shifts
shifts — 動詞
- shiftspresent simple I / you / we / they
- shiftses3rd person singular
- shiftsing-ing form
- shiftsedpast simple
1. to move something slightly from one place or position to another, or to change d
搬移；移動
改變位置或方向
to move something slightly from one place or position to another, or to change direction a little
Pedro shifted his weight from one foot to the other while waiting for the bus.
Pedro 在等公車時，把重心從一隻腳移到另一隻腳上。
shift + object (body part) + direction phrase
The sofa was too heavy to lift, so they shifted it a few inches to the left.
那張沙發太重了搬不動，所以他們把它往左邊挪了幾公分。
passive: was shifted + distance + direction
Bao carefully shifted the boxes in the back of the truck to make room for more luggage.
Bao 小心地把卡車後面的箱子挪開，騰出空間放更多行李。
As the afternoon sun moved closer, Constanza shifted her chair into the shade.
下午的太陽越移越近，Constanza 把椅子挪到了陰影處。
The wind shifted suddenly from the south, bringing cooler air across the valley.
風向突然從南邊轉變，把涼爽的空氣吹進了山谷。
文法句型
shift + object + adverb/preposition
shift + adverb/preposition
用法筆記
Common with adverbs of direction: up, down, sideways, left, right. Subject can be a person, an object, or a natural force like wind.
常見錯誤
2. to change from one opinion, belief, or attitude to another, often gradually
轉變
（意見或態度）改變
to change from one opinion, belief, or attitude to another, often gradually
Public opinion on climate change has shifted dramatically over the past ten years.
過去十年來，大眾對氣候變遷的看法有了巨大的轉變。
subject: public opinion / attitudes / views + shift + adverb
Yara shifted her position on the school board after hearing the parents' concerns.
Yara 聽完家長的擔憂後，改變了她在學校董事會的立場。
Rachid's thinking about the new policy shifted once he read the full report.
Rachid 讀完整份報告後，對新政策的想法改變了。
The government's approach to housing shifted from building new towers to renovating old buildings.
政府的住房政策方針從興建新大樓轉向了翻修舊建築。
Investor confidence shifted overnight when the company announced a new product.
公司宣布推出新產品後，投資人的信心在一夕之間轉變了。
文法句型
shift + from + noun + to + noun
shift + adverb
用法筆記
Often followed by 'from… to…' to show the starting and ending positions. Frequently used with abstract subjects like 'attitude', 'focus', 'priorities'.
常見錯誤
3. to move the gear stick in a vehicle to change the relationship between the engin
換檔
操作車輛變速箱
to move the gear stick in a vehicle to change the relationship between the engine speed and the wheel speed
Imran shifted into third gear as the car climbed the steep hill outside town.
Imran 在車子爬上城外那座陡坡時換到了三檔。
shift + into + [gear number] + gear
The driving instructor told Anya to shift down before going around the sharp corner.
駕訓教練要 Anya 在開過那個急彎之前先降檔。
shift down / shift up — direction of gear change
Learning to shift smoothly between gears takes practice for most new drivers.
對大部分新手駕駛來說，學會順暢換檔需要練習。
The old truck made a loud noise when the driver shifted gears at high speed.
那輛老卡車在駕駛高速換檔時發出了很大的噪音。
Asher shifted out of reverse and pulled forward into the parking space.
Asher 退出倒車檔，把車往前開進了停車位。
- change gear
more common in British English
- change gears
used in both varieties
- switch gears
metaphorical extension; also means to change activity
文法句型
shift + into/out of + gear
shift + gear
用法筆記
In informal British English, 'change gear' is more common; 'shift gear' is typical in American English. 'Shift down' = go to a lower gear; 'shift up' = go to a higher gear.
常見錯誤
4. to leave one home and move to another, especially within the same city or area
搬家
遷移住處
to leave one home and move to another, especially within the same city or area
The Thompson family shifted from London to a smaller town in Cornwall last summer.
Thompson 一家去年夏天從倫敦搬到了康沃爾的一個小鎮。
shift from [old place] + to [new place]
Emily is planning to shift to Manchester once her new job starts in September.
Emily 計劃九月新工作開始後搬到曼徹斯特。
After ten years in the same flat, Nikos finally shifted to a larger apartment across the river.
在同一個公寓住了十年後，Nikos 終於搬到河對岸一間更大的房子。
Yan's family shifted house three times before he turned twelve because of his father's work.
