natural
/ˈnætʃrəl/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈnætʃrəl/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈna-ch(ə-)rəl/ (ame, mw) · /ˈnætʃ.ər.əl/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈnætʃ.ɚ.əl/ (ame, ipa)
natural — 形容詞
- naturalpositive
- more naturalcomparative
- most naturalsuperlative
1. describing things that exist in nature — such as animals, plants, rocks, or weat
天然
存在於自然界而非人為的
describing things that exist in nature — such as animals, plants, rocks, or weather — and are not made, changed, or created by human beings
The island's natural beauty attracts thousands of visitors each year.
這座島嶼的自然美景每年吸引成千上萬的遊客。
collocation: natural beauty / natural resources
Pim prefers natural materials like wood and stone for building furniture.
Pim 偏好使用木材和石頭等天然材料來製作傢俱。
collocation: natural materials / natural fibres
Earthquakes and floods are natural disasters that affect many regions.
地震和水災是影響許多地區的自然災害。
This cream is made from natural oils with no artificial additives.
這款乳霜由天然油脂製成，不含人工添加物。
The national park protects the natural habitat of the mountain gorillas.
這座國家公園保護了山地大猩猩的自然棲息地。
- organic
strictly refers to living matter and, for food, to cultivation without chemicals
- raw
describes materials in their unprocessed original state, usually mined or harvested
- unprocessed
focuses on the absence of human alteration or refinement
- artificial
made by human skill, imitating something natural
- synthetic
chemically produced rather than occurring in nature
- man-made
created by people, not existing naturally
常見錯誤
2. describing a quality, skill, or behaviour that someone is born with, rather than
天生的
人一出生就具備的能力或特質
describing a quality, skill, or behaviour that someone is born with, rather than one they learn or develop through practice
Young children have a natural curiosity about the world around them.
小孩子對周圍的世界充滿了天生的好奇心。
collocation: natural curiosity / natural instinct
Ramón has a natural talent for languages and speaks four fluently.
Ramón 有語言天賦，能流利地說四種語言。
collocation: natural talent / natural ability
Birds have a natural instinct to build nests when spring arrives.
鳥類有築巢的先天本能，春天一到就會開始建造。
Sade showed a natural gift for drawing from the age of three.
Sade 從三歲起就展現出繪畫的天賦。
Kemi's natural charm won over the hiring panel during her job interview.
Kemi 在求職面試中以天生的親和力贏得了面試小組的好感。
- innate
formal synonym for qualities present from birth, common in academic contexts
- inborn
emphasises that the quality existed at birth
- instinctive
describes automatic, unlearned behaviours or reactions
用法筆記
Frequently used before nouns such as 'talent', 'ability', 'instinct', 'gift', 'curiosity', and 'charm' to describe fixed, inborn qualities rather than acquired ones. Distinguish from sense 1 (IN NATURE), where 'natural' modifies concrete objects or physical phenomena, not personal traits.
常見錯誤
3. describing someone who acts in a relaxed and real way, without pretending to be
自然
行為真實、放鬆不拘謹的
describing someone who acts in a relaxed and real way, without pretending to be different or trying to impress others
Anna is very natural on stage and never seems nervous.
Anna 在台上非常自然，從不顯得緊張。
Christopher tried to act natural when his boss walked into the room.
Christopher 在老闆走進房間時試圖表現得自然一點。
collocation: act natural / look natural
The wedding photos look natural because the couple did not pose stiffly.
婚禮照片看起來很自然，因為新人沒有僵硬地擺姿勢。
During the orientation session, Rafael's natural way of speaking made the nervous newcomers feel included.
在迎新說明會上，Rafael 自然的說話方式讓緊張的新生們感到被接納。
His laughter was warm and natural, without any hint of fake politeness.
他的笑聲溫暖而真摯，沒有一絲虛假的客套。
- genuine
emphasises sincerity; not pretending to have different feelings from one's real ones
- unaffected
suggests the person is not trying to impress or put on an act
- spontaneous
describes behaviour that arises naturally without planning or constraint
用法筆記
Commonly used in the fixed phrase 'act natural' (stay calm and behave normally in a tense situation). When describing inanimate things like photographs, videos, or performances, it means 'not forced or posed.' Distinguish from sense 1 (IN NATURE), which applies to physical substances and phenomena, and sense 6 (NORMAL & EXPECTED), which applies to situations and reactions.
常見錯誤
4. describes food or drink that is in its original, pure state, containing no artif
純天然
無人工化學物的純淨食品
describes food or drink that is in its original, pure state, containing no artificial chemicals, preservatives, or colourings
Many families now choose natural foods that contain no preservatives.
