matters
matters — 名詞
1. subjects, topics, or situations that people are talking about, thinking about, o
事務；話題
正在討論或處理的主題
subjects, topics, or situations that people are talking about, thinking about, or trying to deal with
Noor and her sister rarely discuss money matters during family dinners.
Noor 和妹妹在家庭聚餐時很少談論金錢方面的事務。
collocation: money / family / personal matters
The school board meets every Tuesday to settle matters about the curriculum.
校董會每週二開會，處理有關課程安排的各項事務。
matters about + topic
Andrés keeps a small notebook for jotting down matters he wants to raise at work.
Andrés 會把想在工作上提出的話題寫進一本小筆記本裡。
Manuela's manager listed three urgent matters they had to talk about before lunch.
Manuela 的主管列出三件他們午餐前必須討論的緊急事務。
Wei finds it easier to write about personal matters than to talk about them face-to-face.
Wei 覺得寫下個人方面的話題，比當面說出來容易得多。
文法句型
matters of [noun]
such matters
these/those matters
用法筆記
Often paired with a topic word: money matters, family matters, business matters, personal matters. Distinguish from sense 2: a 'matter' that is a 'problem' usually appears in the singular (something is the matter).
常見錯誤
2. difficulties or troubles that need to be sorted out, usually used in fixed phras
麻煩；難處
讓情況變糟的麻煩，多用於固定片語
difficulties or troubles that need to be sorted out, usually used in fixed phrases when something has gone wrong
Skipping breakfast only makes matters worse when you have a long meeting ahead.
如果接下來有冗長的會議，不吃早餐只會讓情況更糟。
fixed phrase: to make matters worse
Yael apologized, but her late arrival only made matters worse with the hostess.
Yael 道了歉，但她姍姍來遲還是讓她和女主人之間的關係更尷尬。
The leaking pipe was bad enough, and to make matters worse, the power went out.
水管漏水已經夠麻煩了，更糟的是，電力又跟著中斷。
Matters got out of hand when the two children started throwing food across the table.
當兩個小孩開始在餐桌上互丟食物時，場面整個失控了。
文法句型
to make matters worse
matters of concern
用法筆記
Almost always appears in fixed expressions: 'to make matters worse', 'matters got worse', 'matters of concern'. Outside these phrases, English usually picks 'problems' or 'trouble' for difficulties.
常見錯誤
3. cases, disputes, or questions of law that a court or legal team is dealing with
案件；事項
法律或正式場合處理的案件
cases, disputes, or questions of law that a court or legal team is dealing with
Reema's firm handles tax matters for small family-owned businesses across the region.
Reema 任職的事務所專門處理本地小型家族企業的稅務案件。
domain: legal / tax matters
The judge said she could not comment on matters still before the court.
法官表示，她無法對仍在法院審理中的案件發表意見。
matters before the court
Mathieu trained as a lawyer who specializes in matters involving cross-border contracts.
Mathieu 取得律師資格後，專攻跨國合約相關的案件。
Next month the auditors will review several matters relating to the company's missing accounts.
下個月稽核人員將會審查與公司遺失帳目相關的數個事項。
文法句型
legal matters
matters before the court
用法筆記
Formal in this sense — common in legal, official, or written contexts. Distinguish from sense 1: legal 'matters' specifically refers to cases or disputes, not casual topics of conversation.
4. physical stuff that has weight and takes up space — anything that the world arou
物質
佔有空間、具有質量的物理材料
physical stuff that has weight and takes up space — anything that the world around us is made of
Scientists estimate that dark matter makes up most of the mass of the universe.
科學家估計，暗物質佔了宇宙質量的絕大部分。
fixed term: dark matter
Plants take in organic matter from the soil through their roots.
植物會透過根部從土壤裡吸收有機物質。
fixed term: organic matter
Adaeze explained to her son that everything around us, even the air, is made of matter.
Adaeze 向兒子解釋，我們周圍的一切，連空氣在內，都是由物質構成的。
The recycling plant separates plastic matter from food waste before processing.
回收廠在處理前會先把塑膠物質和廚餘分開。
- energy
the opposite pole in physics — matter vs energy
文法句型
organic / inorganic / dark matter
用法筆記
This sense is uncountable — use 'matter', not 'matters'. The plural form 'matters' is not used for this meaning. Common in science contexts: organic matter, dark matter, solid / liquid / gaseous matter.
常見錯誤
5. things that have been written, printed, or sent through the post — a formal cove
印刷品
寫成、印刷或郵寄的文字資料
things that have been written, printed, or sent through the post — a formal cover term for letters, leaflets, and books
Sana sorts the printed matter into three piles: bills, magazines, and personal letters.
Sana 把印刷品分成三堆：帳單、雜誌和私人信件。
fixed term: printed matter
The post office charges a lower rate for books and other reading matter.
郵局對書籍和其他閱讀物收取較低的郵資。
fixed term: reading matter
Customs officers searched the parcel for any postal matter that was banned in the country.
海關人員搜查包裹，看看裡頭是否有該國禁止的郵寄品。
Wren packed plenty of reading matter for the long train journey across the country.
Wren 為這趟橫跨全國的長途火車旅程帶了大量讀物。
- publications
more specific; for things issued by a publisher
- literature
wider; can mean printed information on any topic
文法句型
reading / printed / postal matter
用法筆記
Uncountable in this sense — use 'matter', not 'matters'. Mostly found in fixed compounds (reading matter, printed matter, postal matter) and formal or technical writing.
