native
/ˈneɪtɪv/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈneɪtɪv/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈnā-tiv/ (ame, mw) · /ˈneɪ.tɪv/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈneɪ.t̬ɪv/ (ame, ipa)
native — 形容詞
- nativepositive
- more nativecomparative
- most nativesuperlative
1. describing the town, city, or country that is the place of your birth or early l
出生地的
指出生或成長的地方
describing the town, city, or country that is the place of your birth or early life
Karim returned to his native city after living abroad for ten years.
Karim 在國外住了十年後，回到了他的出生城市。
native + city — the city where you were born
The festival celebrates the food and music of Esteban's native region.
這個節日慶祝的是 Esteban 家鄉地區的美食與音樂。
Many young people leave their native country to study overseas.
許多年輕人離開自己的祖國到海外求學。
Her native city, Marseille, is famous for its port and seafood.
她的出生城市馬賽以港口和海鮮聞名。
- homeland
stronger emotional tone; often used for the country you feel loyal to, not just where you were born
- birthplace
only used as a noun, not an adjective; 'her birthplace is Osaka'
- home
more general; 'home country' is a common alternative to 'native country'
- foreign
relating to a country that is not your own
文法句型
native + noun (place, country, city, land, town)
常見錯誤
2. found growing or living wild in a specific area, not brought there by humans
原生
動植物自然生長於某地
found growing or living wild in a specific area, not brought there by humans
The alpine rose is native to the mountains of central Europe.
高山玫瑰原生於中歐山區。
native to + place — where something grows naturally
Gardeners are encouraged to plant native trees that support local insects.
園藝專家鼓勵種植有助於當地昆蟲的在地樹種。
This species of bird is not native to North America — it was introduced from Asia.
這種鳥類並非北美洲原生種——牠們是從亞洲引入的。
The park has a special section that only shows plants native to the desert.
公園裡有一個專區只展示沙漠原生植物。
Invasive weeds can push out native wildflowers by taking all the sunlight.
入侵雜草會搶走陽光，排擠原生野花。
- indigenous
more formal; used especially for people, plants, and animals that have always lived in a region
- local
broader meaning; 'local' can also mean 'nearby' without the sense of 'originally from here'
- invasive
of a species that spreads aggressively in a place where it does not naturally belong
- introduced
brought to a place by humans, not naturally occurring there
- non-native
not originally from the area
文法句型
native + noun (species, plant, tree, animal, bird, fish, flower)
native to + place
用法筆記
Often followed by 'to + place' to specify the region where the species originally occurs. Contrasts with 'invasive' or 'introduced' species.
常見錯誤
3. belonging to the group of people who were the first to live in a region, before
原住民的
最早居住於某地的族群
belonging to the group of people who were the first to live in a region, before colonisers or settlers arrived
The museum displays art made by Native artists from the Pacific Northwest.
這間博物館展示的是太平洋西北地區原住民藝術家的作品。
Native + noun — referring to Indigenous peoples; often capitalised
Tanvi read a book about native communities in the Amazon rainforest.
Tanvi 讀了一本關於亞馬遜雨林原住民部落的書。
Native land rights are still a major legal issue in many countries today.
原住民的土地權至今仍是許多國家重大的法律議題。
A committee was formed to consult native leaders about the new mining plan.
政府成立了一個委員會，就新採礦計畫諮詢原住民領袖的意見。
Many native languages in Australia are in danger of disappearing.
澳洲許多原住民語言正面臨消失的危機。
- Indigenous
currently the preferred term internationally; often capitalised; less tied to colonial history
- aboriginal
used for the original peoples of a region, especially in Australia (Aboriginal Australians); capitalised in specific references
文法句型
Native + noun (American, Australian, people, community, culture, land)
用法筆記
When referring to the original peoples of a place, 'Indigenous' (often capitalised) is now the more commonly preferred term in many contexts. 'Native' is still used in some fixed terms such as 'Native American' and 'Native Hawaiian', but in general usage 'Indigenous' is considered more respectful.
常見錯誤
❌ Referring to all Indigenous peoples as 'natives' (as a noun) — this can sound outdated or offensive. Use 'Indigenous peoples' or specific group names instead.
❌ 'The native people of Taiwan' — OK in some contexts, but 'Indigenous people of Taiwan' is more respectful today.
4. referring to the first language a person learns to speak as a child, usually fro
母語的
從幼年學到的第一種語言
referring to the first language a person learns to speak as a child, usually from their parents or family
Sari speaks French as her native language and learned English in school.
Sari 的母語是法語，她在學校學了英語。
native language — the first language someone learns
The program looks for native speakers of Japanese to help with the translation work.
這個計劃需要日語母語人士協助翻譯工作。
native speaker — a person who speaks the language from childhood
Wei's native tongue is Cantonese, though he grew up in Canada.
Wei 的母語是粵語，儘管他是在加拿大長大的。
Even native speakers sometimes make mistakes with spelling and grammar.
即使是母語人士，有時也會犯拼寫和文法錯誤。
- mother tongue
slightly more personal and emotional; very common in learner contexts
- first language
neutral and formal; used in education and linguistics
- second language
a language learned after the native language
- foreign language
a language not spoken in the learner's home country
文法句型
native + noun (language, speaker, tongue)
用法筆記
'Native language' and 'mother tongue' are often used interchangeably, though 'mother tongue' feels slightly more personal and emotional.
常見錯誤
5. the country where a person was born and spent their childhood, often with a sens
祖國的
出生並成長的國家
the country where a person was born and spent their childhood, often with a sense of belonging or attachment
After twenty years abroad, Harper decided to move back to her native land.
在國外待了二十年後，Harper 決定搬回她的祖國。
native land — the country where you were born and raised
The song is about soldiers who died far from their native soil.
