake and eat it.
I could eat a horse
idiomUsed to say that you are very hungry.
餓極了；能吃下一匹馬
After the hike, I could eat a horse.
I skipped lunch, so now I could eat a horse.
I’ll eat my hat
idiomUsed to say that you think something is extremely unlikely to happen.
絕不可能；我敢打賭
If he finishes on time, I'll eat my hat.
She'll never apologize—I'll eat my hat if she does.
Looking very pleased with yourself, especially after doing something clever or secret.
得意洋洋；沾沾自喜
After winning the prize, she looked like the cat that ate the canary.
He had that smug grin like the cat that swallowed the canary.
Used to ask what is annoying or worrying someone.
什麼事困擾著他？
What's eating him? He's been quiet all day.
What's eating you? You seem upset.
eat — 名詞
1. things that you can eat; food — used especially in an informal way when talking
食物
可吃的東西
things that you can eat; food — used especially in an informal way when talking about snacks or simple meals.
We packed some eats and drinks for the picnic at the seaside park.
我們為海邊公園的野餐準備了一些食物和飲料。
eats (plural) = snacks/food for an outing
The night market is full of delicious eats from all across Asia.
這個夜市有來自亞洲各地的美味小吃。
The store sells ready-made eats for people who do not have time to cook.
那家商店販售即食食品，專為沒時間做飯的人設計。
There are plenty of vegan eats at the food trucks by the university campus.
大學校園旁的餐車有許多純素小吃可以選擇。
eats (plural) = food items, informal usage
- good eats
- great eats
- street eats
- party eats
用法筆記
Most commonly used in the plural form 'eats'. Found in informal contexts such as conversations about parties, picnics, markets, and street food.