ey
ey — 名詞
1. the English alphabet's 25th character, used in writing and speech for sounds lik
字母Y
英語字母表中第25個字母
the English alphabet's 25th character, used in writing and speech for sounds like /j/ in 'yes' or /aɪ/ in 'sky'.
Harper learned to write the letter Y in her first week of kindergarten.
Harper 在幼稚園第一週學會了寫字母 Y。
letter Y as a written character
The word 'yellow' begins with a Y, followed by E, L, L, O, and W.
單字「yellow」以 Y 開頭，後面依序是 E、L、L、O、W。
Daichi traced the capital Y three times in his handwriting exercise book.
Daichi 在自己的習字簿裡把大寫 Y 描了三遍。
In English, the letter Y can be a consonant or a vowel.
在英文中，字母 Y 可以是子音或母音。
Gabriela sang the alphabet and stopped carefully when she reached Y.
Gabriela 唱字母歌時，唱到 Y 會特別停下來。
用法筆記
Distinguish from the homograph suffix -y, which changes the meaning of a base word rather than naming a letter of the alphabet.
常見錯誤
2. a stamp, type piece, key, or other device used to produce the letter y on paper,
Y字模
印刷或顯示字母Y的模具或按鍵
a stamp, type piece, key, or other device used to produce the letter y on paper, a screen, or another surface.
The old printing press had a damaged Y that left ink smudges on every poster.
那台舊印刷機的 Y 字模壞了，每張海報上都留下墨漬。
printing press type piece
Walid replaced the missing Y key on his typewriter before finishing the letter.
Walid 在打完那封信之前，換好了打字機上遺失的 Y 鍵。
The sign maker pressed a metal Y stamp firmly onto the board.
招牌師傅用力把金屬 Y 印章壓在木板上。
Amira noticed the Y on her keyboard was worn smooth from years of typing.
Amira 發現鍵盤上的 Y 鍵因為多年打字已經磨得發亮了。
用法筆記
This sense is technical and most often encountered in printing, typography, or keyboard manufacturing contexts. It is rarely used in everyday conversation.
3. a person, thing, or group identified as the 25th item in a series, often followi
第25號
編號為 Y 的第25個項目
a person, thing, or group identified as the 25th item in a series, often following X or W as part of a labelling system.
The seats in row Y of the theater have a clear view of the stage.
劇院 Y 排的座位視野很好，可以清楚看到舞臺。
row Y in a seating chart
Kabir chose option Y on the multiple-choice test, hoping his guess was right.
Kabir 在選擇題中選了選項 Y，希望自己猜對了。
The librarian found the book on shelf Y, between the encyclopedias and the maps.
圖書館員在 Y 書架上找到了那本書，就在百科全書和地圖的中間。
Pedro checked locker number Y and discovered the missing gym bag inside.
Pedro 打開 Y 號置物櫃，發現遺失的運動袋就在裡面。
4. an object, structure, or piece that has a shape like the capital letter Y, with
Y形物
形狀像大寫字母Y的物體
an object, structure, or piece that has a shape like the capital letter Y, with two upper arms meeting at a central stem.
The road split into a Y ahead, with one branch leading to the lake.
前方的路岔成一個 Y 形，其中一條通往湖邊。
Y-shaped road junction
Theo used a Y-shaped stick to hold the heavy tomato plant upright.
Theo 用一根 Y 形樹枝撐住那株高大的番茄苗。
The plumber installed a Y-shaped pipe to join the two separate water lines.
水電工裝了一個 Y 形水管，將兩條獨立的管線連接起來。
Amira drew a Y to show where the hiking trail splits in two.
Amira 畫了一個 Y，標示健行步道分岔的地方。
The wooden slingshot had a simple Y shape carved from a single branch.
那把木頭彈弓是直接從一根樹枝上削出簡單的 Y 形。
- fork
emphasises the division into two branches more than the letter-like shape
- bifurcation
formal or technical term for a split into two parts
5. (informal) the Young Men's Christian Association, or a building run by this orga
YMCA
基督教青年會組織或其會館
(informal) the Young Men's Christian Association, or a building run by this organisation, often offering sports facilities, housing, and community programmes.
Asher swims at the Y every Saturday morning before breakfast.
Asher 每週六早上都去 YMCA 游泳，然後再吃早餐。
informal 'the Y' for YMCA
The neighbourhood Y offers affordable basketball leagues for local teenagers.