這首歌是關於戰士們在遠離故土的地方犧牲。
Christopher felt a strong pull to return to his native country during the holidays.
Christopher 在節日期間強烈渴望回到自己的祖國。
Élise sends money home to her family in her native country every month.
Élise 每個月都會寄錢回家，給她在祖國的家人。
- homeland
more emotional and literary; often used in patriotic or nostalgic contexts
- country of origin
formal term used in official documents and immigration contexts
- adopted country
the country someone moves to and chooses to live in permanently
文法句型
native + noun (country, land, soil)
用法筆記
This sense overlaps with sense 1 (BIRTH PLACE), but is more specifically tied to the country level and carries a slightly more emotional tone of belonging and roots.
6. a quality or ability that people are born with, not one gained through learning
天生；天賦
無需學習即擁有的特質
a quality or ability that people are born with, not one gained through learning or practice
The puppy showed a native intelligence that surprised even the trainer.
那隻小狗展現出連訓練師都驚訝的天生智慧。
native intelligence — intelligence that comes naturally, not learned
Eve's native charm made everyone at the party feel welcome and at ease.
Eve 天生的魅力讓派對上的每個人都感到受歡迎和自在。
Some birds have a native ability to navigate over thousands of kilometres.
有些鳥類具有飛越數千公里的天賦能力。
Michael never took a music lesson, but his native sense of rhythm was remarkable.
Michael 從未上過音樂課，但他天生的節奏感非常出色。
文法句型
native + noun (ability, talent, intelligence, wit, charm, grace)
用法筆記
Typically used attributively before nouns of ability or personality. 'Innate' is a more common synonym in modern English; 'native' in this sense sounds slightly more literary.
常見錯誤
7. found in nature as a pure chemical element, not mixed with other substances — us
自然純態的
礦物以純元素形式天然存在
found in nature as a pure chemical element, not mixed with other substances — used especially of metals and minerals
Native copper was used by ancient people to make tools and jewellery.
古人使用自然銅來製作工具和首飾。
native copper — copper found in pure form in nature
Unlike many other metals, native gold can be shaped without heating.
與許多其他金屬不同，自然金不需要加熱就可以塑形。
The miners were excited to find a large deposit of native silver in the cave.
礦工們在洞穴中發現大量的自然銀礦床，感到非常興奮。
Native elements such as gold and copper are rare because most metals form compounds.
金和銅這類自然元素很稀有，因為大多數金屬都會形成化合物。
文法句型
native + noun (copper, gold, silver, iron)
用法筆記
This is a technical term used in geology and mining. It is not used in everyday conversation. The most common examples are 'native copper', 'native gold', and 'native silver'.
native — 名詞
- nativesingular
- nativesplural
1. someone whose birthplace is a specific location; also, any living thing found gr
本地人；原生
出生於某地的人或原生動植物
someone whose birthplace is a specific location; also, any living thing found growing or living wild in that area without being brought by humans
Ilan is a native of Tel Aviv who now lives in London.
Ilan 是特拉維夫本地人，目前住在倫敦。
a native of + place — a person born in that place
The toucan is a native of the tropical forests of Central and South America.
巨嘴鳥是中南美洲熱帶森林的原生鳥類。
The tour guide, a native, knew every street in the old town.
導遊是本地人，熟悉老城區的每一條街道。
Niran showed us that the baobab is a native of Madagascar's dry woodlands.
Niran 告訴我們，猴麵包樹是馬達加斯加乾燥林地中的原生植物。
The festival was put together by natives of the village who now live abroad.
這個節慶是由旅居國外的村民（本地人）籌辦的。
- local
everyday word; 'the locals' refers to people who live in an area, not necessarily born there
- resident
formal; someone who lives in a place, regardless of where they were born
- inhabitant
a person or animal that lives in a particular place
文法句型
native of + place
用法筆記
When referring to a person, 'native of + place' is neutral and unproblematic (e.g. 'a native of Japan'). However, using 'natives' (plural) to refer broadly to the original inhabitants of a colonised region can sound dated or offensive. For those situations, use 'Indigenous peoples' or a specific group name instead.
常見錯誤
2. an extremely offensive, racist term for a person from a country that was colonis
⚠️冒犯用語
對原住民的貶抑性歧視稱呼
an extremely offensive, racist term for a person from a country that was colonised, especially used by European colonists to refer to the original inhabitants of Africa, Asia, or the Americas in a dehumanising way
The old book called the local people 'natives', a term now seen as deeply offensive.
那本舊書稱當地人為「natives」，這個詞如今被視為冒犯用語。
considered deeply offensive — this sense is now a racial slur
Historians no longer use the word 'natives' to describe the original inhabitants of colonised regions.
歷史學家不再使用「natives」這個詞來描述殖民地區的原住民。
Calling a non-white person 'a native' in a former colony is unacceptable today.
在前殖民地稱呼非白人為「a native」在今天是不可接受的。
The colonial officers called Tendai's grandfather a native, a label that still angers the family.
殖民官員稱 Tendai 的祖父為 native，這個稱呼至今仍讓他的家人感到憤怒。
文法句型
(no common grammatical patterns — used as a stand-alone noun)
用法筆記
⚠️ WARNING: This sense is now considered a racial slur and is extremely offensive. Use 'Indigenous people', 'First Nations people', or the specific name of the ethnic group instead. This entry is included only so that learners can recognise the term and understand why it should NOT be used. The offensive sense applies only to the NOUN form; the adjective 'native' in phrases like 'native plants' or 'native language' is neutral and safe to use.
常見錯誤
⚠️ Do not use 'native' as a noun to refer to a person from a group of original inhabitants. Say 'Indigenous person', 'First Nations person', or name the specific community (e.g. 'Navajo', 'Maori', 'Ainu').