Yan 的家因為父親工作的關係，在他十二歲前搬了三次家。
- stay
to remain in the same home
文法句型
shift + adverb/preposition
用法筆記
Primarily British. In American English, 'move' is used instead. 'Shift house' is an even more informal variant.
常見錯誤
❌ 'We shifted to a new apartment last week.' (correct but ambiguous) — This sense is distinct from verb/1; context makes it clear: shifting house involves all belongings, not just slight repositioning.
5. to sell something or pass it on to someone else, especially when it is difficult
脫手；拋售
賣掉或處理掉不需要的東西
to sell something or pass it on to someone else, especially when it is difficult to find a buyer
The shop shifted all the old inventory at half price before the new stock arrived.
那家店在新貨到之前，把所有舊庫存以半價出清。
shift + object [goods/products] — selling/clearing stock
Constanza managed to shift her old sofa on a second-hand website within two days.
Constanza 順利在兩天內透過二手網站把舊沙發賣掉了。
The street vendor shifted the last of his mangoes just as the rain started to fall.
那個路邊小販在開始下雨前，把最後一批芒果賣光了。
Bao tried to shift the broken printer onto his colleague instead of repairing it himself.
Bao 試圖把那台壞掉的印表機推給同事處理，而不是自己修理。
No one wanted the old car, so Pedro could not shift it even at a very low price.
沒有人想要那輛舊車，所以 Pedro 就算價格壓得很低也賣不掉。
- keep
to hold onto instead of selling
文法句型
shift + object
shift + object + off/onto + noun
用法筆記
Often used in commercial contexts. 'Shift the blame' is a common fixed phrase meaning to make someone else responsible.
常見錯誤
6. to press a computer keyboard's Shift key, usually together with another key, in
按Shift
按下Shift鍵進行大小寫切換
to press a computer keyboard's Shift key, usually together with another key, in order to produce a capital letter or a special symbol
To type a capital letter, hold down one of the Shift keys and press the letter at the same time.
要打出大寫字母，按住其中一個 Shift 鍵同時按下字母鍵。
hold down Shift + press [key] — instruction pattern
Ilan pressed Shift to type the @ sign for his email address, but the symbol did not appear on screen.
Ilan 按下 Shift 鍵想打電子郵件地址的 @ 符號，但螢幕上沒有顯示出來。
press Shift to type [symbol]
If you press Shift and the number 2 together on most keyboards, you get the @ symbol.
在大部分鍵盤上，同時按下 Shift 鍵和數字 2，就會出現 @ 符號。
Anya pressed Shift twice to type two capital letters, but her little finger started to ache after a while.
Anya 按了兩次 Shift 鍵打出兩個大寫字母，但她的尾指開始痠痛了。
- press Shift
the more common phrasing in everyday computing
- hit Shift
very informal
文法句型
press + Shift + [key combination]
hold + Shift + [key]
用法筆記
This verb sense is recorded in dictionaries, but in everyday computing usage the phrasing 'press Shift' (with 'Shift' as a noun referring to the key name) is far more common and natural. In natural speech, speakers say 'press Shift' rather than using 'shift' as an intransitive verb.
常見錯誤
shifts — 名詞
- shiftssingular
- shiftsesplural
1. a scheduled block of time when someone does their job, especially within a syste
輪班
工作時段或輪班人員
a scheduled block of time when someone does their job, especially within a system that covers a full day and night
Nikos works the night shift at the hospital from eleven at night until seven in the morning.
Nikos 在醫院上大夜班，從晚上十一點工作到早上七點。
work + the [time] shift — specifying the time
The morning shift starts at six, so the bakery workers arrive before sunrise.
早班從六點開始，所以麵包店的員工在天亮前就到達了。
morning / night / day shift — time labels
Pedro switched to the day shift so he could spend more evenings with his children.
Pedro 轉到了日班，這樣他晚上就可以多陪陪孩子。
Imran was exhausted after working three double shifts in a row during the busy season.
Imran 在旺季連續上了三次雙倍班，累得筋疲力盡。
The factory runs three shifts a day to keep production going around the clock.
那家工廠一天分三班運作，以確保生產二十四小時不間斷。
- stint
a period of time spent doing a job, but not necessarily part of a rotation
- tour of duty
military term for a period of service
- work period
descriptive but less natural as a synonym
文法句型
shift + noun (shift worker)
on + shift
work + a/the + shift
用法筆記
Often used with a time label: day shift, night shift, early shift, late shift. A 'shift pattern' describes the rotation schedule.
