frank
/fræŋk/ (bre, ipa) · [frˈæŋk] /fræŋk/ (ame, ipa) · [frˈæŋk] /ˈfraŋk/ (ame, mw)
frank — 形容詞
- frankpositive
- frankercomparative
- frankestsuperlative
1. saying what you honestly think or feel, without hiding anything, even if the tru
坦率的
直言不諱的
saying what you honestly think or feel, without hiding anything, even if the truth might upset someone or cause a difficult situation.
Liam gave a frank answer when his boss asked about the project's problems.
Liam 對老闆問起專案的問題時，給了坦率的回答。
frank answer — collocation for honest, direct reply
The doctor was frank with Renata about how long her recovery would take.
醫生坦率地告訴 Renata 她的康復需要多久時間。
frank + with + person + about + topic
A frank discussion between the two neighbours solved the parking dispute quickly.
兩位鄰居之間坦率的討論，很快就解決了停車糾紛。
Wei appreciated his brother's frank opinion about not buying the old house, even though it meant starting the search again.
Wei 很感激哥哥坦率地建議不要買那棟老房子，即使這意味著要重新開始找。
During the team meeting, Sayaka was frank about the budget problems everyone had been avoiding.
在小組會議上，Sayaka 坦率地說出了大家一直迴避的預算問題。
- candid
slightly more formal; common in professional or written contexts
- open
broader meaning; focuses on willingness to share rather than directness
- honest
more general; emphasises truthfulness over directness
- straightforward
emphasises clarity and simplicity rather than bluntness
文法句型
frank + about + noun/gerund
frank + with + person
常見錯誤
2. used before saying something honest that may surprise, offend, or upset the pers
坦白說
語氣轉折，帶出可能冒犯人的真心話
used before saying something honest that may surprise, offend, or upset the person you are talking to — often introduces unpleasant news or strong criticism.
Frankly, Kofi thought the hotel was too expensive for what it offered.
坦白說，Kofi 覺得這家飯店的價格不值那個水準。
frankly, + clause — sentence adverb at start of clause
To be frank with you, Daniel does not believe your plan will work as described.
跟你坦白說，Daniel 認為你的計畫並不可行。
to be frank with you — fixed discourse phrase
Stefan told his friend, "Frankly, I am surprised you still trust him after what happened."
Stefan 對朋友說：「坦白說，經過那些事之後，我很驚訝你還信任他。」
To be perfectly frank, the head chef told the kitchen staff that their service on Saturday was simply unacceptable.
非常坦白地說，主廚告訴廚房員工，他們週六的服務水準完全無法接受。
Frankly speaking, Layla did not enjoy the movie, even though everyone else loved it.
說實話，Layla 並不喜歡那部電影，儘管其他人都很愛。
- honestly
less confrontational than frankly; milder in tone
- to be honest
more conversational and softer than 'to be frank'
文法句型
frankly, + clause
to be frank (with you), + clause
用法筆記
This sense always functions as a sentence adverb or a fixed introductory phrase. It does not describe a person's character — that is sense 1. Distinguish by position: 'Frankly, I think...' (sense 2, opinion marker) vs. 'a frank person' (sense 1, character trait). In writing, a comma almost always follows the phrase.
常見錯誤
3. so clear and obvious that there can be no doubt about it — used especially in me
明顯的
清晰可見、無庸置疑的
so clear and obvious that there can be no doubt about it — used especially in medical or formal writing about visible symptoms or plain facts.
The patient showed frank signs of recovery after just three days of treatment.
治療僅僅三天後，病人就出現了明顯的康復跡象。
frank signs — medical collocation for unmistakable symptoms
The chest X-ray showed frank signs of pneumonia in the patient's right lung.
胸部X光片顯示病人右肺有明顯的肺炎徵象。
frank signs of [condition] — typical medical collocation for unmistakable symptoms
Doctors noted frank bleeding in the patient's left eye and ordered a scan immediately.
醫生注意到病人左眼有明顯出血，立即安排了掃描檢查。
The nurse noticed frank bleeding from the wound and called the doctor immediately.
