hp

/ˌeɪtʃˈpiː/ (bre, ipa) · [ˈetʃpˈi] /ˌeɪtʃˈpiː/ (ame, ipa)

hp — 名詞

1. a way of buying goods in the UK by paying a small amount of money at first and t

1.名詞B2
釋義

分期付款

英國分期付款購物制

a way of buying goods in the UK by paying a small amount of money at first and then making regular payments over an agreed period of time, used especially for expensive items such as cars or furniture.

例句

Chidi bought the washing machine on hp and paid for it over eighteen months.

Chidi 用分期付款買了洗衣機，分十八個月付清。

buy + on hp + payment period

The shop offered a special hp deal with zero interest for the first year.

那家店提供特別的分期付款方案，第一年免利息。

hp deal / hp agreement

同義詞
  • installment plan

    US equivalent; same concept but different legal structure

  • credit sale

    broader term covering any sale where payment is deferred

文法句型

hp + on + item (e.g. buy on hp)

用法筆記

This sense is mainly used in the UK. In the US, the term 'installment plan' or 'installment loan' is more common for the same concept.

常見錯誤

❌I bought the car on HP with my credit card.
✅I bought the car on hp through a hire purchase agreement.
💡hp refers to the hire purchase system itself, not a payment method like a card.
❌Signing the hp means you own the item immediately.
✅Under an hp agreement, you only own the item after the final payment.
💡in hire purchase, ownership transfers only after all payments are made.

2. a unit for measuring the power of an engine, often used when describing cars, bo

2.名詞B1
釋義

馬力

引擎功率的計量單位

a unit for measuring the power of an engine, often used when describing cars, boats, or machines.

例句

The new truck has a two-hundred-hp engine that can pull heavy loads up steep hills.

那輛新卡車搭載兩百匹馬力的引擎，能夠拖曳重物爬上陡峭的山坡。

number + hp + engine

Daichi compared the horsepower of several cars before picking the best model for mountain roads.

Daichi 比較了好幾輛車的馬力，最後選出最適合山路行駛的車款。

compare / measure horsepower

同義詞

文法句型

number + hp

hp + engine / motor

用法筆記

Frequently used with a number and the abbreviation 'hp' (e.g., 'a 150 hp motor'). When written out in full, 'horsepower' does not change form in the plural ('50 horsepower').

常見錯誤

❌The car has 200 horsepowers.
✅The car has 200 hp.' or 'The car has 200 horsepower.
💡'horsepower' stays the same in plural.

3. a reduced salary equal to half of a person's normal wages, usually given when so

3.名詞C1
釋義

半薪

全薪一半的薪資待遇

a reduced salary equal to half of a person's normal wages, usually given when someone is not working full-time, is suspended from work, or is on long-term leave.

例句

The soldier received half pay while waiting for his medical discharge from the army.

那名軍人在等待醫療退役期間被改為支領半薪。

put on half pay

During the suspension, the manager received only hp for three months until the investigation ended.

在調查期間，那位經理被停職三個月，期間只領半薪。

同義詞
  • reduced pay

    broader term; half pay is a specific 50% reduction

反義詞

文法句型

on half pay

put on half pay

receive half pay

用法筆記

Common in British employment and military contexts. Often used in the phrase 'on half pay' as a fixed expression describing the employee's status.

常見錯誤

❌I work half pay now because I only do part-time.
✅I am on half pay because I was suspended from my job.
💡'half pay' is a specific reduced-wage status imposed by an employer, not a synonym for part-time pay.

4. a condition in which a gas or liquid is strongly compressed, often within a mach

4.名詞B2
釋義

高壓

氣體或液體受壓的狀態

a condition in which a gas or liquid is strongly compressed, often within a machine or container; also used in weather forecasts to describe a zone where the air pressure is higher than the surrounding area, usually bringing clear weather.

例句

The boiler operates at very high pressure and must be inspected every six months.

該鍋爐在高壓下運作，必須每六個月檢查一次。

operate at high pressure

A high-pressure system over the region brought clear blue skies and warm temperatures all week.

一個高壓系統籠罩該地區，整週帶來晴朗的藍天和溫暖的氣溫。

high-pressure system / zone (weather)

同義詞
反義詞

文法句型

under high pressure

high-pressure system / zone

用法筆記

In weather contexts, 'high pressure' is often shortened to 'hp' in written forecasts. In engineering contexts, 'high pressure' can be written as 'HP' in uppercase.