許多家庭現在選擇不含防腐劑的天然食品。
collocation: natural food / natural ingredients
This yoghurt contains only natural ingredients and no added sugar.
這款優格只含天然成分，沒有添加糖。
Tariq prefers natural fruit juice over fizzy drinks with artificial flavours.
Tariq 更喜歡純天然果汁，而不是含人工香料的气泡飲料。
The label says the snack uses only natural colours from vegetables.
標籤上寫明這款零食僅使用蔬菜中的天然色素。
More supermarkets are stocking natural skincare products without chemicals.
越來越多超市開始販售不含化學成分的天然護膚產品。
- processed
food that has been altered from its natural state, often with additives
- artificial
containing man-made chemical substances rather than natural ones
用法筆記
When applied to food, 'natural' is not a strictly regulated term in many countries, so products labelled 'natural' may still undergo some processing. It contrasts with 'organic,' which is a certified farming standard. Distinguish from sense 1 (IN NATURE), where 'natural' describes anything found in the physical world rather than only food.
常見錯誤
5. describes a parent who conceived or gave birth to a child, as distinguished from
親生
以血緣關係而非領養的
describes a parent who conceived or gave birth to a child, as distinguished from a step-parent or adoptive parent
Her natural mother gave birth at the age of seventeen.
她的親生母親在十七歲時生下了她。
collocation: natural mother / natural father / natural parent
Ishaan was adopted as a baby and later found his natural father.
Ishaan 在嬰兒時期被收養，後來找到了自己的生父。
In some countries, natural parents maintain rights even after adoption.
在某些國家，即使孩子已被收養，生父母仍保有某些權利。
The social worker arranged a meeting between the child and his natural family.
社工安排這個孩子與他的親生家人見面。
The law recognises both adoptive parents and natural parents in inheritance cases.
法律在繼承案件中同時承認養父母和親生父母的權利。
- biological
the more common and neutral modern term for a birth parent
- birth
used before 'parent/mother/father' to identify the parent involved in the child's birth
用法筆記
Primarily a legal or formal term. In everyday conversation, 'biological parent' or 'birth parent' is more common. The word 'natural' in this sense can sound dated to some speakers. Distinguish from sense 2 (INBORN ABILITY), which also refers to birth origins but applies to skills and traits, not family relationships.
常見錯誤
6. happening in the usual way that most people would expect, without being unusual
正常的
合乎常理或預期的
happening in the usual way that most people would expect, without being unusual or surprising
It is natural to feel nervous before a job interview.
在求職面試前感到緊張是很正常的事。
pattern: It is natural + to-infinitive
Making mistakes is a natural part of learning a new skill.
犯錯是學習新技能過程中很自然的一部分。
Parents find it natural to worry about their teenage children.
父母擔心自己十幾歲的孩子是很自然的事。
It is only natural that friends want to help one another in difficult times.
朋友在困難的時候互相幫助，這是理所當然的。
As puppies grow older, it is natural for them to explore their surroundings.
小狗長大後自然會想去探索周圍的環境。
- normal
the closest synonym; interchangeable in most contexts but slightly less formal
- expected
focuses on anticipation and social norms rather than inherent nature
- understandable
shifts emphasis from statistical normality to emotional reasonableness
- unusual
not happening often or not typical
- abnormal
deviating from what is considered typical or standard
- surprising
causing a feeling of unexpectedness rather than natural acceptance
文法句型
it is natural + to-infinitive
it is natural + that-clause
用法筆記
Most common in the fixed constructions 'it is natural + to-infinitive' and 'it is natural + that-clause.' The intensifier 'only' (it is only natural that…) is a common collocation in this sense. Distinguish from sense 3 (RELAXED & GENUINE), which describes a person's manner or style, not the expected nature of an event or feeling.
常見錯誤
7. describing a musical note that is played at its normal pitch, not raised by a sh
本位音
音樂中非升非降的音符
describing a musical note that is played at its normal pitch, not raised by a sharp (♯) or lowered by a flat (♭)
The piece has a B natural in the second bar instead of B flat.
這首曲子第二小節有一個 B 本位音，而不是 B 降記號。
pattern: [note name] + natural, e.g. 'B natural'
Élise played an F natural where the sheet music said F sharp.
Élise 在樂譜標示 F 升記號的地方彈了 F 本位音。
On a piano keyboard, the natural notes are the white keys.
在鋼琴鍵盤上，本位音就是白鍵。
When the key signature changes, the C natural replaces the earlier C sharp.
當調號改變時，C 本位音會取代先前的 C 升記號。
The composer placed a natural sign before the G to correct the harmony.