附近的 YMCA 提供費用低廉的籃球聯賽，讓青少年參加。
Imran signed up for a yoga class at the downtown Y last September.
Imran 去年九月在市中心 YMCA 報名了瑜伽課。
Harper's grandmother has volunteered at the Y's after-school programme for six years.
Harper 的奶奶已經在 YMCA 的課後輔導計劃當了六年的志工。
- YMCA
the full name; more formal than the shortened 'Y'
用法筆記
Commonly used in American English as a shortened, informal name for the YMCA organisation or one of its local centres. The full form YMCA is also widely used and is more formal.
6. (informal) the Young Women's Christian Association, or a building run by this or
YWCA
基督教女青年會組織或其會館
(informal) the Young Women's Christian Association, or a building run by this organisation, which provides housing, job training, and community services focused on women and families.
Gabriela stayed at the YWCA during her summer internship in Chicago.
Gabriela 在芝加哥暑期實習期間，住在 YWCA 的宿舍。
YWCA as temporary housing
The YWCA runs a shelter and a job training programme for women in the city.
YWCA 在城中設有庇護所和職業培訓課程，專門服務女性。
Amira donated winter coats to the YWCA's annual family support drive.
Amira 為 YWCA 的年度家庭物資募集活動捐了冬衣。
Daichi's aunt teaches evening English classes at the local YWCA centre.
Daichi 的阿姨在當地的 YWCA 中心教夜間英文課。
用法筆記
Like 'Y' for YMCA, 'the YWCA' is the standard shortened form in American English. Do not confuse with 'the Y' (YMCA) — the two are separate organisations.
7. a silvery-grey metal that is one of the chemical elements. It is used in making
釔
一種銀灰色金屬元素
a silvery-grey metal that is one of the chemical elements. It is used in making materials that produce red colour in television and computer screens, as well as in some lasers and strong magnets.
Maja's research group uses yttrium to make stronger metal alloys for aircraft engines.
Maja 的研究團隊使用釔來製造更堅固的飛機引擎合金。
collocation: yttrium + used to make / used in
The red pixels on the old computer screen contained a compound made with yttrium.
舊電腦螢幕上的紅色像素含有釔化合物。
domain: electronics — yttrium in screen phosphors
Adding yttrium to the mixture improved the strength of the ceramic material at high temperatures.
在混合物中加入釔，提升了該陶瓷材料在高溫下的強度。
Asher read that yttrium is often found together with other rare-earth elements in the same mine.
Asher 讀到釔常與其他稀土元素在同一礦脈中被發現。
The lab ordered a small sample of yttrium powder for the superconductivity experiment.
實驗室訂購了一小批釔粉末，準備進行超導實驗。
文法句型
the chemical element yttrium
用法筆記
Yttrium is classified as a rare-earth metal and occurs naturally in minerals such as xenotime and monazite. Its chemical symbol is Y.
常見錯誤
ey — 縮寫
1. a short written form of 'yard', a unit of length equal to 3 feet or about 0.91 m
碼
長度單位，等於3英尺
a short written form of 'yard', a unit of length equal to 3 feet or about 0.91 metres, used when describing the size of land, cloth, or distance in sports
Noor bought 3 y of blue cotton fabric for the curtains.
Noor 買了 3 y 的藍色棉布來做窗簾。
abbreviation for yard in fabric measurements
The garden measures about 30 y wide and 50 y long.
花園約 30 y 寬、50 y 長。
Andrés dug a trench 4 y deep behind the garage.
Andrés 在車庫後面挖了一條 4 y 深的溝。
The football field is 100 y from one end zone to the other.
足球場從一端底線到另一端有 100 y。
用法筆記
Commonly seen on fabric labels, property surveys, and American football field markings. The full word 'yard(s)' is preferred in formal writing.
常見錯誤
2. a short written form of 'year', used in dates, financial records, school grades,
年；年度
十二個月的期間
a short written form of 'year', used in dates, financial records, school grades, and statistical data to show a period of twelve months
The school was founded in the y 1992 by a group of local parents.
該學校由一群當地家長於 1992 y 創立。
abbreviation for year in dates
Maeve is currently a student in y 10 at the city high school.
Maeve 目前在市立高中就讀 y 10。
The company publishes its results every fiscal y in early March.
