imperfect
/ɪmˈpɜːfɪkt/ (bre, ipa) · /ɪmˈpɜːrfɪkt/ (ame, ipa) · /(ˌ)im-ˈpər-fikt/ (ame, mw) · /ɪmˈpɜː.fekt/ (bre, ipa) · /ɪmˈpɝː.fekt/ (ame, ipa)
imperfect — 形容詞
- imperfectpositive
- more imperfectcomparative
- most imperfectsuperlative
1. not completely good or correct because there are faults or missing parts — for e
不完美
有缺點或問題的
not completely good or correct because there are faults or missing parts — for example, an imperfect plan that has not thought about all the costs, or a piece of pottery with tiny cracks in its surface.
The carpenter rejected the wooden board because its surface had an imperfect finish with several rough patches.
那位木匠退回了那塊木板，因為它的表面處理不完美，有好幾處粗糙的斑塊。
collocation: imperfect finish / imperfect surface
Ana decided to serve the imperfect cake she had baked, even though one side was slightly burnt.
Ana 決定還是把她烤得不完美的蛋糕端上桌，即使有一邊稍微烤焦了。
Andre admitted that his Spanish was imperfect, but he managed to order lunch and ask for directions.
Andre 承認他的西班牙文不完美，但他還是成功點了餐並問了路。
Hassan knew the plan was imperfect because nobody had checked the cost of building materials first.
Hassan 知道這個計畫不完美，因為沒有人先確認建材的費用。
- flawed
The closest synonym. 'Flawed' often suggests a minor weakness in something otherwise good, while 'imperfect' is broader.
- defective
Stronger than 'imperfect'. Implies something does not work properly or is below standard. Often used for products.
- faulty
Similar to 'defective', but common for mechanical or electrical problems. 'Faulty wiring' is more natural than 'imperfect wiring'.
文法句型
imperfect + noun
be + imperfect
用法筆記
Describes objects, plans, skills, or systems that have minor flaws rather than major defects. Softer than 'defective' or 'faulty', which imply something does not work at all.
常見錯誤
2. relating to a verb form that describes an action in the past that was continuing
未完成式的
動詞表示過去持續或未完成的動作
relating to a verb form that describes an action in the past that was continuing or not yet finished — used in languages like Spanish, French, and Italian to talk about ongoing past events, habits in the past, or background situations.
In Italian class, Emeka learned the imperfect forms of the verb 'mangiare', which means 'to eat'.
在義大利語課上，Emeka 學會了動詞「mangiare」（吃）的未完成式變化。
Umi struggled to understand when to use the imperfect tense versus the simple past in Spanish.
Umi 努力想搞清楚在西班牙語中何時該用未完成式，何時該用簡單過去式。
contrast: imperfect tense vs. simple past
Suki showed the class how 'I was walking' in English is similar to the imperfect verb form in Italian.
Suki 向全班示範，英文的「I was walking」相當於義大利語的未完成式動詞形式。
The sentence 'She was reading when the phone rang' contains an imperfect verb form that describes an ongoing past action.
「She was reading when the phone rang」這句話使用未完成式動詞來描述一個在過去持續進行的動作。
- past continuous
English does not have an 'imperfect' tense but the past continuous is the closest functional equivalent.
文法句型
imperfect + verb form/tense/aspect
用法筆記
Only applies to languages that have a distinct imperfect verb form (e.g., Romance languages, Latin, Ancient Greek, Arabic). English does not have a separate imperfect tense — the past continuous (was/were + -ing) serves a similar function.
常見錯誤
imperfect — 名詞
1. a verb tense in certain languages that shows an action or situation in the past
未完成式
表示未完成過去動作的動詞時態
a verb tense in certain languages that shows an action or situation in the past was continuing, repeated, or not completed — for example, used in French to describe what was happening when something else occurred, or to set the scene at the start of a story.
The teacher explained that the imperfect is used for background descriptions and repeated actions in past stories.
老師解釋說，未完成式用於描述過去故事中的背景和重複發生的動作。
the imperfect (with definite article) refers to the tense as a grammatical category
Lucia practiced conjugating regular verbs in the imperfect for her Spanish grammar exam next week.
Lucia 為了下週的西班牙語文法考試，練習了規則動詞的未完成式變化。
pattern: conjugate (verbs) in the imperfect
Wen wrote a short paragraph about his childhood using the imperfect to describe his daily routines.
Wen 用未完成式寫了一段關於童年的短文，來描述他過去的日常生活作息。
In French, the imperfect can describe a situation that was in progress when another event suddenly happened.
在法語中，未完成式可以用來描述某個正在進行的狀況，此時突然發生了另一件事。
- past continuous
In English grammar instruction, 'past continuous' is the standard term; 'imperfect' is used in foreign-language grammar contexts.
- imperfect tense
The full form of the noun phrase — identical in meaning to 'the imperfect'.
- simple past
The simple past (or preterite) refers to completed past actions, whereas the imperfect refers to ongoing or habitual past actions.
- preterite
In Romance languages, the preterite is the completed-past counterpart to the imperfect.
文法句型
the imperfect
in the imperfect
conjugate in the imperfect
用法筆記
Always used with 'the' when referring to the tense as a grammatical concept ('the imperfect'). Not all languages have an imperfect tense — in English, the past continuous or 'used to' express similar meanings.