作曲家在 G 音前加上本位記號以修正和聲。
文法句型
[note name] + natural
用法筆記
Used after the name of a note (e.g., 'A natural,' 'E natural'). The written symbol is ♮. This sense belongs to musical terminology and is not used in general conversation. Distinguish from sense 2 (INBORN ABILITY) where 'natural' is a general adjective — here it is a post-positioned modifier in music notation.
natural — 名詞
- naturalsingular
- naturalsplural
1. someone who possesses an exceptional skill or talent from birth, requiring littl
天才
天生具備某種才能的人
someone who possesses an exceptional skill or talent from birth, requiring little or no formal training to perform well
As a guitarist, Mateo is a natural — he learned everything by ear.
Mateo 彈吉他很有天分——他全靠聽力學會的。
idiomatic construction: be a natural
His coach called him a natural because he picked up tennis so fast.
教練說他有天賦，因為他學網球學得很快。
Ada is a natural at maths and solves problems very quickly.
Ada 是數學天才，解題速度非常快。
You can tell from her first painting that she is a natural artist.
從她的第一幅畫就能看出她天生是當藝術家的料。
The director saw the young actor as a natural for the leading role.
導演認為這位年輕演員是男主角的不二人選。
- born talent
a slightly informal phrase emphasising that the talent was present from birth
- prodigy
a young person with exceptional abilities, usually in a specific field like music or maths
- gifted person
someone with a special natural ability, often in intellectual or artistic areas
文法句型
a natural + at/in [something]
用法筆記
Always used with the indefinite article: 'a natural.' Common prepositions follow: 'a natural at' (for skills or activities: 'a natural at chess'), 'a natural for' (for roles or positions: 'a natural for the job'). The word is usually followed by a noun or noun phrase specifying the area of talent.
常見錯誤
2. a printed sign (♮) in sheet music that tells the performer to play a note at its
本位記號
還原升降記號的音樂符號（♮）
a printed sign (♮) in sheet music that tells the performer to play a note at its regular pitch, removing the effect of an earlier sharp or flat
The natural sign before the G cancels the sharp from the key signature.
G 音前的本位記號取消了調號中的升記號。
term: natural sign (♮)
Eitan saw the natural next to the F and played the white key.
Eitan 看到 F 音旁的本位記號後，就彈了白鍵。
The composer added a natural before the A to correct the chord.
作曲家在 A 音前加上本位記號以修正和絃。
In sight-reading, you must watch for accidentals like sharps, flats, and naturals.
在視譜時，你必須留意升記號、降記號和本位記號等臨時記號。
The pianist missed the natural and played a G sharp instead of G.
鋼琴家漏看了本位記號，結果彈了 G 升記號而不是 G 音。
- natural sign
the full name for the symbol ♮, used to avoid confusion with the general word 'natural'
- sharp sign
the symbol (♯) that raises a note by one semitone
- flat sign
the symbol (♭) that lowers a note by one semitone
用法筆記
In music instruction, this is often referred to as a 'natural sign' to distinguish the symbol from the general adjective. The plural is 'naturals.' Commonly grouped with 'sharps' and 'flats' under the term 'accidentals.'
常見錯誤
natural — 副詞
1. behaving or doing something with a relaxed, genuine manner, free from pretence o
自然地
以放鬆、不造作的方式
behaving or doing something with a relaxed, genuine manner, free from pretence or artificiality
Just behave naturally and do not worry about what others think.
表現得自然就好，不用擔心別人怎麼想。
collocation: behave naturally / act naturally
Anna spoke naturally during her presentation and did not read from notes.
Anna 在簡報時說話很自然，沒有照稿念。
When the balloon popped at the party, baby Amelia reacted naturally by laughing with delight.
派對上的氣球爆掉時，小 Amelia 自然地開心地笑了出來。
Christopher smiled naturally when he saw his old friend at the station.
Christopher 在車站看到老朋友時，很自然地笑了出來。
The conversation flowed naturally once everyone had relaxed a little.
大家稍微放鬆之後，談話就自然地進行下去了。
- effortlessly
emphasises doing something with no apparent difficulty
- unaffectedly
formal word meaning without pretence or artificiality
- artificially
in a way that feels forced or imitative
- stiffly
in a rigid, tense, or formal manner
用法筆記
The adverb 'naturally' has two additional common meanings not covered by this sense: (1) 'of course' or 'as expected' (e.g., 'Naturally, she was upset'), and (2) 'as a result of natural processes' (e.g., 'Plants grow naturally in this climate'). This sense is specifically about relaxed, unforced behaviour.