ethnic

/ˈeθnɪk/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈeθnɪk/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈeth-nik/ (ame, mw) · /ˈeθ.nɪk/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈeθ.nɪk/ (ame, ipa)

ethnic — 形容詞

  • ethnicpositive
  • more ethniccomparative
  • most ethnicsuperlative

1. describing a person or community whose identity is tied to a specific set of cus

1.形容詞B1
釋義

族裔的

關於共享文化、語言或歷史的群體身份

describing a person or community whose identity is tied to a specific set of customs, a shared language, or a common ancestry — the features that distinguish one cultural group from others within a larger society.

例句

The school celebrates ethnic diversity through a festival of food and music.

這所學校透過美食與音樂節慶，慶祝學生的族群多樣性。

collocation: ethnic diversity

Naoko's family keeps their ethnic traditions alive by celebrating festivals from their homeland.

Naoko 一家人透過慶祝家鄉的節日，來保存他們的族群傳統。

collocation: ethnic traditions

同義詞
  • cultural

    broader in meaning — covers all learned behaviour, not just group identity markers

  • ancestral

    focuses on family lineage going back generations, not shared customs

  • indigenous

    specifically refers to the original inhabitants of a region, not all cultural groups

用法筆記

Always used before a noun. Unlike 'racial', which emphasizes physical or genetic traits, 'ethnic' focuses on learned cultural practices such as language, religion, and customs.

常見錯誤

❌The ethnic group is' (as if 'ethnic' can stand alone after a verb).
✅The ethnic group is large.
💡'ethnic' is almost always attributive; it rarely follows a linking verb.
❌She is ethnic.
✅She belongs to an ethnic group.
💡describing a person as 'ethnic' without a noun sounds vague and can be offensive.

2. used to describe food, clothing, art, or music that comes from a non-Western cul

2.形容詞B2
釋義

民族風的

來自非西方文化且具特色的

used to describe food, clothing, art, or music that comes from a non-Western culture and is seen as appealing or distinctive because it differs from what is usual in Europe or North America.

例句

The restaurant serves ethnic dishes from Southeast Asia with spices rarely used in local cooking.

這家餐廳提供使用當地少見香料的東南亞民族風菜餚。

collocation: ethnic dishes

Tamar bought a colorful ethnic scarf from a market stall during her trip to Morocco.

Tamar 在摩洛哥旅行時，在市場攤位買了一條色彩繽紛的民族風圍巾。

同義詞
  • exotic

    stronger emphasis on being unusual or striking; can sound more dismissive

  • traditional

    neutral term that does not carry the West-vs-rest contrast

  • folk

    focuses on ordinary people's art or customs, not necessarily non-Western

用法筆記

Some speakers consider this sense reductive or stereotypical because it treats non-Western cultures as a single exotic category. Using more specific terms — 'Thai street food', 'Andean textiles', 'Japanese pottery' — is often preferable in formal writing.

常見錯誤

❌The shop sells ethnic food from Italy.
✅The shop sells Italian food.
💡'ethnic' generally contrasts with Western norms; Italian cuisine is part of the Western tradition in this context.

ethnic — 名詞