public square

public square — 名詞

1. An open outdoor area in a city or town that anyone can walk into and use freely

1.名詞B1
釋義

廣場

城市中開放的公共聚集空間

An open outdoor area in a city or town that anyone can walk into and use freely — for example, a cobblestone plaza where people sit on benches, street musicians perform, farmers set up market stalls, or the community gathers to watch a celebration.

例句

Mizuki and her friends spent Sunday afternoon at the main public square, eating ice cream and watching street performers.

Mizuki 和朋友們週日下午在主要廣場吃冰淇淋、看街頭藝人表演。

collocation: main public square

On election night, thousands filled the public square in front of city hall to hear the election results.

選舉之夜，數千民眾擠滿市政廳前的廣場，等候現場宣布開票結果。

常見搭配
  • main public square
  • town public square
  • central public square
  • fill the public square
  • gather in the public square
  • public square market
同義詞
  • plaza

    Spanish-influenced term for a public square, common in the Americas and Mediterranean countries

  • town square

    less formal, often refers specifically to the historic centre of a small town

  • piazza

    Italian term for a public square, especially one surrounded by buildings with arcades

文法句型

the + public square

in/on + the public square

用法筆記

Commonly preceded by 'the' when referring to the main square of a particular town. When part of a proper name, it is capitalised — for example, Trafalgar Square or Tiananmen Square.

常見錯誤

Public square' to mean 'park' — a public square is paved and open, not a grassy park.
Central Park is a great place for a picnic.
a park has grass and trees; a square is paved.

2. A way of referring to the combined space of public discussion and opinion — made

2.名詞B2
釋義

公共論壇

社會輿論與公共討論的場域

A way of referring to the combined space of public discussion and opinion — made up of newspapers, online platforms, broadcast media, and community forums — where people raise issues, argue different positions, and try to shape what society thinks.

例句

Social media has become a new kind of public square where citizens debate political issues openly.

社群媒體已成為一種新的公共論壇，市民可以在上面公開辯論政治議題。

figurative: 'public square' as arena of debate

The journalist argued that a healthy democracy depends on keeping the public square open to all viewpoints.

該記者主張，健康的民主社會有賴於讓公共論壇對所有觀點保持開放。

常見搭配
  • the public square
  • in the public square
  • enter the public square
  • keep the public square open
  • public square debate
  • voices in the public square
同義詞
  • public forum

    a more formal term that emphasises the right to express and exchange ideas

  • public sphere

    an academic term from political theory for the space where public opinion is formed

  • town hall

    refers specifically to a public meeting or debate, often about local concerns

反義詞
  • private sphere

    the domain of personal and family life, not open to public discussion

文法句型

the + public square

in + the public square

用法筆記

Always used in the singular with 'the'. This sense is metaphorical and draws a comparison between ancient town squares (where citizens gathered to debate) and modern platforms for public discourse.

常見錯誤

He stood in a public square to give his opinion' (literal, when you mean the abstract sense).
He entered the public square by publishing his opinion online.
use concrete platforms (media, social networks) to signal the figurative meaning.
Using the plural 'public squares' for the figurative sense.
The public square
the figurative sense is always singular.