hour
/ˈaʊə(r)/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈaʊər/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈau̇(-ə)r/ (ame, mw)
hour — 名詞
- hoursingular
- hoursplural
1. a unit made up of sixty minutes, used for measuring how much time passes
小時
六十分鐘的時間單位
a unit made up of sixty minutes, used for measuring how much time passes
The flight from Taipei to Hong Kong takes about two hours.
從台北飛往香港的航班大約需要兩個小時。
takes about [number] hours — travel duration pattern
Diego waited for over an hour at the bus stop this morning.
Diego 今天早上在公車站等了超過一個小時。
There are twenty-four hours in one full day.
一天有二十四個小時。
The meeting lasted one full hour, from two until three.
會議整整進行了一個小時，從兩點到三點。
Every hour, the nurse came to check on Bao's temperature.
護士每個小時都來檢查 Bao 的體溫。
文法句型
[number] hour(s)
an hour
half an hour
2. used to say how much time before or after the present moment something happens,
數小時前後
距離現在的時間
used to say how much time before or after the present moment something happens, measured in sixty-minute blocks
The train leaves in an hour, so we need to hurry.
火車一個小時後開，我們得趕快。
in an hour — future from now
Joshua called an hour ago to say he would be late.
Joshua 一個小時前打電話來說他會遲到。
an hour ago — past from now
The restaurant opened just an hour ago, and it is already full.
這家餐廳一個小時前才開門，現在已經客滿了。
Hari promised to finish the report within the next hour.
Hari 保證在接下來的一個小時內完成報告。
Ilan said the delivery would arrive in about two hours.
Ilan 說貨物大約兩個小時後會送達。
文法句型
in [number] hour(s)
[number] hour(s) ago
within an hour
用法筆記
Use 'in' (not 'after') to mean 'X hours from now'. For example, 'I will see you in an hour' means one hour from the present moment, while 'after an hour' usually refers to a past time or a point within a story.
常見錯誤
3. the times during the day that a shop, school, or other place welcomes visitors o
營業時間
商店或機構開放的時段
the times during the day that a shop, school, or other place welcomes visitors or runs its planned services
The library's opening hours are from nine in the morning to six.
圖書館的開放時間是早上九點到下午六點。
opening hours — standard collocation for business times
Eleni checked the store's business hours before going shopping.
Eleni 在去購物前先查了這家店的營業時間。
Office hours for student advising are Monday through Friday, ten to four.
學生的約談時間是週一到週五的十點到下午四點。
The gym has extended its hours during the summer months.
健身中心在暑假期間延長了開放時間。
Please call during regular business hours if you need help.
如果您需要協助，請在正常營業時間來電。
- opening times
interchangeable with 'opening hours', more common in British English for retail
- business hours
specifically for commercial and professional settings
文法句型
opening hours
business hours
office hours
[possessive] hours
用法筆記
Often appears in the plural form 'hours' when referring to scheduled opening times. Common compounds include 'opening hours', 'business hours', 'office hours', and 'visiting hours'.
常見錯誤
4. a single point within a twenty-four-hour cycle, often described with an adjectiv
時刻
一天當中的特定時間點
a single point within a twenty-four-hour cycle, often described with an adjective such as 'late', 'early', or 'odd'
The car accident happened in the early hours of Sunday morning.
那場車禍發生在週日凌晨的清晨時分。
early hours — time of day with adjective
Yasmin does not like receiving phone calls at such a late hour.
Yasmin 不喜歡在這麼晚的時刻接到電話。
In the quiet hours before dawn, the city feels empty.
在黎明前的寂靜時刻，城市感覺空蕩蕩的。
Omar worked until the small hours of the morning.
Omar 一直工作到凌晨時分。
The bar stays open until all hours of the night.
那家酒吧營業到深夜。
文法句型
[adjective] hour(s)
the early hours
the small hours
at all hours
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 3 (OPENING TIMES): this sense refers to any point in the day-night cycle, whereas sense 3 specifically names scheduled operational periods. Common expressions like 'the small hours' (approximately 1–4 a.m.) and 'the witching hour' are tied to this sense.
常見錯誤
5. the number of hours a person spends working each day, or the portion of each day
工時；作息
工作或日常作息的時間安排
the number of hours a person spends working each day, or the portion of each day they devote to their job or usual activities
Reuben keeps very long hours at the hospital where he works.
Reuben 在他工作的醫院工時很長。
keeps long hours — fixed phrase for work schedule
The company allows employees to work flexible hours.
公司允許員工採用彈性工時。
Daycare workers put in eight-hour shifts every weekday.
托兒所的工作人員每個工作日都輪八小時班。
After years of keeping late hours, Christopher decided to change his routine.
長年作息很晚之後，Christopher 決定改變生活習慣。
Sophia's job requires her to work irregular hours, including weekends.
Sophia 的工作要求她不定期排班，包含週末。
文法句型
keep (regular/long/strange) hours
work (long/flexible/irregular) hours
[number]-hour day/shift/week
用法筆記
Commonly paired with 'keep' (e.g., 'keep long hours', 'keep regular hours') or 'work' (e.g., 'work flexible hours'). The plural form is standard for this meaning. 'Keep late hours' specifically means going to bed very late.
