plains
plains — 形容詞
- plainspositive
- plainsercomparative
- plainsestsuperlative
1. having a surface or look that is simple, with no pattern, picture, or extra deta
樸素的
沒有圖案或裝飾的外觀
having a surface or look that is simple, with no pattern, picture, or extra detail added to it.
Kian wore a plain white shirt to the job interview at the café.
Kian 穿了一件樸素的白襯衫去咖啡廳面試。
collocation: plain shirt / plain clothes
The restaurant served the rice in a plain metal bowl with no decoration.
餐廳用一個沒有裝飾的素面金屬碗盛著米飯。
Emily chose plain cream curtains because the walls already had a bold pattern.
Emily 選了樸素的米色窗簾，因為牆上的圖案已經很花俏了。
collocation: plain curtains / plain wallpaper
Bao prefers plain yogurt with no fruit or sugar mixed in.
Bao 比較喜歡不加任何水果或糖的原味優格。
collocation: plain yogurt
The wedding cake looked elegant and modern even though it was completely plain.
那顆婚禮蛋糕雖然完全沒有裝飾，看起來卻很優雅又現代。
- plain shirt
- plain clothes
- plain curtains
- plain yogurt
- plain background
- plain rice
2. describes paper or a surface for writing on that has no printed lines, squares,
無線條的
紙張上沒有印刷橫線或格線
describes paper or a surface for writing on that has no printed lines, squares, or guide marks.
Hiro opened a fresh sketchbook with plain pages for his pencil drawings.
Hiro 翻開一本全新的素描本，裡面的頁面都是空白的，方便他畫鉛筆素描。
collocation: plain paper / plain pages
The teacher asked everyone to use plain A4 paper for the spelling test.
老師請大家用空白 A4 紙來做拼字測驗。
Vivek writes all his letters on plain sheets rather than lined ones.
Vivek 寫信都喜歡用空白紙，不太用有橫線的那種。
Nia tore a sheet from her plain notepad and started a letter with no ruled lines to follow.
Nia 從她的無線條記事本撕下一張紙，開始寫一封沒有橫線可循的信。
collocation: plain notepad / plain paper
- plain paper
- plain envelope
- plain notebook
- plain pages
3. so clear that it can be seen, heard, or understood immediately, without any need
明顯；清楚
不需要解釋就能立即看出或理解
so clear that it can be seen, heard, or understood immediately, without any need for explanation.
The doctor gave Kofi plain instructions about when to take each medicine.
醫生給 Kofi 清楚的指示，說明每種藥該在什麼時候服用。
collocation: plain instructions / plain language
It was plain to everyone in the hall that Owen had forgotten his lines.
廳裡的每個人都看得出來，Owen 忘了自己的臺詞。
it is plain + that-clause
The anger on Tamar's face was plain even from the far side of the room.
Tamar 臉上的怒氣即使從房間的另一頭也看得一清二楚。
collocation: plain to see
Yuki made it plain that she did not want to continue the argument.
Yuki 明確表示她不想再繼續爭論下去。
make it plain + that-clause
The gap in quality between the two brands was plain after one quick test.
兩個品牌之間的品質差距，只要快速測試一次就顯而易見了。
- plain instructions
- plain language
- plain English
- plain to see
- plain to everyone
文法句型
it is plain that...
make it plain that...
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 4 (UTTER; TOTAL): sense 3 describes something that is obvious or clearly visible, while sense 4 is an intensifier placed before a noun for emphasis.
常見錯誤
4. placed directly before a noun to stress that something is complete and without a
完全；十足
置於名詞前以強調極端或徹底的程度
placed directly before a noun to stress that something is complete and without any doubt, usually something undesirable or extreme.
Closing the shop on a Saturday was plain stupidity, Erik admitted later.
Erik 後來承認，在週六關店簡直是十足的蠢事。
used before negative nouns for emphasis
Vivek stared at the cracked phone screen in plain disbelief for several seconds.
Vivek 目瞪口呆地盯著那碎裂的手機螢幕，好幾秒都說不出話來。
collocation: plain disbelief
The message from head office was plain nonsense from the first sentence to the last.
總公司傳來的訊息從頭到尾根本是一派胡言。
collocation: plain nonsense
What the salesman told us was a plain lie and everyone in the room knew it.
那個銷售員對我們說的完全是個謊話，在場每個人都心知肚明。
collocation: plain lie / plain truth
- plain stupidity
- plain nonsense
- plain lie
- plain truth
- plain madness
- plain greed
文法句型
plain + noun
用法筆記
Always comes directly before the noun it intensifies. Common nouns: stupidity, nonsense, lie, truth, madness, greed.
5. not physically attractive in the face or body; the word is usually applied to fe
相貌平平的
尤指女性外表不吸引人的
not physically attractive in the face or body; the word is usually applied to females.
In the old novel, the main character described herself as a plain girl covered in freckles.
在那本老小說裡，女主角形容自己是個滿臉雀斑的平凡女孩。
describing physical appearance; can sound old-fashioned
Adina's grandmother used to call her plain, but Adina never took it to heart.
Adina 的祖母以前常說她長得不好看，但 Adina 從來不放在心上。
The portrait showed a plain woman in a grey dress, though her expression was warm.
肖像畫中的女子穿著灰色連衣裙、相貌平平，但她的神情很溫柔。
Tamar was called plain at her old school, but her new friends saw her differently.
