stay
/steɪ/ (bre, ipa) · /steɪ/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈstā/ (ame, mw)
stay — 動詞
1. to deliberately keep yourself in the same spot or circumstance, choosing not to
留下；停留
待在原地或原處不動
to deliberately keep yourself in the same spot or circumstance, choosing not to head somewhere else or shift from where you already are.
The doctor told Yuki to stay in bed for three days after the surgery.
醫生告訴 Yuki 手術後要在床上躺三天，不要起來走動。
stay + adverbial of place (in bed)
Theo stayed late at the office to finish the report his manager needed.
Theo 在辦公室待到很晚，為了完成主管要的那份報告。
Several guests stayed at the party long after midnight, chatting by the pool.
有幾位客人在派對待到深夜，還在泳池邊聊天。
Amani decided to stay at her current job rather than look for something new.
Amani 決定留在現在的工作崗位，而不是去找新的工作。
The neighbour's cat stayed under the sofa the whole time the visitors were there.
鄰居的貓在客人來訪的整個期間都躲在沙發底下。
文法句型
stay + adverbial of place
用法筆記
Can be followed by adverbial phrases of place or time. The phrase 'stay put' (informal) means to remain exactly where you are and is often used in commands or instructions.
常見錯誤
2. to keep existing in a given condition — maintaining the same quality, feeling, o
保持；持續
維持某種狀態不變
to keep existing in a given condition — maintaining the same quality, feeling, or appearance over a stretch of time, such as when you stay calm in a crisis or stay friends after a quarrel.
To stay healthy, Nadia eats vegetables with every meal and rides her bicycle to work.
為了保持健康，Nadia 每餐都吃蔬菜，並且騎腳踏車上班。
stay + adjective (healthy/fit/warm/etc.)
The soup stayed warm for over an hour because the heavy lid trapped the heat.
那鍋湯超過一個小時都還是溫的，因為鍋子蓋著厚厚的蓋子。
Defne tried to stay calm when the power went out right before her exam started.
Defne 在考試前突然停電時努力保持冷靜。
The weather forecast says the skies will stay clear for the rest of the week.
氣象預報說這週接下來天氣都會保持晴朗。
Please stay seated until the bus has come to a complete stop at the station.
請繼續坐著，直到巴士完全停靠車站為止。
- change
to become different from the current state
文法句型
stay + adjective
stay + noun phrase
用法筆記
In this sense, 'stay' functions as a linking verb similar to 'remain'. It is most commonly followed by an adjective (stay calm, stay safe, stay warm). It can also be followed by a past participle used as an adjective (stay seated, stay connected). Unlike 'be', it emphasises the idea of continuing an existing state rather than entering a new one.
常見錯誤
3. to spend a brief period living somewhere — for example, as a temporary visitor a
暫住；寄宿
短期以訪客身分住在某處
to spend a brief period living somewhere — for example, as a temporary visitor at a hotel, with relatives, or in a rented apartment away from your normal home.
Christopher stayed at a small hotel near the train station during his trip to Kyoto.
Christopher 在京都旅行期間，住在一間靠近火車站的小旅館。
stay at [hotel/accommodation]
Élise stayed with her grandmother in the French countryside for two weeks in April.
Élise 四月時在法國鄉下和奶奶住了兩個星期。
stay with [person]
The band stayed in a beautiful cabin by the lake while they performed in the city.
那個樂團在城裡演出期間，住在一間湖邊漂亮的小木屋裡。
Sana stayed at her cousin's apartment in Tokyo for a month to study Japanese.
Sana 在東京的表姊家住了一個月，目的是學日文。
文法句型
stay at [place]
stay with [person]
stay in [city/country]
用法筆記
Use 'stay at' for specific places (hotels, houses, apartments), 'stay with' for people, and 'stay in' for cities or general areas. The period is usually short — days, weeks, or a few months — not years.
常見錯誤
4. to sleep at someone else's house for a night, typically by invitation as a guest
過夜；留宿
在別人家裡睡一晚
to sleep at someone else's house for a night, typically by invitation as a guest.
Little Noa asked if she could stay at her best friend's house on Friday evening.
小 Noa 問媽媽星期五晚上能不能去最好的朋友家睡覺。
stay at [person's house] for a sleepover
Heather stayed over at Amani's place after the concert finished so late that night.