常見錯誤
6. used informally to describe a very long period, especially when someone waits, s
許久；很久
感覺很長的時間
used informally to describe a very long period, especially when someone waits, searches, or does something for what feels like too long
Linh waited for hours at the airport before her flight was called.
Linh 在機場等了許久才等到她的航班登機。
for hours — hyperbolic duration
The children played in the park for hours without getting tired.
孩子們在公園裡玩了很久，一點也不覺得累。
Hari spent hours trying to fix a problem with his computer.
Hari 花了好久時間試著修好他的電腦。
It took them hours to drive through the heavy traffic.
他們花了很久才穿過塞車路段。
Ilan searched for his missing wallet for hours before finding it in his coat.
Ilan 找了好久才在大衣裡找到他遺失的錢包。
- ages
equally informal and hyperbolic; 'ages' can sound even longer than 'hours'
- an eternity
stronger and more dramatic than 'hours'; used for emphasis in emotional contexts
文法句型
for hours
for hours on end
hours and hours
用法筆記
Always used in the plural form. This sense is informal and hyperbolic — it emphasises that the time felt long rather than stating an exact number of minutes. Do not use this sense in formal or technical writing about precise durations.
常見錯誤
7. very early or very late times of the day or night — used when talking about some
三更半夜
一天中很早或很晚的時間，常指深夜
very early or very late times of the day or night — used when talking about someone who does something, makes noise, or arrives at times that most people find unsociable, especially when it happens again and again
Amihan's neighbours often play loud music at all hours of the night.
Amihan 的鄰居常常在深夜時分大聲播放音樂。
phrase: at all hours of [time period]
A delivery driver on this route works at all hours, bringing packages even before sunrise.
這條路線的送貨司機在凌晨時段工作，天還沒亮就開始送包裹。
Nikhil complained that the construction team was drilling at all hours of the morning.
Nikhil 抱怨施工隊一大早就在鑽孔。
Jiwoo told her flatmate not to call friends at all hours when others are asleep.
Jiwoo 告訴室友別在大家睡覺的時候打電話給朋友。
- unsociable hours
more formal, often used in employment contexts (e.g. shift work)
- early hours
narrower — refers only to the period just after midnight
文法句型
at all hours (of the [time period])
用法筆記
Always appears in the fixed phrase 'at all hours'. Common in complaints or descriptions of repeated disturbances during unsociable time periods. Distinguish from sense 4 (A PARTICULAR TIME), which refers to a single specified time without the implication of disturbance.
常見錯誤
8. a particular time when something very important or decisive happens, often in a
重要時刻
具有重大意義或關鍵性的時刻
a particular time when something very important or decisive happens, often in a person's life or in a historical event — used in fixed phrases such as 'someone's finest hour', 'the darkest hour', or 'the hour of need'
The team's unexpected victory over the champions was their finest hour.
該球隊意外擊敗衛冕冠軍，那是他們最光榮的時刻。
fixed phrase: finest hour
In her hour of need, Élise turned to her closest friends for help and comfort.
Élise 在最需要幫助的時候，向最親近的朋友尋求安慰。
fixed phrase: hour of need
Many historians regard that speech as the president's finest hour of the crisis.
許多歷史學家認為那場演說是總統在危機中最輝煌的表現。
Andrés knew this was his hour of decision and he could not delay.
Andrés 知道這是他做決定的關鍵時刻，不能再拖延。
The rescue team arrived during the community's darkest hour to help survivors.
救難隊在該社區最黑暗的時刻抵達，協助生還者。
文法句型
[possessive] + [adjective] + hour
hour of [abstract noun]
用法筆記
The 'hour' in this sense is metaphorical, not a literal 60-minute period. Frequently appears in formal or literary registers. Distinguish from sense 1 (60 MINUTES), which refers to a measurable unit of time.
常見錯誤
9. the distance from one place to another expressed in terms of how long it takes t
車程；路程
以行車時間估算的距離
the distance from one place to another expressed in terms of how long it takes to travel that distance, especially by a particular form of transport
The nearest hospital is three hours away by car from the village.
最近的醫院離村莊開車要三個小時。
pattern: [number] hours away by [transport]
Christopher's office is only half an hour from his apartment by bike.
Christopher 的辦公室離他公寓騎腳踏車只要半小時。
Tariq estimated that the mountain camp was about two hours away on foot.
Tariq 估計登山營地走路大約需要兩個小時。
The beach is a short hour's drive from the city centre along the coast.
海灘離市中心開車只要一個小時的路程。
Owen calculated that the airport was still an hour's journey from their hotel.
Owen 估算機場離他們的飯店還有一個小時的車程。
- distance
more general, can use any unit (km, miles, time)
- journey time
more formal, used in travel schedules
文法句型
[number] + hour(s) + away + by/on [transport]
[number] + hour(s) + [transport] + ride/drive/journey
用法筆記
Subject is typically a location or destination. The time measurement depends on the mode of transport — specifying the form of transport (car, bus, bike, on foot) is important for clarity. Distinguish from sense 1 (60 MINUTES), which measures time itself rather than distance.