Tamar 在舊學校被人家說長得不好看，但她的新朋友對她的看法完全不同。
- plain girl
- plain woman
- plain face
- rather plain
- unattractive
more neutral and clinical; can apply to anyone or anything
- homely
American English; suggests a warm but not beautiful appearance
- ordinary-looking
softer and more diplomatic; emphasises lack of special features rather than ugliness
用法筆記
This sense can sound dated or unkind in modern conversation. Learners should be aware that describing someone as 'plain' may cause offence, even though it is milder than 'ugly'.
6. a female whose looks are not attractive, functioning as a noun rather than as a
不漂亮的女子
外表不吸引人的女性（名詞用法）
a female whose looks are not attractive, functioning as a noun rather than as a modifier.
In the fairy tale, the younger sister was a plain while the eldest was known as a beauty.
在那個童話故事裡，妹妹是個相貌平平的女孩，而姊姊則以美貌聞名。
used as a noun: 'a plain'
Emily hated the way the old magazine labelled some film stars as plains.
Emily 很討厭那本舊雜誌把某些電影明星歸類為相貌平凡的類型。
The village gossips called the new teacher a plain, which was both unfair and untrue.
村裡的八卦說新來的老師長得不好看，這話既不公平也不真實。
In the period drama, a wealthy plain struggles to find a husband who values her wit.
在那部時代劇裡，一個相貌平平的富家女努力想找個欣賞她才智的丈夫。
- beauty
the noun-form counterpart: 'she was a beauty' vs 'she was a plain'
文法句型
a plain
the plain
用法筆記
Rare in modern English and considered insensitive. This nominal usage appears mostly in older literature.
plains — 名詞
- plainssingular
- plainsesplural
1. a broad, mostly level stretch of land that has few trees and is often covered wi
平原
廣闊平坦、樹木稀少的地區
a broad, mostly level stretch of land that has few trees and is often covered with grass, used especially of large open regions.
Kofi spent his childhood on the wide plains of northern Ghana, under endless blue skies.
Kofi 在迦納北部廣闊的平原上度過童年，頭頂是一望無際的藍天。
often used in plural: plains
Huge herds of bison once moved across the great plains in search of fresh grass.
曾有成千上萬的野牛成群結隊地穿越廣闊的平原，尋找新鮮的草。
collocation: great plains / open plains
Hiro took a stunning photograph of the sun setting over the dusty plains.
Hiro 拍了一張夕陽落在塵土飛揚的平原上的絕美照片。
Farmers on the plains rely heavily on the seasonal rains to water their crops.
平原上的農民非常仰賴季節性的降雨來灌溉他們的作物。
From the top of the hill, Vinícius watched the plains stretch away to the horizon.
Vinícius 從山頂眺望，看著平原一直延伸到地平線的盡頭。
collocation: across/over the plains
- open plains
- great plains
- across the plains
- on the plains
- flat plains
- dusty plains
文法句型
the plains
on the plains
across the plains
用法筆記
When referring to a geographical region, the plural 'plains' is far more common than the singular 'plain'.
常見錯誤
2. the most basic stitch used in knitting, created by passing the yarn through a lo
平針
編織中最基本的針法
the most basic stitch used in knitting, created by passing the yarn through a loop from front to back.
Owen learned the plain stitch first before the instructor showed him anything fancier.
Owen 先學會了平針，指導老師才開始教他比較複雜的織法。
collocation: plain stitch
Yuki knitted three rows of plain and then switched to a cable pattern for the sleeves.
Yuki 織了三排平針後，改用麻花圖案來織袖子。
The whole baby blanket was done in plain stitch, but the soft wool gave it warmth and charm.
整條嬰兒毯都是用平針織成的，但柔軟的毛線給了它溫暖和質感。
Bao followed an online video that taught the plain stitch in under ten minutes.
Bao 跟著網路影片學平針，不到十分鐘就學會了。
- plain stitch
- plain knitting
- knit in plain
- garter stitch
a specific variation where every row is knit in plain stitch
文法句型
plain stitch
knit in plain
plains — 副詞
1. used directly before an adjective to say that something is completely and unmist
完全；簡直
置於形容詞前表示徹底如此
used directly before an adjective to say that something is completely and unmistakably the case, often when the fact is obvious to everyone.
Erik was plain wrong about the last train time and we ended up stranded.
Erik 完全搞錯了末班車的時間，結果我們被困住了。
collocation: plain wrong
The new safety rules were plain stupid — not a single worker could make sense of them.
新的安全規定簡直愚蠢至極——沒有一個工人能看懂。
collocation: plain stupid / plain silly
Bao looked at the muddy kitchen floor and said it was plain impossible to clean before lunch.
Bao 看著髒兮兮的廚房地板，說想在午飯前打掃乾淨根本不可能。
collocation: plain impossible
After searching every room twice, Kian knew the cat was plain gone.
Kian 搜遍了每個房間兩次之後，知道那隻貓是真的不見了。
- plain wrong
- plain stupid
- plain silly
- plain impossible
- plain ridiculous
文法句型
plain + adjective
用法筆記
This is an informal alternative to 'plainly'. It only appears before adjectives, never at the end of a clause. Distinguish from adjective sense 4 (UTTER; TOTAL), which intensifies nouns rather than adjectives.
常見錯誤
同根字
- plainly副詞B2
- plainness名詞C1
常見搭配
副詞搭配
- quite plain
- very plain
- rather plain
常用片語
- plain and simple