locate

/ləʊˈkeɪt/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈləʊkeɪt/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈlō-ˌkāt lō-ˈkāt/ (ame, mw)

locate — 動詞

  • locatepresent simple I / you / we / they
  • locateshe / she / it
  • locatedpast simple
  • locating-ing form

1. to be found at some specific spot — such as a building standing on a certain str

1.動詞及物 / 不及物B1
釋義

位於

坐落或處在某個地方

to be found at some specific spot — such as a building standing on a certain street, a town lying beside a river, or an office situated in a district.

例句

The hotel is located near the main train station, just five minutes away on foot.

這家旅館位於主要火車站附近，走路只需五分鐘。

be located + near [place]

Mira's new office is located on the top floor of the building overlooking the river.

Mira 的新辦公室位於大樓頂層，俯瞰著河流。

同義詞
  • situated

    More formal, often used in writing about buildings or towns

  • found

    Less precise, more general (e.g. 'you can find us on the third floor')

  • positioned

    Emphasises deliberate placement rather than just being present

  • placed

    Suggests someone put it there on purpose

文法句型

be located + in/at/near/on + [place]

用法筆記

Almost always used in the passive form 'be located + preposition'. The active form ('Something locates somewhere') is very rare in modern English and may sound unnatural.

常見錯誤

❌The store locates in the city center.
✅The store is located in the city center.
💡Use passive 'be located' for describing where things are.

2. to discover or determine where something or someone is, especially through searc

2.動詞及物B1
釋義

找到；定位

找出某人或某物的確切位置

to discover or determine where something or someone is, especially through searching, using equipment, or following clues — for example, finding a lost phone by tracking its signal, or pinpointing a gas leak in a building.

例句

The rescue team used a drone to locate the missing hikers before nightfall.

救援隊出動無人機，在天黑前找到了失蹤的登山客。

locate + [person] — searching for people

Kevin tried to locate his phone by calling it from a friend's mobile.

Kevin 用朋友的電話撥打自己的號碼，試著找到他的手機。

同義詞
  • find

    Less formal and more general; suitable for everyday situations

  • pinpoint

    Implies very precise location, often using technology or careful analysis

  • track down

    Suggests a longer search process with multiple steps

  • discover

    Broader — can mean finding something unknown, not just its position

反義詞
  • lose

    The opposite of finding; to no longer know where something is

  • misplace

    To put something somewhere and then forget where it is

文法句型

locate + [thing/person being searched for]

用法筆記

This is the active, transitive sense. Unlike sense 1 ('be located'), this sense does NOT use the passive form to describe position — it describes the action of finding.

常見錯誤

❌I can't locate my keys anywhere.
✅I can't find my keys anywhere.
💡'Locate' sounds too formal for everyday lost items; use 'find' for keys, glasses, or other small personal items.
❌She located the book very interesting.
✅She found the book very interesting.
💡'Locate' cannot mean 'have an opinion about'; that is the verb 'find'.

3. to go and stay in one spot to run a business, set up operations, or live on a mo

3.動詞及物 / 不及物B2
釋義

設立；落腳

遷移至某處經營生意或定居

to go and stay in one spot to run a business, set up operations, or live on a more permanent basis — for example, a company opening a new factory in another country, or a family deciding to settle in a small town.

例句

Many tech startups have decided to locate in the new innovation district near the university.

許多科技新創公司已決定在大學附近的新創新園區落腳。

locate + in [area] — for business

The company plans to locate its Asia-Pacific headquarters in Singapore next year.

該公司計劃明年在新加坡設立亞太總部。

同義詞
  • set up

    More common in everyday business talk; less formal

  • establish

    More formal, implies creating something that will last

  • base

    Often used for headquarters ('base their operations in...')

  • settle

    Used for people choosing where to live, not businesses

反義詞
  • relocate

    Not a true antonym — it means to move from one place to another, rather than settling for the first time

文法句型

locate + in [place]

locate + at [place]

locate + object + in [place]

locate + object + at [place]

用法筆記

When used for business, this sense is often transitive with a direct object (the office, the headquarters). When used for settling, it is usually intransitive. The collocation 'locate + in + [place]' is the most common grammatical pattern.

常見錯誤

❌We located our new factory.' (without saying where)
✅We located our new factory in Vietnam.
💡'Locate' in this sense needs a location complement; it sounds incomplete without one.