minors
minors — 形容詞
- minorspositive
- more minorscomparative
- most minorssuperlative
1. limited in importance, seriousness, or size. A minor problem, change, or injury
次要;輕微
重要性或程度較低的
limited in importance, seriousness, or size. A minor problem, change, or injury is small enough that it does not alter the overall situation in a meaningful way.
The mechanic said the noise was a minor problem and fixed it in ten minutes.
技師說那個噪音只是個小問題,十分鐘內就修好了。
minor problem — small, easily fixed issue
Tuan made only minor changes to the document before sending it to the manager.
Tuan 在交給主管的文件上只做了幾處小修改。
Zola had a minor role in the film but her one scene was very memorable.
Zola 在電影中扮演一個小角色,但她那一場戲令人印象深刻。
The difference in price between the two laptops is minor, so get the better one.
這兩臺筆記型電腦的價差很小,所以買好一點的那臺吧。
Heather received a minor cut on her finger while chopping vegetables for dinner.
Heather 切菜準備晚餐時,手指被割了一道輕微的傷口。
- slight
emphasises small degree or amount rather than low importance
- trivial
stronger than 'minor'; suggests something is not worth attention at all [informal/critical tone]
- secondary
stresses lower rank in a hierarchy of importance
- insignificant
suggests something has no meaningful effect or value
- major
the direct opposite in importance, size, or seriousness
文法句型
minor + noun
be + minor
用法筆記
Frequently used before nouns to describe problems, injuries, changes, or differences that are not serious. For physical injuries, 'minor' suggests treatment is simple and recovery is quick.
常見錯誤
2. relating to a set of musical notes (a scale or key) that typically sounds sad, s
小調的
音樂中小調或小音階的
relating to a set of musical notes (a scale or key) that typically sounds sad, serious, or dark to the listener, as opposed to the brighter sound of a major scale.
Samir composed a short piece for piano in a sad minor key.
Samir 用憂傷的小調譜寫了一首簡短的鋼琴曲。
minor key — a musical key with a sad or serious sound
The song begins with a slow minor chord that creates a serious mood.
這首歌開頭是一個緩慢的小和弦,營造出嚴肅的氣氛。
Gabriela prefers playing minor scales because they sound more emotional to her.
Gabriela 比較喜歡彈小調音階,因為她覺得小調聽起來更有感情。
The music teacher explained the difference between major and minor intervals.
音樂老師解釋了大調音程和小調音程的差別。
Nicholas learned to play a beautiful minor melody on his classical guitar.
Nicholas 學會了用古典吉他彈奏一首優美的小調旋律。
- dark
informal way to describe the emotional quality of minor-key music
- melancholic
describes the sad emotional effect, not the technical structure
- major
the opposite musical key/scale system, typically sounding brighter or happier
文法句型
minor + noun (key, scale, chord)
用法筆記
Used exclusively in music contexts. The noun phrase is always 'a minor key/scale/chord' — never 'a minor music'. Distinguish from sense 1: a 'minor interval' does NOT mean 'unimportant interval'; it is a precise musical term.
常見錯誤
minors — 名詞
1. someone below the minimum age set by law for adult rights and responsibilities —
未成年人
未達法定成年年齡者
someone below the minimum age set by law for adult rights and responsibilities — for example, voting, signing contracts, or buying alcohol.
The nightclub was fined for allowing minors into the building after ten o'clock.
那家夜店因為允許未成年人於十點後進入而被罰款。
allowing minors into — legal restriction on underage access
Iker works as a lawyer who defends the legal rights of minors in court.
Iker 是一名律師,在法庭上為未成年人的法律權益辯護。
rights of minors — legal protections for those under 18
The law protects minors from being asked to work in dangerous conditions.
法律保護未成年人,不得要求他們在危險的環境下工作。
Ada arranged for a tutor to help the minor catch up on missed schoolwork.
Ada 安排了一位家教來幫助那名未成年人追趕落後的課業。
The doctor cannot treat a minor without a parent's written permission.
醫生若沒有家長書面同意,不得對未成年人進行治療。
- child
more general and informal; focuses on young age rather than legal status
- juvenile
formal legal term, especially in criminal justice contexts
- underage person
descriptive phrase emphasising the legal threshold
文法句型
a minor / minors
the + minor
用法筆記
A legal or formal term. In everyday conversation, 'child', 'teenager', or 'kid' is more common. The age of adulthood (majority) varies by country — typically 18 in most places, but 21 in some US states for alcohol.
常見錯誤
2. the system of professional sports leagues in baseball and ice hockey that are be
小聯盟
低於最高等級的職業體育聯賽
the system of professional sports leagues in baseball and ice hockey that are below the highest (major) level, where younger or less experienced players develop their skills before possibly joining a major league team.
Jason played in the minors for three years before joining a major league team.
Jason 在小聯盟打了三年球,之後才加入大聯盟球隊。
played in the minors — career in lower-level professional leagues
Baseball games in the minors offer cheap tickets and a relaxed atmosphere for families.
小聯盟的棒球賽門票便宜,氣氛輕鬆,適合全家同樂。
The young pitcher was sent to the minors to improve his throwing accuracy.
那位年輕的投手被下放到小聯盟,以加強他的投球準確度。
Roya loves watching hockey in the minors because the games are fast and exciting.
Roya 很喜歡看小聯盟的冰球賽,因為比賽節奏快又刺激。
Many famous baseball players began their careers in the minors before becoming stars.
許多知名棒球選手都是從小聯盟起步,後來才成為球星。
- minor league
singular countable; refers to one specific league rather than the whole system
- farm system
informal term for the development leagues owned by major league clubs
- lower leagues
general term applicable to any sport
- the majors
the highest level of professional sports, especially baseball
文法句型
the minors
in the minors
play in the minors
用法筆記
Almost always used in the plural with 'the': 'the minors'. In American English, 'the minors' refers specifically to the Minor League Baseball system. For ice hockey, it refers to the American Hockey League and ECHL. British English does not use 'the minors' this way; use 'lower leagues' instead.
常見錯誤
minors — 動詞
- minorspresent simple I / you / we / they
- minorses3rd person singular
- minorsing-ing form
- minorsedpast simple
1. to choose and study a particular subject at a college or university as a seconda
輔修
大學中作為第二主修修讀
to choose and study a particular subject at a college or university as a secondary focus, with fewer required courses than your main subject (your major).
Mei is majoring in biology and minoring in French at the state university.
Mei 在州立大學主修生物學,輔修法文。
minoring in French — studying French as a secondary academic subject
Tamar decided to minor in art history after visiting museums in Paris.
Tamar 在參觀了巴黎的博物館後,決定輔修藝術史。
Students who minor in education often become certified teachers after graduation.
輔修教育學的學生畢業後通常能取得教師資格。
One of my classmates is minoring in Mandarin Chinese because she plans to work in Taipei one day.
我的一個同學正在輔修華語,因為她計畫有一天到臺北工作。
Ada chose to minor in music so she could play the cello more often.
Ada 選擇輔修音樂,這樣她就可以更常拉大提琴了。
- specialise in
broader; can apply to any level of study, not just undergraduate degrees; more common in British English
- take subsidiary courses in
formal British English equivalent
- concentrate in
sometimes used interchangeably with 'minor' at some US universities
- major in
to study a subject as your primary focus
文法句型
minor in + subject
用法筆記
Used primarily in North American university systems. In British or other systems, the equivalent concept is 'taking subsidiary courses' or 'a subsidiary subject'. The verb is always followed by 'in + subject name', never used without 'in'.