護理師注意到傷口明顯出血，立即叫來了醫生。
文法句型
frank + noun (medical/formal)
用法筆記
Common in medical writing where 'frank' describes symptoms that are fully developed and unmistakable (e.g. 'frank haematuria', 'frank pus', 'frank pneumonia'). Outside clinical contexts, the use is formal and somewhat literary.
frank — 動詞
- frankpresent simple I / you / we / they
- franks3rd person singular
- franking-ing form
- frankedpast simple
1. to print a special mark, signature, or stamp onto a letter or parcel, proving th
蓋郵戳
在郵件上加蓋郵資已付標記
to print a special mark, signature, or stamp onto a letter or parcel, proving that the sender has paid the required postage or is officially allowed to send it for free.
The receptionist franked all the outgoing letters before the lunch break.
櫃檯人員在午休前處理了所有外寄信件的郵戳。
frank outgoing letters — typical object collocation
Each envelope was franked with the company's official purple postage mark.
每個信封上都蓋了公司正式的紫色郵資已付章。
passive: be franked with [mark]
Gabriel's office uses a machine that automatically franks the mail every afternoon at three.
Gabriel 的辦公室用一台機器，每天下午三點自動為信件蓋戳。
The charity franked thousands of fundraising letters to save on postage costs.
該慈善機構為數千封募款信蓋了郵資已付戳記，以節省全國的郵資費用。
文法句型
frank + noun (piece of mail)
用法筆記
Usually passive in non-technical writing ('the letter was franked'). More common in British English for office mail handling. The object is always a piece of mail or a collection of items being posted.
2. to officially allow a person, vehicle, or shipment to pass through a checkpoint,
放行
准予自由通行；免驗放行
to officially allow a person, vehicle, or shipment to pass through a checkpoint, customs inspection, or border without being stopped, checked, or charged.
The diplomat's special passport franked her luggage through customs without any inspection.
那位外交官的特別護照讓她的行李在海關免檢放行。
frank through customs — collocation for customs exemption
The diplomatic shipment of medical supplies was franked at the Geneva border post within an hour of arrival.
這批外交醫療物資在抵達日內瓦邊境關口後一小時內即獲放行。
frank at [location] — typical pattern for customs/border clearance
Emergency medical supplies were franked by the port authority for immediate delivery to the hospital.
緊急醫療物資經港務局放行，直接送往醫院。
The ambassador's vehicle was franked through the security checkpoint without delay.
大使的車輛在安檢哨站被免檢放行，沒有延誤。
- detain
hold back or stop at a checkpoint
- confiscate
seize goods rather than allowing passage
文法句型
frank + noun + through + checkpoint
用法筆記
Very restricted in use — almost always about customs, border crossings, or official passage through checkpoints. Not found in everyday speech; used in legal, diplomatic, or administrative documents.
frank — 名詞
1. a thin cooked sausage, typically made of beef and pork, that is often eaten insi
熱狗腸
法蘭克福香腸
a thin cooked sausage, typically made of beef and pork, that is often eaten inside a long bread roll; an informal short form of 'frankfurter'.
Kofi grilled franks for the children at the family barbecue last Saturday.
Kofi 上週六在家庭烤肉活動中為孩子們烤了熱狗腸。
grill franks — common cooking collocation
Liam bought a pack of franks and hot dog buns for the picnic.
Liam 買了一包熱狗腸和熱狗麵包帶去野餐。
The ballpark vendor sold franks with mustard and fried onions for three dollars each.
球場的小販以每份三美元的價格出售附有芥末和炸洋蔥的熱狗腸。
For dinner, Sayaka boiled two franks and served them with baked beans and salad.
晚餐時，Sayaka 煮了兩條熱狗腸，搭配焗豆和沙拉一起上桌。
- hot dog
much more common in everyday use; can mean the sandwich or the sausage
- wiener
less common, especially outside the US
- frankfurter
the full formal name; less common in conversation
用法筆記
'Frank' is an informal shortening of 'frankfurter'. In American English, 'frank' and 'hot dog' are used almost interchangeably, though strictly 'hot dog' can refer to the complete sandwich while 'frank' is just the sausage.
2. an official mark, signature, or stamp printed on a letter or parcel to show that
郵資戳
郵件上表示郵資已付的標記
an official mark, signature, or stamp printed on a letter or parcel to show that the cost of sending it has been paid or that the sender has a special right to send it for free.