演唱會結束時已經很晚了，Heather 就在 Amani 家裡過夜。
phrasal: stay over
My brother often stays the night at our parents' house when he visits from work.
我哥哥來訪時經常在爸媽家過夜。
The children were allowed to stay at the neighbour's house for a sleepover on Saturday.
孩子們獲准星期六去鄰居家睡覺，參加睡衣派對。
- sleep over
more informal; commonly used by children and families
文法句型
stay the night
stay over
stay at [person's house]
用法筆記
Common expressions include 'stay the night' (sleep at someone's house) and 'stay over' (same meaning, slightly less formal). This sense is distinct from sense 3 in that it specifically implies sleeping overnight, usually at a friend's or family member's home.
常見錯誤
5. to live in a place as your regular or permanent home, often used when the focus
長住；定居
把某處當作固定住處
to live in a place as your regular or permanent home, often used when the focus is on the fact of residing somewhere rather than the act of moving there.
Eleni stays in a small flat near the university campus while she finishes her master's degree.
Eleni 在攻讀碩士期間，住在大學附近的一間小公寓裡。
After retiring from teaching, Antonia decided to stay in the countryside for good.
Antonia 從教職退休後，決定永久住在鄉下。
stay + adverbial of place (for good / permanently)
The Watanabe family stays in a quiet village in the mountains throughout the winter months each year.
渡邊一家人每年冬天都住在山裡一個寧靜的村莊。
Yuki stays with her parents during the summer when the university dormitory is closed.
Yuki 在暑假期間住在她父母家，因為大學宿舍關閉了。
文法句型
stay + adverbial of place (permanent context)
用法筆記
This sense overlaps with 'live' but is more common in certain British English contexts and in questions about residence ('Where do you stay?'). In American English, 'live' is the standard word for permanent residence. The surrounding context (words like 'permanently', 'for good', 'during the summer') signals the permanent or habitual nature.
6. to stop, delay, or pause the progress of something; especially used in legal con
中止；暫停
正式停止或延緩某事的進程
to stop, delay, or pause the progress of something; especially used in legal contexts to temporarily suspend a court order, or more generally to check or restrain something such as hunger, anger, or a disease.
The judge stayed the execution after the prisoner's lawyer submitted new evidence to the court.
法官在囚犯的律師向法院提交新證據後，暫緩了死刑執行。
stay [legal process] — formal legal usage
The new treatment helped stay the progression of the lung disease for several months.
新的治療方法幫助阻止了肺部疾病持續惡化長達數月的時間。
stay [the progression of a disease] — medical context
The government stayed the construction of the new highway until the environmental report was complete.
政府在環境報告完成之前，暫停了新高速公路的建設工程。
The judge stayed the bank's attempt to take the family's house until their appeal could be heard.
法官暫停了銀行沒收那戶人家房子的行動，等待他們提出上訴。
文法句型
stay [noun phrase]
stay [legal process]
用法筆記
When used in a legal sense, 'stay' means a judge or court orders a temporary stop to a legal process. In general usage (stay hunger, stay anger), this sense is now quite formal and literary — learners are better off using 'stop', 'delay', or 'postpone' in everyday conversation.
常見錯誤
7. to keep at a difficult job or activity until you have seen it through to the ver
堅持；撐到底
儘管困難仍繼續完成某事
to keep at a difficult job or activity until you have seen it through to the very end — for example, sticking with a long training programme or finishing a tough project.
Despite the heavy rain, the hikers stayed with the trail until they reached the mountain shelter.
儘管下著大雨，那些登山客還是沿著步道一路走到山屋。
stay with [challenging task/activity]
Noa stayed with her studies late into the night, determined to pass the final chemistry exam.
Noa 為了準備化學期末考，熬夜讀書到深夜。
The team stayed the course through months of difficult training before the national competition.
那個團隊在全國比賽前，經歷了數個月的艱苦訓練並堅持了下來。
Yuki stayed with the maths problem until she found a solution that everyone could agree on.
