going on
going on — 副詞
1. used when a number — such as someone's age, a point in time, or a sum of money —
將近；快到
接近某時間、數字或年齡
used when a number — such as someone's age, a point in time, or a sum of money — is close to but not quite at a round figure. The speaker says 'going on [number]' to indicate the quantity is nearly that number but has not yet reached it.
Grandma Lin is going on eighty but still walks to the market every morning.
林奶奶將近八十歲了，但每天早上仍然自己走去市場，不需要別人幫忙。
going on + age
It was going on three in the morning when the last guest left the party.
凌晨將近三點時，最後一位客人才終於離開派對。
going on + time of day
Theo checked his receipt — the total was going on six hundred dollars after taxes and fees.
Theo 檢查了收據——加上稅金和手續費後，總金額將近六百美元。
Rin has been waiting for the bus for going on forty minutes in this rain.
Rin 在雨中已經等了將近四十分鐘的公車。
Darius glanced at the kitchen clock — it was going on seven, and the train was due any minute.
Darius 看了一眼廚房時鐘——將近七點了，火車隨時會到站。
Sirin noticed her watch was going on eleven — she had been studying for hours.
Sirin 注意到她的手錶已經快到十一點——她已經唸了好幾個小時的書。
It was going on two in the afternoon when the rain finally stopped and the sun broke through.
下午將近兩點時，雨終於停了，陽光透了出來。
"What time is it?" — "Going on midnight," the security guard said without looking up from his magazine.
「現在幾點了？」——「快午夜了。」警衛頭也沒抬地回答，繼續看著他的雜誌。
- nearly
neutral and widely usable in formal and informal contexts; 'going on' adds a conversational, storytelling tone
- almost
more general than 'going on'; can modify any adjective or verb, whereas 'going on' is restricted to quantities
- close to
slightly more formal than 'going on', works in writing as well as speech
- approaching
more formal and precise; 'going on' is conversational and implies an informal setting
文法句型
[someone/something] + is + going on + [round number/age/amount]
[clock/watch/it] + is/was + going on + [hour]
用法筆記
Common in conversational English. The quantity after 'going on' is always a round number (ten, twenty, fifty) or a half-hour point. When talking about the time of day, the subject is often a clock, a watch, or the impersonal pronoun 'it' ('the clock was going on nine', 'it was going on seven'). Do not use 'going on' with precise figures — you would not say 'going on 37 years old' or 'going on 8:14'. Some dictionaries label the time-specific use with a clock subject as a phrasal verb, but in everyday usage it follows the same pattern as other quantity expressions.
常見錯誤
2. used to describe a child or young person whose interests, way of speaking, or ge
早熟；老成
形容小孩言行像大人
used to describe a child or young person whose interests, way of speaking, or general behaviour seem more like those of someone much older — for instance, a seven-year-old who reads newspapers and discusses politics might be called 'seven going on seventeen'.
Selim is eight going on eighteen — he asked the waiter for the wine list as a joke.
Selim 八歲卻像十八歲一樣老成——他開玩笑地跟服務生要了酒單。
fixed expression: [age] going on [older age]
Tanvi's daughter is twelve going on twenty-five — she manages her own schedule and family budget.
Tanvi 的女兒十二歲卻像二十五歲一樣成熟——她自己管理行程和家庭預算。
Gabriel is five going on fifteen — he complains about babyish clothes and asks for espresso.
Gabriel 五歲卻像十五歲——他嫌衣服太幼稚，還點名要喝濃縮咖啡。
Eshe is nine going on nineteen — she reads novels before bed and prefers jazz to pop music.
Eshe 九歲卻像十九歲——她睡前讀小說，聽爵士樂而不是流行樂。
- mature for one's age
more formal and descriptive; lacks the playful exaggeration of 'going on'
- wise beyond one's years
more complimentary and literary; implies wisdom rather than general adult-like behaviour
文法句型
[someone] + is + [number] + going on + [larger number]
用法筆記
The older age used after 'going on' is always a multiple of five (fifteen, eighteen, twenty-five, thirty) and is chosen to exaggerate the contrast with the child's real age. The expression is playful or affectionate, not critical.