plain
/pleɪn/ (bre, ipa) · /pleɪn/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈplān/ (ame, mw)
plain — 形容詞
- plainpositive
- plainercomparative
- plainestsuperlative
1. simple in appearance, taste, or form, without decoration, pattern, or extra thin
樸素；原味
無裝飾、無花樣或未加料
simple in appearance, taste, or form, without decoration, pattern, or extra things added.
Maya wore a plain white shirt to the school concert.
Maya 穿著一件樸素的白襯衫去學校音樂會。
collocation: plain shirt
We ordered plain noodles for Leo because his stomach hurt.
因為 Leo 胃痛，我們點了原味麵給他吃。
collocation: plain food
The hotel room looked plain, but it was clean and quiet.
那間旅館房間看起來很樸素，不過很乾淨也很安靜。
Dad likes plain yogurt with fruit instead of sweet flavors.
爸爸喜歡吃加水果的原味優格，不愛甜口味。
- simple
broad and neutral; can describe style, design, or structure
- undecorated
focuses on the lack of ornament rather than food or taste
- pure
fits best when nothing has been mixed in, especially with food or materials
文法句型
plain + clothes / room / food / design
用法筆記
Common with clothes, rooms, and food. Distinguish from adjective/8 NOTHING SPECIAL: this sense is about having no added decoration or flavor, not about being low in importance or interest.
2. so easy to notice or understand that it does not need further explanation.
明顯的；清楚
容易看出或理解
so easy to notice or understand that it does not need further explanation.
By sunset, it was plain that the hikers were lost.
到日落時，大家已經很清楚他們那群健行客迷路了。
it is plain that + clause
The anger on Rosa's face was plain to everyone.
Rosa 臉上的怒氣對每個人來說都很明顯。
be plain to + person
After one look at the wet floor, the danger was plain.
看了濕地板一眼後，危險就很明顯了。
After the freezer leaked, it became plain why the shop closed early.
冷凍櫃一漏水，大家很快就明白那家店為什麼提早打烊。
文法句型
it is plain that + clause
be plain to + person
become plain + wh-clause
用法筆記
Often appears in fixed patterns such as 'it is plain that ...' and 'plain to everyone'. Distinguish from adjective/7 OPEN AND HONEST, which describes the way someone speaks rather than how clear a fact is.
3. used before a noun to stress that something is total, complete, or beyond doubt.
十足的
放在名詞前強調完全如此
used before a noun to stress that something is total, complete, or beyond doubt.
Calling that broken chair an antique was plain nonsense.
把那張壞掉的椅子說成古董，根本是十足的胡說。
plain + noun for strong emphasis
Missing both morning trains was plain bad luck.
早上兩班火車都沒搭上，真是倒楣透了。
Tom's story about walking Mars was a plain lie.
Tom 說他曾經走路上火星，那根本是十足的謊話。
Paying twice for one meal was plain stupidity.
一頓飯付兩次錢真是十足的愚蠢。
- partial
not total or complete
文法句型
plain + lie / nonsense / waste / stupidity
用法筆記
This emphatic use is mainly before nouns. Distinguish from adverb/1 COMPLETELY, which usually strengthens a verb or adjective instead.
4. describing paper with a blank surface and no printed lines or pattern on it.
無格；素面
指紙張沒有格線或圖樣
describing paper with a blank surface and no printed lines or pattern on it.
Please use plain paper for the drawing test today.
今天的繪畫測驗請用無格紙。
collocation: plain paper
Nora wrote the note on plain paper from the printer tray.
Nora 用印表機托盤裡的無格紙寫了那張便條。
The teacher handed out plain sheets for our quick map sketch.
老師發了無格紙，讓我們快速畫地圖草圖。
Ben wrapped the class photo in plain paper before mailing it.
Ben 用一張素面紙包好班級合照後才去寄。
文法句型
plain + paper / sheet / card
用法筆記
Mostly used with paper, sheets, cards, and similar writing material.
5. used to show that someone or something is entirely ordinary and has nothing spec
普通的
很平常，沒有特別之處
used to show that someone or something is entirely ordinary and has nothing special about it.
It was just a plain wooden table, not a family treasure.
那只是一張普通的木桌，不是什麼傳家寶。
plain for something ordinary, not special
Omar chose the plain gray cup instead of the gold one.
Omar 選了普通的灰色杯子，而不是金色那個。
From the bus window, the village looked plain beside the bright beach town.
從巴士窗外看去，那個村子比熱鬧的海邊小鎮普通得多。
Nina was a plain office worker, not a television star.
Nina 只是個普通的上班族，不是電視明星。
- special
different from the ordinary in a positive or important way
- remarkable
noticeably unusual or impressive
文法句型
plain + house / dress / town / cup
用法筆記
This sense judges something as ordinary or not remarkable. Distinguish from adjective/1 NO EXTRA DETAILS, which is about a lack of decoration or added parts.
6. used mainly after look or seem to say someone's face, especially a female person
不好看
尤指女性，看起來不漂亮
used mainly after look or seem to say someone's face, especially a female person's, is not attractive.
Grace thought she looked plain beside her two older cousins.
Grace 覺得自己站在兩個表姊旁邊時看起來不好看。
plain after linking verb about appearance
The film unfairly calls the older sister plain beside Emma.
那部電影不太公平，把姊姊拍得比 Emma 不好看。
At school, Mira worried that boys would think she looked plain.
在學校時，Mira 擔心男生會覺得她看起來不好看。
In the novel, the prince first thinks the farmer's daughter looks plain.
小說裡，王子一開始覺得那個農家女兒看起來不好看。
- unattractive
a direct and neutral description
- ordinary-looking
softer and less judgmental
文法句型
look plain
be plain
用法筆記
This use can sound old-fashioned or unkind. A more neutral modern phrase is 'ordinary-looking'.