Layla noticed the frank on the envelope had been printed in blue ink.
Layla 注意到信封上的郵資戳記是用藍色墨水印的。
the frank on [mail item] — definite article + preposition
The village post office used a special red frank on all parcels sent during the Christmas rush.
村裡的郵局在聖誕節旺季時，在所有包裹上蓋了特殊的紅色郵資戳記。
frank on [type of mail] — common prepositional pattern
Collectors sometimes pay extra for old envelopes with an unusual frank from the nineteenth century.
收藏家有時候會花更多錢購買十九世紀、帶有罕見郵資戳記的舊信封。
Brooke examined the frank closely to check whether the postage was correct.
Brooke 仔細檢查了郵資戳記，確認郵資是否正確。
- postmark
different — marks date and place, not postage payment
文法句型
the frank on + noun
3. an envelope that already has an official mark showing that the postage has been
郵資封
已蓋郵資戳記的信封
an envelope that already has an official mark showing that the postage has been paid, so no separate stamp is required to send it.
The charity sent each donor a prepaid frank for returning their donation form.
該慈善機構寄給每位捐款人一個預付郵資的回郵信封，用來寄回捐款表格。
prepaid frank — specific type of franked envelope
Renata kept the franked envelope from her grandfather's wartime letter as a family souvenir.
Renata 把祖父從戰時寄來的免郵資信封當作家族紀念品保存下來。
The school PTA ordered two thousand franked envelopes for the fundraising letter campaign.
學校家長會為募款信函活動訂購了兩千個免郵資信封。
Each frank was printed with the company logo and a prepaid postage mark.
每個免郵資信封上都印有公司標誌和預付郵資戳記。
用法筆記
Distinguish from noun sense 2: sense 2 is the mark/stamp itself; sense 3 is the entire envelope that bears the mark. In informal use, 'a frank' usually means a franked envelope, not the mark alone.
4. the legal right to send letters or packages through the postal system without pa
免郵特權
免付郵資寄送的法定權利
the legal right to send letters or packages through the postal system without paying postage, usually granted to government officials, members of parliament, or other authorised persons.
Members of Congress have the frank to mail official letters to voters free of charge.
國會議員享有免費郵寄權，可免費寄送公函給選民。
have the frank — noun phrase for the privilege
The senator used her frank to send newsletters to every home in the district.
那位參議員利用免費郵寄權，在選舉前將通訊寄到選區的每個家庭。
Some critics argued that the minister was abusing the frank by sending political campaign materials.
有些評論者認為該部長濫用免費郵寄權來寄送競選宣傳品。
Only elected members of Congress are allowed to use the frank for official mail sent to voters in their district.
只有經選舉產生的國會議員才能使用免費郵寄權寄送公函給選區選民。
- franking privilege
the full formal term for this right
文法句型
have the frank
use the frank
the frank allows + infinitive
用法筆記
Usually preceded by 'the' — 'the frank'. In US government, it specifically refers to the Congressional franking privilege. In British English, the equivalent is the 'franking privilege' for MPs.
5. a member of the West Germanic people who, from the 3rd century AD, gradually set
法蘭克人
西日耳曼部落成員
a member of the West Germanic people who, from the 3rd century AD, gradually settled in the area that is now France and western Germany, and whose name is the origin of the word 'France'.
The Franks expanded their territory across Gaul during the fifth and sixth centuries.
法蘭克人在五、六世紀期間逐漸將領土擴張到高盧地區。
the Franks — historical ethnic group, always capitalised
Historians link the name France to the Frankish tribes who settled the region.
歷史學家認為法國的國名直接源於定居在該地區的法蘭克部落。
Clovis united all the Frankish tribes under a single king in the late fifth century.
克洛維在五世紀晚期將所有法蘭克部落統一在單一國王之下。
The Franks established a powerful kingdom that later became modern France.
法蘭克人建立了一個強大的王國，後來成為現代的法國。
文法句型
the Franks
king of the Franks
用法筆記
Always capitalised (Frank / Franks). The adjective form is 'Frankish'. This sense is a historical cultural noun — easily distinguished from the adjective 'frank' by context and capitalisation.