expressions

IPA/ɪkˈspreʃ.ən/
KK[ɪksprˈɛʃənz]IPA/ɪkˈspreʃ.ən/

expressions — 名詞

  • expressionssingular
  • expressionsesplural

1. what you do when you put your thoughts or feelings into words, actions, or art s

1.名詞A2
釋義

表達

用言語或行動表示想法或感受

what you do when you put your thoughts or feelings into words, actions, or art so that other people can understand them.

例句

Shirin's poem was a beautiful expression of her love for the mountains.

Shirin 的詩是她對山脈之愛的一種美麗表達。

expression + of + noun showing the content

In many cultures, giving a small gift is a common expression of thanks.

在許多文化中，送小禮物是表達感謝的常見方式。

常見搭配
  • expression of
  • freedom of expression
  • give expression to
  • form of expression
  • means of expression
同義詞
  • communication

    broader term; focuses on the exchange of information rather than the act of showing inner thoughts

  • utterance

    formal; specifically refers to spoken words

  • articulation

    formal; emphasises clear and careful expression

反義詞

文法句型

expression + of + noun

expression + of + how/why/what

用法筆記

Often used with 'of' to specify what is being expressed. 'Freedom of expression' is a fixed phrase referring to the right to speak and write freely. This sense can be uncountable (e.g. 'freedom of expression') or countable (e.g. 'an expression of gratitude').

常見錯誤

She gave expression of her opinion.
She gave expression to her opinion.
the fixed phrase is 'give expression to something', not 'expression of'.
He had a happy expression on his face.' (when referring to a facial look, not verbal expression)
Use sense 2 for facial looks; sense 1 refers to expressing thoughts through words or actions.

2. the way someone's face looks when it reveals the emotion or thought they are exp

2.名詞A2
釋義

表情

臉上顯示情緒或想法的神態

the way someone's face looks when it reveals the emotion or thought they are experiencing inside.

例句

When Jessica heard the news, an expression of surprise spread across her face.

Jessica 聽到這個消息時，臉上露出驚訝的表情。

The teacher's stern expression made the students stop talking immediately.

老師嚴厲的表情讓學生們立刻停止說話。

adjective + expression describing the type of look

常見搭配
  • facial expression
  • blank expression
  • worried expression
  • puzzled expression
  • expression on someone's face
  • change your expression
  • read someone's expression
同義詞
  • look

    more general; can refer to any appearance, not just facial

  • face

    informal; 'make a face' means a silly or disgusted expression

反義詞
  • poker face

    an expressionless face that hides feelings

文法句型

possessive + expression

expression + on + face

用法筆記

Commonly modified by adjectives (worried expression, puzzled expression, blank expression). 'Facial expression' is a common collocation. This sense is always countable — each look is one expression.

常見錯誤

She said it with a angry expression.
She said it with an angry expression.
remember the article 'an' before 'angry'.
I could see from his expression of fear that he was lying.' (redundant)
I could see from his expression that he was lying.' or 'I could see the fear in his expression.
'expression' already conveys the emotion; you don't need 'expression of fear' when 'fear in his expression' is more natural.

3. a string of words that people use together in a fixed way, either for a specific

3.名詞B1
釋義

用語；措詞

特定場合使用的詞組或慣用語

a string of words that people use together in a fixed way, either for a specific situation or with a special meaning that may differ from the literal one.

例句

The expression 'break a leg' is a funny way theatre people say good luck.

『break a leg』這個用語是劇場人員用來祝福好運的有趣說法。

fixed expression with idiomatic meaning

Ingrid learned several useful expressions for ordering food during her trip to Japan.

Ingrid 在去日本旅行時學會了幾個點餐時很有用的表達用語。

常見搭配
  • fixed expression
  • idiomatic expression
  • common expression
  • old-fashioned expression
  • slang expression
  • use an expression
  • expression means
同義詞
  • phrase

    more general; a group of words, not necessarily fixed or idiomatic

  • idiom

    a fixed expression whose meaning is not literal

  • saying

    a well-known expression that gives advice or shares wisdom

文法句型

expression + for + noun

expression + used in/among + group

用法筆記

Often appears in 'fixed expressions' — word combinations that are used as a unit. Many expressions are idioms whose meaning cannot be guessed from the individual words. Language learners should learn expressions as whole chunks rather than translating word by word.

常見錯誤

I learned a new express.
I learned a new expression.
'express' is a verb; the noun form for a phrase is 'expression'.

❌ Translating idioms literally: 'break a leg' does NOT mean to break a bone in your leg.

4. a group of numbers, letters, and symbols in mathematics that shows a quantity or

4.名詞B2
釋義

表達式

代表數量的數學符號組合

a group of numbers, letters, and symbols in mathematics that shows a quantity or a relationship between quantities.

例句

The expression 2x + 5 can be simplified when you know the value of x.

當你知道 x 的值時，表達式 2x + 5 就可以化簡。

algebraic expression with variable

Esteban wrote the mathematical expression for the area of a circle on the board.

Esteban 在黑板上寫下了圓面積的數學表達式。

常見搭配
  • mathematical expression
  • algebraic expression
  • numerical expression
  • logical expression
  • simplify an expression
  • evaluate an expression
同義詞
  • formula

    a rule or relationship expressed in symbols, often used for calculation

  • equation

    contains an equals sign; an expression does not

文法句型

mathematical expression

algebraic expression

simplify an expression

用法筆記

A mathematical expression differs from an equation: an expression (e.g. 3x + 2) does not have an equals sign, while an equation (e.g. 3x + 2 = 11) does. This sense is technical and most common in academic or programming contexts.

常見錯誤

Solve the expression.
Simplify the expression.' or 'Evaluate the expression.
you solve equations, not expressions.
3 + 5 = 8 is an expression.
3 + 5 = 8 is an equation.
an expression has no equals sign.

5. the process by which information from a gene is used to produce a protein or sho

5.名詞C1
釋義

基因表現

基因特徵顯現的生物過程

the process by which information from a gene is used to produce a protein or show a physical characteristic in a living thing.

例句

Gene expression determines whether a person has blue eyes or brown eyes.

基因表現決定一個人的眼睛是藍色還是棕色。

fixed term: 'gene expression'

Scientists studied the expression of the gene that controls hair colour in mice.

科學家研究了控制老鼠毛色的基因表現。

常見搭配
  • gene expression
  • expression level
  • pattern of expression
  • regulate expression
  • expression of a gene
同義詞
反義詞

文法句型

gene expression

expression of + gene/characteristic

用法筆記

Almost always used in the fixed compound 'gene expression'. In biological contexts, 'expression' refers to the activation of a gene to produce its effect. This sense is uncountable when referring to the general process ('gene expression occurs in all living cells') and countable when referring to specific instances ('the expression of this particular gene').

常見錯誤

The expression of his genes made him tall.
His height is influenced by the expression of genes related to growth.
people don't 'express' their own genes in everyday speech; this is a technical biological term.

❌ Mixing up with 'gene editing' or 'genetic modification' — 'gene expression' is about whether a gene is active or not, not about changing the gene itself.

同根字

常見搭配

名詞搭配

副詞搭配

常用片語

  • freedom of expression
  • expression of interest
  • beyond expression

介系詞搭配