常見錯誤
2. a change in the place, position, or direction of something
轉移；移動
位置或方向的改變
a change in the place, position, or direction of something
A slight shift in the wind meant the sailing race had to be postponed until the next day.
風向稍微一轉變，帆船比賽就不得不延期到第二天。
a shift in + [natural force]
The earthquake caused a shift of several metres along the fault line in the desert.
地震造成沙漠中的斷層線移動了數公尺。
a shift of + [distance]
The photographer asked for a small shift in the model's position to capture better light.
攝影師要求模特兒稍微調整姿勢，以便捕捉更好的光線。
Geologists measured a gradual shift in the river's course over the past century.
地質學家測量到過去一個世紀以來，這條河的水道發生了逐漸的偏移。
Rachid noticed a shift in the books on the shelf after the strong wind blew through the window.
Rachid 注意到強風吹進窗戶後，書架上的書本位置有了變動。
- movement
general term; shift suggests a slight or measured change
- move
less formal, often used interchangeably
- adjustment
suggests a deliberate fine-tuning
- stillness
complete lack of movement
文法句型
a shift + in + noun
a shift + of + noun
用法筆記
Distinguish from noun sense 4: this sense is about physical change of position or direction; sense 4 is about change in attitude, opinion, or quality.
3. a woman's garment with a relaxed, straight silhouette that falls vertically from
直筒洋裝
從肩膀垂下的寬鬆連衣裙
a woman's garment with a relaxed, straight silhouette that falls vertically from the shoulders and has no gathered waist
Emily wore a light blue linen shift to the garden party, with flat sandals and a straw hat.
Emily 穿了一件淺藍色亞麻直筒洋裝去參加花園派對，搭配平底涼鞋和草帽。
fabric + shift — linen / cotton / silk shift
The fashion magazine featured a simple black shift dress as the must-have item for summer.
那本時尚雜誌介紹了一件簡單的黑色直筒洋裝，說是夏季必備單品。
shift dress — alternative name
Yara bought a patterned shift that reached just above her knees for the office party.
Yara 買了一件長度及膝的印花直筒洋裝，穿去參加公司的派對。
Shift dresses were very popular in the 1960s and have come back into fashion several times since then.
直筒洋裝在 1960 年代非常流行，之後幾次又重新流行起來。
- shift dress
the full term; equally common
- chemise
historical or French term for a similar loose garment
- sheath dress
a fitted dress that follows the body's shape
文法句型
a + adjective + shift
用法筆記
Also called a 'shift dress'. Different from 'sheath dress' (fitted) and 'tent dress' (very wide). This is a garment that simply hangs from the shoulders.
4. a change in what someone thinks, believes, or cares about, especially a noticeab
轉向
想法或態度的改變
a change in what someone thinks, believes, or cares about, especially a noticeable or important one
There has been a major shift in public attitudes toward recycling and reducing plastic waste.
大眾對回收和減少塑膠廢棄物的態度，出現了重大的轉變。
a shift in + [abstract: attitudes / opinions / views]
The company announced a shift in strategy from selling in stores to selling entirely online.
該公司宣布策略從實體店面銷售轉變為完全線上銷售。
a shift from [old] + to [new]
Asher noticed a subtle shift in his friend's mood after the conversation turned to family matters.
Asher 注意到朋友在談話轉到家裡的事情後，情緒有了微妙的變化。
The election results reflected a clear shift toward younger candidates across the country.
選舉結果反映出全國各地的選民明顯轉向支持較年輕的候選人。
A shift in consumer behaviour during the pandemic led to a huge increase in online grocery orders.
疫情期間消費者行為的轉變，導致線上購買生鮮食品的訂單大幅增加。
- change
more general; shift suggests a more noticeable or significant change
- transformation
a more dramatic, complete change
- reversal
a change to the opposite position
- continuity
the state of staying the same
- stability
lack of change
文法句型
a shift + in + noun (opinion/attitude/focus)
a shift + from + noun + to + noun
用法筆記
Distinguish from noun sense 2: this sense is about abstract or mental changes (opinions, attitudes, priorities), not physical position. Common collocations: 'major shift', 'significant shift', 'dramatic shift'.