illiterate
/ɪˈlɪtərət/ (bre, ipa) · /ɪˈlɪtərət/ (ame, ipa) · /(ˌ)i(l)-ˈli-t(ə-)rət/ (ame, mw) · /ɪˈlɪt.ər.ət/ (bre, ipa) · /ɪˈlɪt̬.ɚ.ət/ (ame, ipa)
illiterate — 形容詞
- illiteratepositive
- more illiteratecomparative
- most illiteratesuperlative
1. lacking the basic skill of reading or writing words, usually because a person ne
不識字的
不會讀寫文字的
lacking the basic skill of reading or writing words, usually because a person never had the chance to go to school.
Eliska's grandmother grew up in a village and remained illiterate her whole life.
Eliska 的祖母在小村莊長大，一輩子都不識字。
predicative use: remain / be illiterate
About one in five adults in the region is still illiterate, mostly older women.
這個地區大約每五位成年人就有一位不識字，多半是年長的女性。
statistical context: rate of being illiterate in a population
Arjun teaches free evening classes for illiterate workers at the local factory.
Arjun 在當地工廠為不識字的工人開免費夜間課程。
Many illiterate adults feel ashamed to ask for help when filling out a form.
許多不識字的成年人要請別人幫忙填表時會覺得難為情。
The charity sends teachers into prisons to help illiterate inmates learn the alphabet.
這個慈善機構派老師進監獄，教不識字的受刑人認字母。
- unlettered
literary; sounds old-fashioned
- unschooled
broader — covers lack of any formal education, not just reading
- literate
able to read and write
用法筆記
Often modifies a group noun (illiterate adults, illiterate farmers, illiterate population). When used of an individual, prefer predicative position ("she is illiterate") to soften the social judgment.
常見錯誤
2. knowing almost nothing about a specific topic such as computers, money, or scien
外行；不懂
對某領域幾乎一無所知
knowing almost nothing about a specific topic such as computers, money, or science, often used as part of a compound word like computer-illiterate.
Naoko admits she is completely computer-illiterate and asks her son to send all her emails.
Naoko 坦承自己完全是電腦白癡，所有電子郵件都請兒子幫忙寄。
compound: computer-illiterate
Many graduates leave university financially illiterate, with no idea how to file taxes.
許多大學畢業生對理財一竅不通，連報稅都不知道怎麼處理。
compound: financially illiterate
Hugo joked that he was musically illiterate and could not even read a simple tune.
Hugo 開玩笑說自己是音樂門外漢，連一首簡單的曲子都看不懂。
Politicians who are scientifically illiterate often make poor decisions about climate policy.
對科學一無所知的政治人物，往往在氣候政策上做出糟糕的決定。
The teacher worried that her students were becoming media-illiterate, unable to spot fake news.
老師擔心學生愈來愈不懂媒體識讀，連假新聞都分辨不出來。
- ignorant
broader; often sounds rude on its own
- uninformed
neutral; suggests missing information rather than missing training
- literate
knowledgeable about the topic (computer-literate, financially literate)
文法句型
[noun]-illiterate
用法筆記
Almost always appears in a compound with an adverb or noun (computer-illiterate, financially illiterate, media-illiterate). Distinguish from sense 1, which describes the basic reading-and-writing skill on its own.
常見錯誤
illiterate — 名詞
- illiteratesingular
- illiteratesplural
1. a person who is unable to read or write, often discussed in reports about educat
文盲
不會讀寫的人
a person who is unable to read or write, often discussed in reports about education or poverty.
Putri's charity runs free classes for illiterates in remote farming villages.
Putri 的慈善團體在偏遠的農村為文盲開設免費課程。
plural form: illiterates as a group
The new government report counts roughly two million illiterates across the country.
新的政府報告統計，全國大約有兩百萬名文盲。
statistical report context
Amani argues that calling people illiterates strips away their dignity and other skills.
Amani 認為，把人稱為文盲會剝奪他們的尊嚴和其他能力。
Volunteer tutors at the library spent the summer teaching adult illiterates to read children's books.
圖書館的志工老師整個暑假都在教成年文盲讀童書。
- non-reader
softer, more neutral; common in education research
- literate
as a noun, refers to a person who can read and write
用法筆記
Many speakers now avoid the noun and prefer the phrase "people who cannot read or write" because the label sounds dismissive. Keep the noun for formal statistics or historical writing.