該公司每年三月初公布其 fiscal y 的業績。
Students in y 12 take final exams before graduating in June.
y 12 的學生在六月份畢業前參加期末考試。
用法筆記
Very common in tables, charts, forms, and school contexts. In continuous prose, the full word 'year' is more appropriate.
常見錯誤
ey — 形容詞字尾
1. added to nouns to make adjectives describing something that has a large amount o
充滿…的
形容充滿或覆蓋某物
added to nouns to make adjectives describing something that has a large amount of that quality or is covered with it
After three days of rainy weather, the river flooded the park near Lan's house.
下了三天的雨後，河水淹沒了Lan家附近的公園。
rainy = rain + -y (full of rain)
Mauricio wiped the dusty shelves with a damp cloth before putting the books back.
Mauricio在放回書本之前，先用濕布擦了擦滿是灰塵的書架。
dusty = dust + -y (covered with dust)
The children came in from the garden with muddy boots and grubby hands.
孩子們從花園回來，靴子上沾滿泥巴，雙手髒兮兮的。
A sandy path led from the beach up to a small café with white chairs.
一條鋪滿沙的小徑從海灘通往上方的白色小咖啡館。
The rocky trail made hiking difficult, but the view at the top was worth it.
這條多岩石的小路讓健行變得困難，但山頂的景色值得一看。
文法句型
noun + -y → adjective meaning 'having a lot of' or 'covered with'
用法筆記
Spelling changes when adding the suffix: if the noun ends in a silent e, drop the e (shine → shiny, noise → noisy); if it ends in a consonant + y, change y to i (mess → messy, luck → lucky); if the noun has a single short vowel followed by a single consonant, double the consonant (sun → sunny, fog → foggy, mud → muddy).
常見錯誤
2. added to nouns to make adjectives describing something that reminds you of that
像…的
形容外觀或質感相似
added to nouns to make adjectives describing something that reminds you of that thing because of its appearance, feel, or character
The baby's skin felt as silky as the smooth petals of a rose.
嬰兒的肌膚像絲綢般光滑，有如玫瑰柔軟的花瓣。
silky = silk + -y (like silk)
Yael's cottage had a warm, homey feeling with its wooden furniture and fireplace.
Yael的小屋有種溫暖如家的感覺，木製家具和壁爐讓人感到舒適。
homey = home + -y (like home)
Rafael bought a creamy moisturizer that smelled faintly of coconut oil.
Rafael買了一瓶乳霜狀的保濕霜，帶著淡淡的椰子油香味。
Ravi loved the velvety feel of his new winter coat and wore it everywhere.
Ravi 很喜歡新冬衣那天鵝絨般的觸感，走到哪裡都穿著它。
文法句型
noun + -y → adjective meaning 'similar to' or 'having the qualities of'
3. added to nouns or verbs to make adjectives describing a person or thing that ten
易…的
形容容易或常有某種狀態
added to nouns or verbs to make adjectives describing a person or thing that tends to do a particular action or show a particular quality
The long car ride made little Defne so sleepy she fell asleep in her seat.
漫長的車程讓小Defne非常想睡，在座位上就睡著了。
sleepy = sleep + -y (tending to sleep)
That catchy tune stayed in Ingrid's head for the whole afternoon.
那首朗朗上口的旋律在Ingrid的腦海裡迴盪了一整個下午。
catchy = catch + -y (tending to catch attention)
Pim felt grumpy after missing breakfast and having a very busy morning at work.
Pim沒吃早餐又度過了忙碌的上午，因此脾氣變得暴躁。
The sticky tape left marks on the wall when Felix tried to pull it off.
Felix想把膠帶撕下來時，膠帶在牆上留下了黏黏的痕跡。
文法句型
noun/verb + -y → adjective meaning 'inclined to' or 'likely to'
常見錯誤
4. added to verbs to make adjectives describing something that makes people experie
令人…的
形容引發某種感受或行動
added to verbs to make adjectives describing something that makes people experience the feeling or perform the action expressed by the original verb
The old house at the end of the street looked scary even in broad daylight.
街尾那棟老房子即使在大白天看起來也很嚇人。
scary = scare + -y (causing fear)
Tariq preferred chewy cookies with lots of nuts and dried fruit inside.
Tariq比較喜歡需要嚼勁的餅乾，裡面有很多堅果和果乾。
chewy = chew + -y (requiring chewing)
Padma wrapped herself in a soft, cuddly blanket while watching the movie.