Yuki 一直研究那道數學題，直到找出大家都能接受的解法。
文法句型
stay with [task/activity]
stay the course
用法筆記
Often used in the fixed phrase 'stay the course' (continue despite difficulties; from horse racing, where a horse 'stays the course' by running the full distance). Also common as 'stay with something' in everyday contexts. Not to be confused with sense 2 (CONTINUE BEING) — this sense focuses on completing a task, not maintaining a state.
stay — 名詞
1. the block of time somebody spends away from their own home, staying at a hotel,
停留；住宿
在某地度過的一段時間
the block of time somebody spends away from their own home, staying at a hotel, hospital, or another person's residence while travelling or receiving care.
Theo enjoyed his stay in Kyoto, especially the temple visits at sunrise each morning.
Theo 很喜歡他在京都的住宿期間，尤其是每天清晨去寺廟參觀。
[possessive] stay in [city/country]
After a short stay in the hospital, Nadia was well enough to go home and rest.
Nadia 在醫院短暫住了一段時間之後，身體已經好轉到可以回家休養了。
The Park family's stay at the beach resort was cut short by a typhoon warning along the coast.
Park 一家人在海灘度假村的住宿因為沿海發布颱風警報而提前結束。
During her stay in London, Élise visited the British Museum three times over two weeks.
Élise 在倫敦停留期間，兩個星期內去了三次大英博物館。
A long stay in a foreign country helps you learn the language faster than classes at home.
長期住在國外學語言，比在國內上課學還要快。
文法句型
[possessive] stay in/at [place]
a/an [adjective] stay
用法筆記
Typically used with possessive determiners ('my stay', 'their stay') or an article ('a stay', 'the stay'). Common prepositions are 'in' (for cities/countries) and 'at' (for specific accommodations or institutions like hotels, hospitals).
常見錯誤
2. a judge's or court's order that temporarily stops a legal judgment, execution, o
暫緩；擱置
法院命令暫時停止法律程序
a judge's or court's order that temporarily stops a legal judgment, execution, or other legal process from being carried out, usually until fresh facts or arguments can be fully reviewed.
The judge granted a stay of execution so that the prisoner's appeal could be properly heard.
法官批准了死刑暫緩執行，以便能夠妥善聽取囚犯的上訴。
stay of [legal process] — standard legal collocation
Lawyers for the company requested a stay of the court's decision until further evidence was reviewed.
該公司的律師請求暫緩執行法院的判決，等待進一步審查證據。
The Supreme Court issued a temporary stay that blocked the new law from taking effect immediately.
最高法院發布了一項臨時停止令，阻止那項新法律立即生效。
The appeals court later lifted the stay and allowed the trial to move forward.
上訴法院後來解除了暫緩令，允許審判繼續進行。
- suspension
broader meaning; can be legal or non-legal
- postponement
implies it will resume later; less formal than 'stay'
- injunction
a distinct legal order that requires someone to do or not do something
- proceeding
the continuation of a legal process after a stay is lifted
文法句型
grant a stay
stay of [legal process]
issue a stay
用法筆記
Almost exclusively used in formal legal contexts. The most common collocations are 'stay of execution' (stopping a death sentence or court judgment), 'stay of proceedings' (pausing a trial), and 'grant/issue/request a stay'. In everyday English, use 'postponement' or 'suspension' instead.
3. an official or deliberate pause or stoppage of an activity, process, or movement
停止；中斷
活動或過程的正式暫停
an official or deliberate pause or stoppage of an activity, process, or movement.
The city council put a stay on new construction permits until the flood risk study was completed.
市議會暫停核發新的建築許可，直到洪水風險評估完成為止。
put a stay on [official activity/process]
Construction on the new bridge was put under a stay until the safety check finished.
新橋的建設工程在安全檢查完成之前被命令暫停。
The factory put a temporary stay on all shipments while the faulty batch was checked.
工廠暫時停止所有貨物運送，以便檢查那批有問題的貨品。
The minister called for a stay on new housing developments until the flood risk was assessed.
部長呼籲暫停新建住宅開發計畫，等到洪水風險評估完成再說。
- continuation
the act of carrying on after a halt
文法句型
put a stay on [something]
under a stay
用法筆記
This sense is formal and somewhat literary. In everyday English, 'stop', 'pause', or 'halt' are much more common. Learners should recognise this meaning in reading but are unlikely to need it actively.