paperwork

/ˈpeɪpəwɜːk/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈpeɪpərwɜːrk/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈpā-pər-ˌwərk/ (ame, mw)

paperwork — 名詞

1. the routine writing tasks tied to a job — filling in forms, replying to letters,

1.名詞B2
釋義

文書工作

工作中填表、寫信、整理檔案的雜務部分

the routine writing tasks tied to a job — filling in forms, replying to letters, and updating files — that take time but are not the main work itself.

例句

Marcus spends every Friday afternoon catching up on paperwork at his desk.

Marcus 每週五下午都坐在辦公桌前趕文書工作。

collocation: catch up on paperwork

Nurses at the clinic complain that paperwork takes time away from patients.

診所的護理師抱怨文書工作排擠了照顧病人的時間。

typical complaint frame: paperwork takes time away from

同義詞
  • admin

    informal short form, mostly British

  • clerical work

    more formal, emphasises office routine

  • red tape

    negative; suggests rules are excessive or annoying

文法句型

uncountable: do/finish/get through paperwork

用法筆記

Always uncountable: never 'a paperwork' or 'paperworks'. Quantify with 'a lot of', 'too much', 'a pile/stack of', or 'some'.

常見錯誤

❌I have many paperworks to finish.
✅I have a lot of paperwork to finish.
💡paperwork is uncountable; no plural -s and no 'a/an'.
❌She did a paperwork yesterday.
✅She did some paperwork yesterday.
💡use 'some' or 'a piece of' instead of 'a/an'.

2. the set of forms, contracts, or other written items needed to make something off

2.名詞B2
釋義

證明文件

辦理某件事所需的整套表格、合約等文件

the set of forms, contracts, or other written items needed to make something official, such as buying a house, joining a school, or closing a business deal.

例句

Sarah signed the paperwork for her new apartment in front of the agent.

Sarah 當著仲介的面簽好了新公寓的書面文件。

collocation: sign the paperwork for [thing]

The hospital lost the paperwork for my father's surgery and had to start again.

醫院弄丟了我父親手術的相關文件，只好重新辦一次。

同義詞
  • documents

    countable and more general; can be one or many

  • documentation

    more formal; stresses proof or evidence

  • forms

    narrower — only refers to printed forms with blanks to fill in

文法句型

uncountable: sign/submit/complete the paperwork (for X)

用法筆記

Distinguish from sense 1: sense 2 refers to a specific bundle of documents tied to ONE event or deal (a sale, a trip, a court case), so it usually appears with 'the' and 'for + noun'. Sense 1 is the abstract category of office writing tasks in general.

常見錯誤

❌Please give me the paperworks for the loan.
✅Please give me the paperwork for the loan.
💡still uncountable, even when it refers to a specific stack of documents.
❌Bring your paperwork about the visa.
✅Bring your paperwork for the visa.
💡use 'for', not 'about', when naming the deal or case.