literary
/ˈlɪtərəri/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈlɪtəreri/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈli-tə-ˌrer-ē/ (ame, mw)
literary — 形容詞
- literarypositive
- more literarycomparative
- most literarysuperlative
1. connected with written works of art such as novels, plays, and poetry that peopl
文學的
與文學作品有關的
connected with written works of art such as novels, plays, and poetry that people value for their beauty or ideas.
Yan is writing a literary analysis of three Canadian novels for her final university project.
Yan 正在為她的大學畢業專題撰寫一篇關於三部加拿大小說的文學分析。
collocation: literary analysis
The literary festival in Taipei attracts authors and poets from across East Asia every spring.
台北的文學節每年春天吸引來自東亞各地的作家和詩人。
collocation: literary festival
Meera won a prize for her essay on magical realism in Latin American literary works.
Meera 以一篇關於拉丁美洲文學作品中魔幻寫實主義的論文獲獎。
Hugo borrowed a collection of literary essays from the library for his research paper.
Hugo 從圖書館借了一本文學論文集，用來寫他的研究報告。
- scholarly
focuses on academic study rather than artistic value of literature
- artistic
broader — includes visual arts, music, and performance, not only written works
- intellectual
emphasises ideas and thinking rather than the form of written works
文法句型
literary + noun (e.g. literary work, literary criticism, literary festival)
用法筆記
Frequently appears before nouns describing things connected to literature — works, criticism, theory, festivals, awards, magazines. The predicative use (This novel is very literary) is possible but less common than the attributive use.
常見錯誤
2. describes language or writing that is typical of formal artistic literature rath
文雅的
具有書面文學風格的
describes language or writing that is typical of formal artistic literature rather than ordinary everyday speech.
The mayor's speech sounded too literary for the crowd of factory workers and shop owners.
市長的演講對那群工廠工人和商店老闆來說聽起來太文雅了。
too literary — adverb + adjective pattern expressing excess
Kwame's writing style is highly literary, with long sentences and rich nature descriptions.
Kwame 的寫作風格非常文雅，句子很長，對大自然的描述也很豐富。
highly literary — intensifying adverb + adjective
Élise prefers plain everyday language in her emails and avoids anything too literary.
Élise 在電子郵件中偏好簡單的日常用語，避免任何過於文雅的寫法。
Ari found the novel too literary, with long descriptions that slowed down the story.
Ari 覺得這本小說太文雅了，大段的描寫拖慢了故事的節奏。
- colloquial
describes language used in ordinary conversation rather than in formal writing
- informal
describes relaxed, everyday language without literary features
文法句型
be/look/sound/seem + literary
用法筆記
Often carries a contrastive tone — comparing formal literary expression with simpler, more direct speech. When used with 'too' or 'overly', it can imply criticism: the writing feels unnatural or unnecessarily elaborate for the context.
常見錯誤
3. describes a person who has read a wide range of literature and knows a lot about
博學的
閱讀大量文學作品的
describes a person who has read a wide range of literature and knows a lot about books and authors.
Andrew is very literary and can discuss authors from ancient Greece to modern Japan.
Andrew 很博學，可以從古希臘作家一路聊到現代日本作家。
very literary + can discuss — describing a person's reading knowledge
Ramón comes from a literary family where debating novels at dinner is normal.
Ramón 來自一個書香世家，在晚餐時討論小說是家常便飯。
literary family — attributive use describing a group
The teacher recommended Emre for the exchange programme because he is so literary.
老師推薦 Emre 參加交換計劃，因為他讀了很多書。
Iker impressed the book club with his literary knowledge of 19th-century Russian novels.
Iker 對十九世紀俄國小說的淵博知識讓讀書會的成員印象深刻。
- unread
direct opposite — someone who has not read much
- illiterate
much stronger — unable to read; not a direct antonym in most contexts
文法句型
be + literary (about a person)
用法筆記
Most natural in predicative position (She is very literary). Attributive use with family, household, or person is acceptable but less common. The meaning overlaps with 'well-read', but literary carries a stronger implication of formal, classic literature rather than casual reading.