Padma在看電影時把自己裹在一條柔軟舒適的毯子裡。
Abigail gave the puppy a tickly scratch behind its ears, and it wagged its tail.
Abigail輕輕搔癢小狗的耳朵後面，小狗便搖起了尾巴。
文法句型
verb + -y → adjective meaning 'causing or inviting the action'
用法筆記
Sense 4 derives from verbs and describes something that actively causes a reaction or invites an action (scary = causes fear, chewy = requires chewing). By contrast, sense 1 derives from nouns and simply describes what something is full of or covered with (rainy = full of rain, dusty = covered with dust). A word made with sense 4 always carries an implied causative relationship: the thing provokes a response in someone or demands a particular action. Sense 1 has no such implication.
ey — 名詞字尾
1. attached to adjectives (and some nouns) to form abstract nouns that name the qua
狀態；性質
附加於形容詞構成抽象名詞，表狀態
attached to adjectives (and some nouns) to form abstract nouns that name the quality, state, or condition expressed by the base word
Her jealousy of her sister's promotion caused a lot of bad feeling in the family.
她對姐姐升職的嫉妒在家人之間造成許多不愉快。
adjective jealous + -y → jealousy
The honesty of the young boy impressed the teacher, who praised him in front of the class.
小男孩的誠實令老師印象深刻，她在全班面前表揚了他。
adjective honest + -y → honesty
Diego found the poverty in the rural village deeply upsetting during his first visit there.
Diego 第一次造訪那個鄉村時，當地的貧窮讓他深感不安。
The difficulty of the maths exam surprised even the best students in the school.
數學考試的困難甚至讓學校裡最優秀的學生都大吃一驚。
Saira's modesty about her achievements made everyone respect her even more.
Saira 對自己成就的謙虛讓大家更加尊敬她。
文法句型
[adjective] + -y/-ey → abstract noun
rare, honest, jealous, modest + -y → rarity, honesty, jealousy, modesty
用法筆記
The base word often undergoes spelling changes: final -e is dropped (rare → rarity), final -t is kept (honest → honesty), and -c becomes -c- (democrat → democracy). This is the most productive use of the -y/-ey noun suffix.
常見錯誤
2. attached to nouns or verbs to form nouns that refer to an activity, the business
活動；場所
構成名詞，表行業活動或場所
attached to nouns or verbs to form nouns that refer to an activity, the business or workplace connected with it, or the goods produced or sold there
Every morning Rachid stops at the bakery near the station to buy fresh bread.
每天早上 Rachid 都會在車站附近的麵包店停下來買新鮮麵包。
verb bake + -ery → bakery (place)
The local fishery has been supplying fresh fish to the town market for over forty years.
當地的漁業四十年來一直為鎮上的市場供應新鮮魚貨。
noun fish + -ery → fishery (business/place)
Tamara went to the grocery to pick up milk, eggs, and rice for dinner.
Tamara 去雜貨店買了牛奶、雞蛋和米飯當晚餐。
The creamery down the road makes the best ice cream in the whole county.
路底那家乳製品廠做的冰淇淋是整個郡最好吃的。
Mayumi works at a pottery that sells handmade cups and plates to tourists.
Mayumi 在一家陶器工廠工作，向遊客販售手工杯盤。
文法句型
[noun/verb] + -ery/-y → noun for activity/place/goods
bake + -ery → bakery, fish + -ery → fishery, grocer + -y → grocery
用法筆記
Many words in this sense use the -ery spelling variant. The base noun often describes the person who does the work (grocer → grocery) or the raw material (fish → fishery).
3. attached to nouns to form collective nouns referring to a whole body, group, or
全體；團體
構成集合名詞，表示具有共同目的的一群人
attached to nouns to form collective nouns referring to a whole body, group, or collection of people or things that share a purpose or characteristic
The whole company gathered in the hall to hear the manager's announcement about the merger.
全公司的人都聚集在大廳，聆聽經理宣布合併事宜。
noun compan- (from companion) → company (group of people)
The army moved its troops to the border after the government declared a state of emergency.
政府在宣布緊急狀態後，將軍隊調動到邊境。
Mert's entire family came to the airport to see him off before his flight to Berlin.
Mert 的全家人都到機場為他送行，之後他就要飛往柏林。
The infantry advanced slowly through the forest, checking every bush for hidden dangers.
