alone

/əˈləʊn/ (bre, ipa) · [əlˈon] /əˈloʊn/ (ame, ipa)

alone — 形容詞

  • alonepositive
  • more alonecomparative
  • most alonesuperlative

1. not with other people around you; by yourself.

1.形容詞A2
釋義

獨自

身邊沒有其他人

not with other people around you; by yourself.

例句

Eli waited alone on the dark platform after the last bus left.

Eli 在最後一班公車開走後，獨自等在昏暗的月台上。

be alone + place after an event

Aoi refused to walk home alone through the empty park.

Aoi 不肯獨自穿過空蕩的公園走回家。

walk home alone

同義詞
反義詞
  • together

    with other people rather than by yourself

  • accompanied

    formal opposite used for travel or attendance

文法句型

be alone

be alone with somebody

alone in + place

用法筆記

Often follows verbs like be, feel, stay, or leave. Distinguish from adverb sense 1, which modifies an action such as travel, eat, or work.

常見錯誤

❌She is a alone child at home.
✅She is alone at home.
💡'alone' usually comes after a verb, not directly before a noun.
❌Rita was alone with by the window.
✅Rita was alone by the window.
💡do not add 'with' unless another person or thing follows.

2. without another person or thing helping you.

2.形容詞B1
釋義

靠自己

沒有他人或外力幫忙

without another person or thing helping you.

例句

Karim repaired the leaking tap alone after watching two short videos.

Karim 看了兩支短影片後，靠自己修好了漏水的水龍頭。

do a task alone

Ayesha raised three children alone while working night shifts.

Ayesha 一邊上夜班，一邊靠自己養大三個孩子。

raise children alone

同義詞
反義詞
  • together

    with others sharing the work

  • jointly

    formal word for doing something with another person or group

文法句型

do something alone

raise somebody alone

survive alone

用法筆記

Focuses on lack of support, not simply lack of company. Someone can be with other people and still deal with a problem alone if nobody helps.

常見錯誤

❌I solved it lonely.
✅I solved it alone.
💡'lonely' describes a feeling, not independent action.
❌She finished the report by alone.
✅She finished the report alone.
💡do not put 'by' before 'alone' in this pattern.

3. feeling unhappy because you have nobody near you or nobody to turn to.

3.形容詞B1
釋義

孤單

因缺少陪伴而難過

feeling unhappy because you have nobody near you or nobody to turn to.

例句

Soraya felt alone after her roommate moved back to Ankara.

室友搬回 Ankara 後，Soraya 感到很孤單。

feel alone after a change

Even in a crowded hospital, the old man seemed alone.

即使在擁擠的醫院裡，那位老人看起來仍然很孤單。

同義詞
  • lonely

    the more direct and common adjective for the feeling

  • isolated

    often suggests being cut off from other people

  • friendless

    stronger and focused on lacking friends

反義詞
  • supported

    having people around you emotionally

  • connected

    feeling close to other people instead of cut off

文法句型

feel alone

seem alone

all alone

用法筆記

This sense is about emotion. Distinguish it from sense 1, which only states that no other people are present.

常見錯誤

❌My grandfather lives lonely in Taitung.
✅My grandfather lives alone in Taitung.
💡'lonely' describes a feeling, not the living arrangement itself.
❌The apartment felt alone after the family moved out.
✅The apartment felt lonely after the family moved out.
💡places may seem lonely, but 'alone' usually describes a person or thing by itself.

4. used after a noun or pronoun to show that this person or thing is the only one.

4.形容詞B2
釋義

唯一

表示只有這個人或物

used after a noun or pronoun to show that this person or thing is the only one.

例句

Karim alone knew where the spare key was hidden.

只有 Karim 知道備用鑰匙藏在哪裡。

noun/pronoun + alone

Of the three sisters, Aoi alone wanted to study physics.

三姊妹之中，只有 Aoi 想讀物理。

同義詞
  • only

    more usual before a noun

  • sole

    more formal and common in official writing

反義詞
  • shared

    not limited to one person or thing

文法句型

noun/pronoun + alone

用法筆記

This postpositive pattern often sounds more formal or emphatic than using 'only' before the noun.

常見錯誤

❌Alone Karim knew the answer.
✅Karim alone knew the answer.
💡place 'alone' after the noun or pronoun it emphasizes.
❌The alone student passed.
✅The only student passed.
💡use 'only', not 'alone', before a noun.

5. separate from other things around it rather than joined to them.

5.形容詞B2
釋義

單獨的

與周圍分開而存在

separate from other things around it rather than joined to them.

例句

The white chapel stands alone on the hill above the harbor.

那座白色小教堂單獨立在港口上方的山丘上。

stand alone + place

One apple lay alone at the bottom of the basket.

籃子底部只有一顆蘋果單獨躺著。

同義詞
  • separate

    more neutral and usable before a noun

  • isolated

    suggests greater distance or difficulty of access

反義詞
  • attached

    joined physically to something else

  • connected

    linked rather than standing apart

文法句型

stand alone

sit alone

remain alone

用法筆記

Often describes a building, object, or place that stands apart physically. Distinguish from idiom 'stand alone', which often means being independent rather than simply separate.

alone — 副詞