imagine
/ɪˈmædʒɪn/ (bre, ipa) · /ɪˈmædʒɪn/ (ame, ipa) · /i-ˈma-jən/ (ame, mw)
imagine — 動詞
- imaginepresent simple I / you / we / they
- imagineshe / she / it
- imaginedpast simple
- imagining-ing form
1. to create a picture or scene in your mind, often of something you have never see
想像；設想
在腦中形成圖像或概念
to create a picture or scene in your mind, often of something you have never seen or experienced
Élise closed her eyes and tried to imagine what the old castle looked like before it fell into ruin.
Élise 閉上眼睛，試著想像那座古堡在倒塌前是什麼模樣。
imagine + wh-clause for mental scenes
Can you imagine living in a house with twelve bedrooms and a pool in the garden?
你能想像住在一棟有十二間臥室和花園泳池的房子裡是什麼感覺嗎？
imagine + -ing for hypothetical situations
The children imagined themselves as brave astronauts travelling to a distant planet.
孩子們想像自己是勇敢的太空人，飛向一個遙遠的星球。
When Hugo reads a fantasy novel, he easily imagines the faces of every character.
Hugo 讀奇幻小說時，很容易想像出每個角色的長相。
- forget
to lose the mental image or memory of something
文法句型
imagine + noun phrase
imagine + -ing verb
imagine + that-clause
imagine + wh-clause
用法筆記
Often used with forms of 'can' or 'could' to express the ability to picture something: 'I can imagine…' / 'I couldn't imagine…'. The gerund (-ing form) is required after 'imagine', never the to-infinitive.
常見錯誤
2. to have a guess that something is true, basing your view on signs rather than so
猜想；認為
相信某事很可能為真但非完全確定
to have a guess that something is true, basing your view on signs rather than solid proof
I imagine the train will be late because of the heavy snow on the railway tracks.
我猜想火車會因為鐵軌上積雪深厚而誤點。
imagine + that-clause for supposition
The restaurant looks very busy tonight, so I imagine we will have to wait for a table.
餐廳今晚看起來很忙，所以我想我們得等位子。
Tariq imagined that his sister would arrive before dinner, but she came much later.
Tariq 原本猜想妹妹會在晚餐前到，但她很晚才來。
Since nobody answered the door, I imagine the neighbours are away on holiday this week.
既然沒人應門，我想鄰居這週應該是出門度假了。
- know
to be certain of the facts rather than guessing
文法句型
imagine + (that) + clause
用法筆記
Frequently takes a that-clause. In informal speech, the conjunction 'that' is often dropped: 'I imagine you are tired.'
常見錯誤
3. to be under the wrong impression that something is real, even though it does not
誤以為；幻想
以為某事為真但其實並非如此
to be under the wrong impression that something is real, even though it does not actually exist or is not true
The hiker imagined he saw a bear in the fog, but it was only a large grey rock.
那名登山客在霧中誤以為自己看見了一隻熊，但那只是一塊灰色的大岩石。
imagine + that-clause for false perception
Young children sometimes imagine there is a monster hiding under the bed at night.
小孩子有時會幻想床底下躲著一隻怪物。
Reema imagined that her boss was angry with her, though he was simply very tired that day.
Reema 誤以為老闆在生她的氣，其實他只是那天太累了。
Kemi imagined that everyone in the room was staring at her, but nobody had even noticed her new hat.
Kemi 誤以為房間裡每個人都在盯著她看，但根本沒人注意到她的新帽子。
文法句型
imagine + (that) + clause
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1: sense 1 is about deliberately creating a mental picture for enjoyment or planning, whereas sense 3 is about mistakenly believing something false. The context often makes the falseness clear through a contrasting statement.
常見錯誤
4. used to show that you are very surprised or shocked by something, especially som
真想不到
表示震驚或驚訝的感嘆用法
used to show that you are very surprised or shocked by something, especially someone's actions or behaviour
Imagine! Eitan quit his job without finding another one first.
真想不到！Eitan 還沒找到下一份工作就辭職了。
imperative exclamation: Imagine!
Imagine forgetting your own child's birthday — how could any parent do such a thing?
真想不到有人會忘記自己小孩的生日——哪個父母做得出這種事？
Imagine spending thirty years in the same tiny office without ever asking for a change.
真想不到有人在同一個小辦公室待了三十年，從未要求過調動。
Imagine! Dewi walked all the way home in the rain rather than call for a ride.
真想不到！Dewi 情願一路淋雨走回家也不願打電話叫車。
- would you believe
more conversational; implies the listener may find it hard to accept
- can you believe
similar function but used as a question rather than an exclamation
文法句型
Imagine! + clause or phrase
用法筆記
This is an exclamatory use, often standing alone at the start of a sentence or as its own utterance. It conveys disbelief or moral shock, not a request to picture something. Common in informal speech and writing.
常見錯誤
5. used in negative sentences to emphasise that something is very difficult to beli
無法想像
用否定形式強調難以置信
used in negative sentences to emphasise that something is very difficult to believe, accept, or understand
I cannot imagine why anyone would climb that dangerous mountain without proper equipment.
我無法想像為什麼有人會想在沒有適當裝備的情況下去爬那座危險的山。
can't imagine + wh-clause for emphasis
You can imagine how upset Folake was when she lost the only photograph of her grandmother.
你可以想像 Folake 弄丟祖母唯一一張照片時有多沮喪。
I simply cannot imagine a more beautiful spot to spend a summer holiday than this island.
我真的無法想像還有比這座島嶼更適合度暑假的美麗地方。
Andrew could not imagine that his quiet little town would ever become famous around the world.
Andrew 無法想像他那個安靜的小鎮有一天會舉世聞名。
文法句型
can't + imagine + wh-clause
cannot + imagine + that-clause
用法筆記
Nearly always appears in negative constructions with 'can't', 'cannot', or 'could not'. The positive form ('I imagine…') belongs to sense 2. The pattern 'you can imagine' (positive but open to interpretation) serves as a rhetorical appeal to the listener's understanding.