6. the reason for, or source of, a particular feeling — most often used in the fixe
原因；緣由
引發某種情緒的來源
the reason for, or source of, a particular feeling — most often used in the fixed expressions 'a matter of pride / regret / concern'
Winning the regional spelling bee was a matter of great pride for Aarav's whole family.
贏得區域拼字比賽，是 Aarav 一家人引以為傲的事。
fixed phrase: a matter of pride
Élise said the disappearance of the old library was a matter of deep regret to her.
Élise 說，舊圖書館消失一事讓她深感遺憾。
a matter of regret
Air pollution in the city has become a matter of serious concern for parents and teachers.
市區的空氣污染已成為家長和老師憂心的問題。
Whether to keep the family farm is a matter for the cousins to decide together.
要不要保留家族農場，是表兄弟姐妹們得一起決定的事。
文法句型
a matter of [noun]
a matter for [noun]
用法筆記
Almost always singular in these fixed expressions ('a matter of pride'); the plural 'matters' is rare here. If you mean general topics, see sense 1 instead.
7. the part of a book, speech, or essay that has real ideas and useful information
實質內容
書或演講中嚴肅有料的部分
the part of a book, speech, or essay that has real ideas and useful information — not the jokes, padding, or light entertainment around it
Charlotte praised the history book for its solid matter on the war years and its gentle humor.
Charlotte 稱讚這本歷史書對戰爭年代有扎實的內容，又帶著細膩的幽默。
solid / serious + matter on + topic
Despite the funny opening, the speech contained plenty of solid matter on climate change.
儘管開頭很風趣，這場演講對氣候變遷仍提供了不少扎實的內容。
solid / serious + matter
Critics felt the second half of the play offered more genuine matter than the first.
評論家認為，這齣戲的後半段比前半段提供了更紮實的實質內容。
Naoko's essays are short, but each one holds a surprising amount of matter for its length.
Naoko 的散文雖短，但每篇都承載了出乎意料的豐富內容。
文法句型
the matter of [a book / speech]
用法筆記
Uncountable and somewhat literary in this sense — use 'matter', not 'matters'. Distinguish from sense 5 (printed matter = physical paper objects); this sense is about the substance of the ideas, not the paper they sit on.
8. a rough amount or length of time, used when the number is small or the exact fig
僅僅；不過
表時間極短或數量極小的程度
a rough amount or length of time, used when the number is small or the exact figure is not the point
The bus to the airport leaves in a matter of minutes, so please grab your bag.
前往機場的巴士再幾分鐘就出發了，請趕快拿好行李。
a matter of minutes / seconds / hours
Baraka finished the long crossword in a matter of twenty minutes over coffee.
Baraka 邊喝咖啡，僅花了二十分鐘就完成了那份長長的填字遊戲。
The forest fire spread across a matter of kilometers before the rescue team arrived.
森林大火在救援隊抵達前，僅幾公里之內就迅速蔓延開來。
Lien said the surgery would be over in a matter of hours, not days.
Lien 說，這場手術只需幾個小時就會結束，不會拖到幾天。
- just
informal alternative; 'just minutes away'
文法句型
a matter of [number/time/measurement]
用法筆記
Only the singular form 'a matter of' works here — never 'matters of minutes'. The phrase signals that the amount is small or quick.
常見錯誤
matters — 動詞
1. if something matters, it is important — people care about it, and changes to it
重要；要緊
有重要性，會影響人們的在乎程度
if something matters, it is important — people care about it, and changes to it have real effects on their lives
Your kindness really matters to the people who live in this neighborhood, Brooke.
Brooke，你的善意對這個社區裡的人來說真的很重要。
X matters to Y
It matters whether students get enough sleep before the morning exam.
學生在早晨考試前有沒有睡飽，可是很要緊的事。
it matters whether + clause
What matters most to Indra is that her grandfather can still walk in the garden.
對 Indra 來說，最重要的是爺爺還能在花園裡走動。
Every vote matters in a small town election with only two hundred voters.
在只有兩百個選民的小鎮選舉裡，每一票都很重要。
Leo says it doesn't matter to him if the new coach is from England or Spain.
Leo 說，新教練是英國人還是西班牙人對他來說都不要緊。
- count
informal alternative; 'every vote counts'
- be important
the direct paraphrase; slightly more formal
- be irrelevant
formal opposite
文法句型
X matters to Y
what matters most is …
it matters whether/if …
用法筆記
Usually appears in the third person ('matters', 'mattered'). Common in the fixed pattern 'It doesn't matter (whether/if/what/who) …' to mean something is unimportant. Subject is usually an abstract idea or fact, not a person.
常見錯誤
matters — 慣用語
1. the way things are at this moment — used to describe the present situation befor
依目前情況
以現在的狀況來看
the way things are at this moment — used to describe the present situation before saying what might happen next
As matters stand, the team will fly out on Friday unless the storm gets worse.
依目前情況來看，除非暴風雨變得更糟，球隊週五就會搭機出發。
sentence-initial: As matters stand, …
Zuri explained that, as matters stand, the school has no spare classrooms for next term.
Zuri 解釋說，依目前情況來看，學校下學期沒有多餘的教室可以使用。
Nellie cannot promise a refund, since, as matters stand, the company is still waiting on the parts.
Nellie 無法保證退款，因為依目前情況來看，公司還在等零件到貨。
As matters stand today, only three of the eight runners are healthy enough to race.
依今天的情況來看，八位選手裡只有三位身體狀況夠好可以參賽。
- as things are
less formal everyday version
- at present
shorter and more formal
文法句型
as matters stand, …
用法筆記
Almost always placed at the start of a sentence, followed by a comma. Slightly formal; in everyday speech people say 'right now' or 'at the moment' instead.