步兵部隊慢慢穿過森林，搜索每一叢灌木是否有潛伏的危險。
文法句型
[noun] + -y → collective noun
company, army, family, infantry
用法筆記
Unlike sense 1, the base words in this sense are already nouns, and the suffix adds a collective rather than abstract meaning. Many of these words are very old and the base may no longer be recognisable as a separate word.
常見錯誤
4. attached to verbs to form nouns that refer to a specific instance of an action,
行為實例
構成名詞，表示某個動作的一次實例或結果
attached to verbs to form nouns that refer to a specific instance of an action, or the result produced by that action
Lin's discovery of the old letters in the attic changed everything the family knew about their past.
Lin 在閣樓發現的那些舊信，徹底改變了全家人對過去的認知。
verb discover + -y → discovery (result of action)
The police opened an inquiry into the cause of the fire that destroyed the warehouse.
警方對那場燒毀倉庫的大火展開了調查。
Ada was pleased when the delivery arrived on time with all the books she had ordered.
Ada 訂的書準時到貨，她對於送貨的速度很滿意。
The recovery of the stolen paintings took the police nearly two years of careful detective work.
警方花了將近兩年的細密偵查才找回被偷的畫作。
Sana made a full recovery from her knee surgery and was back at school within six weeks.
Sana 的膝蓋手術後康復得很好，六週內就回到學校上課了。
文法句型
[verb] + -y → noun for an instance or result of the action
discover + -y → discovery, inquire + -y → inquiry, deliver + -y → delivery
用法筆記
The base verb in this sense often ends in -er or has two syllables. The derived noun can usually be preceded by 'a' or 'an' to refer to a single event (a discovery, an inquiry).
常見錯誤
5. attached to nouns or short names to form an informal, affectionate, or diminutiv
暱稱；小稱
表示親暱的詞尾，為 -ie 變體
attached to nouns or short names to form an informal, affectionate, or diminutive version, showing that the speaker feels fondness towards the person, animal, or thing. This is a spelling variant of the suffix -ie.
The little girl called her doggy and the puppy ran straight over to her with its tail wagging.
小女孩喊了一聲 doggy，那隻小狗就搖著尾巴直直朝她跑過來。
dog + -gy → doggy (affectionate form)
Mia's kitty loves to sit on the windowsill and watch the birds in the garden all morning.
Mia 的 kitty 喜歡坐在窗台上，整個上午看花園裡的小鳥。
Look at that ducky swimming in the pond with its three babies behind it.
看那隻 ducky 在池塘裡游泳，後面跟著三隻小寶寶。
Auntie Rosa brought a big box of chocolate biscuits when she came to visit the children.
Auntie Rosa 來探望孩子們時，帶了一大盒巧克力餅乾。
Saira calls her grandfather 'Grandy' because she could not say the full word when she was small.
Saira 叫她的外公「Grandy」，因為她小時候說不出完整的單字。
文法句型
[noun] + -y/-ie → affectionate short form
dog + -gy → doggy/doggie, dad + -dy → daddy, aunt + -ie → auntie
用法筆記
This sense is a spelling variant of the suffix -ie (doggy = doggie, auntie = aunty). The -y form is very common in British English for family terms (daddy, mummy, granny). Unlike the other senses, this one does not change the grammatical category — it stays as a noun, just with a more personal or childish tone.
常見錯誤
ey — 符號
1. the uppercase letter Y used in science as the standard symbol that stands for th
元素符號Y
化學元素釔的符號Y
the uppercase letter Y used in science as the standard symbol that stands for the element yttrium, especially on the periodic table and in chemical formulas
Yasmin located yttrium on the periodic table by finding the box labelled Y.
Yasmin 在週期表上找到標示 Y 的格子，那就是釔。
symbol Y paired with element name on periodic table
Omar's lab report used the symbol Y to represent yttrium in the chemical formula.
Omar 的實驗報告用符號 Y 來代表化學式中的釔。
symbol Y used in chemical formulas
Cole circled the Y on the chart and wrote 'yttrium' beside it.
Cole 在圖表上圈出字母 Y，然後在旁邊寫下「yttrium」。
Devika saw every jar of yttrium oxide in the lab had Y on it.
Devika 看到實驗室裡每罐氧化釔都標有 Y。
用法筆記
In chemical notation the symbol Y always appears as a capital letter and is never followed by a period. Distinguish from the noun sense yttrium, which refers to the metallic element itself rather than its written symbol.