7. used before words such as 'girl' or 'woman' to describe someone whose looks are
長相平平
用在 girl、woman 等名詞前
used before words such as 'girl' or 'woman' to describe someone whose looks are ordinary rather than striking.
The writer describes Anna as a plain girl from the village.
那位作家把 Anna 寫成一個來自村裡、長相平平的女孩。
a plain + girl / woman
In the play, the plain daughter surprises everyone with her sharp mind.
在那齣戲裡，這位長相平平的女兒卻以敏銳頭腦讓大家吃驚。
The matchmaker dismissed Lily as a plain young woman.
那位媒人把 Lily 說成是一位長相平平的年輕女子。
The story begins with a plain farm girl in brown shoes.
這個故事從一位穿棕鞋、長相平平的農家女孩開始。
- ordinary-looking
a gentler modern description
- unattractive
more direct and more general
- beautiful
having striking beauty
文法句型
a plain + girl / woman / daughter
用法筆記
Mostly found before nouns in descriptions of female characters. Distinguish from adjective/5 LACKING BEAUTY, which can be used after a linking verb, as in 'she looked plain'.
8. speaking in an open way, without hiding what you mean or trying to fool people.
坦白；直率
說話不拐彎，也不欺瞞
speaking in an open way, without hiding what you mean or trying to fool people.
Bea gave me a plain answer instead of a polite excuse.
Bea 給了我一個坦白的回答，而不是客氣的藉口。
collocation: plain answer
The doctor was plain about the risks before surgery.
醫師在手術前很直率地說明了風險。
be plain about + subject
Coach Lin's plain words upset the team, but nobody felt fooled.
Coach Lin 坦白的話讓團隊不好受，但沒有人覺得被耍。
Please be plain with Dad if the roof repairs will cost more.
如果屋頂修繕費會更高，請直接對 Dad 坦白說。
文法句型
be plain with + person
be plain about + subject
用法筆記
Often used when someone speaks directly about a difficult truth. It can suggest honesty, but also a lack of softening.
plain — 名詞
- plainsingular
- plainsplural
1. a wide stretch of open, mostly level land with few trees.
平原
大片開闊而平坦的土地
a wide stretch of open, mostly level land with few trees.
Wild horses ran across the plain after the morning rain.
早晨下過雨後，野馬奔過那片平原。
across the plain
From the hill, we could see miles of dry plain.
從山丘上，我們看得見一大片乾燥的平原。
The train crossed a wide plain before reaching the mountains.
火車穿過一片寬廣的平原後才到山區。
Many plains turn green after heavy spring storms.
許多平原在春季豪雨後會轉成綠色。
文法句型
across the plain
on the plains
用法筆記
Often used for large open areas in geography, travel writing, and history.
2. the basic knitting stitch made by drawing the yarn through from the front.
平針
編織中的基本針法
the basic knitting stitch made by drawing the yarn through from the front.
This scarf is made mostly in plain, with two blue stripes.
這條圍巾大多是用平針織成的，只加了兩條藍色條紋。
plain in knitting instructions
Grandma taught me plain before she showed me purl.
外婆先教我平針，之後才教我反針。
plain and purl
This mitten pattern starts with six rows of plain on thin needles.
這個手套圖樣一開始要用細針先織六排平針。
After one hour of plain, Nina's scarf finally looked even.
織了一小時平針後，Nina 的圍巾終於看起來平整了。
- knit stitch
the clearer modern term in many knitting guides
- purl
the basic stitch paired with plain in knitting
文法句型
rows of plain
plain and purl
用法筆記
A specialized knitting term. Learners are more likely to meet it in patterns than in everyday conversation.
plain — 副詞
1. completely or in a very obvious way, used to make a statement stronger.
就是；簡直
口語裡放前面加強語氣
completely or in a very obvious way, used to make a statement stronger.
Jake plain forgot my birthday until the next morning.
Jake 到隔天早上才想起來我的生日，簡直是忘得一乾二淨。
plain + verb
That old motor is plain too weak for this boat.
那台舊馬達簡直太弱，根本帶不動這艘船。
plain + adjective
The dog plain refuses to eat from the metal bowl.
那隻狗就是不肯用金屬碗吃東西。
We were plain lucky to catch the last bus home.
我們能搭上最後一班回家的公車，簡直太走運了。
- absolutely
stronger and more common in standard English
- simply
can also work as an intensifier, though often in a more neutral tone
- downright
informal and emphatic, often before negative adjectives
文法句型
plain + verb
plain + adjective
用法筆記
Usually placed before the word it strengthens. Distinguish from adjective/4 ABSOLUTE, which appears before a noun such as 'lie' or 'nonsense'.
plain — 動詞
- plainpresent simple I / you / we / they
- plains3rd person singular
- plaining-ing form
- plainedpast simple
1. to speak in a dissatisfied way about something, often more than once.
抱怨
不滿地一直說
to speak in a dissatisfied way about something, often more than once.
The passengers began to plain about the delay as rain hit windows.
下雨打在窗上時，乘客們開始抱怨誤點。
plain about + problem
At lunch, Mara plained to the waiter about her cold tea.
午餐時，Mara 因為茶送來時已經冷了，就向服務生抱怨。
plain to + person
The boys always plain about carrying wet tents at summer camp.
那些男孩在夏令營總是抱怨要扛濕帳篷。
After two night shifts, Ellen plained that the job left no rest.
連上兩個晚班後，Ellen 抱怨這份工作讓人完全沒得休息。
- praise
to speak positively instead of showing dissatisfaction
文法句型
plain about + problem
plain to + person
plain that + clause
用法筆記
Now much rarer than 'complain'. It usually takes the same patterns, especially 'plain about' and 'plain to'.