talk
/tɔːk/ (bre, ipa) · /tɔːk/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈtȯk/ (ame, mw) · /tɑːk/ (ame, ipa)
talk — 動詞
- talkpresent simple I / you / we / they
- talkshe / she / it
- talkedpast simple
- talking-ing form
1. to produce spoken words that let you share your thoughts with another person
說話；交談
用口語表達想法或與人溝通
to produce spoken words that let you share your thoughts with another person
Bao talked to his neighbour about the broken fence between their gardens.
Bao 和鄰居談了談兩家花園之間那道破損的圍欄。
talk to someone about something
The little girl is learning to talk and now says about ten words.
那個小女孩正在學說話，現在已經會說大約十個字了。
intransitive: no object needed
Defne talked with the nurse for an hour about her mother's recovery.
Defne 和護理師聊了快一個小時，談她母親的恢復情況。
Mizuki and Sivan talked quietly in the hospital corridor so the baby would stay asleep.
Mizuki 和 Sivan 在醫院走廊輕聲交談，以免吵醒寶寶。
Jenna talked on the phone with her cousin until past midnight.
Jenna 和表姐講電話一直講到半夜以後。
- listen
receive spoken words rather than produce them
文法句型
talk to someone
talk with someone
talk about something
talk on the phone
常見錯誤
2. to exchange ideas and opinions with other people on a certain topic
討論；談論
就特定話題交換意見
to exchange ideas and opinions with other people on a certain topic
Lakshmi and her colleagues talked about the new office rules during lunch.
Lakshmi 和同事在午餐時討論了新辦公室的規定。
talk about + topic
Caio loves to talk football with anyone who will give him five minutes.
Caio 超愛聊足球，只要有人願意聽上五分鐘他都很高興。
talk + topic (no preposition)
The neighbours gathered on the pavement to talk about the noise from the building site.
鄰居們聚在人行道上，討論工地傳來的噪音問題。
At the weekly meeting, Jude talked about her plans for the summer book fair.
在每週會議上，Jude 談了她對夏季書展的規劃。
Eshe and Hoa talked of travelling to South America together when they both retired.
Eshe 和 Hoa 談到退休後一起去南美洲旅行的事。
- discuss
more formal; the standard word in academic and professional settings
- debate
implies arguing opposing views, often in a structured format
- chat about
informal; light, casual exchange on a topic
文法句型
talk about something
talk politics/business/sport
talk of something
用法筆記
Without a preposition ('talk politics'), the verb is transitive and the object names the topic area — common with broad subjects like politics, business, or sport.
3. to have a serious conversation with someone about a difficulty or disagreement,
商談；溝通
為了解決問題而認真討論
to have a serious conversation with someone about a difficulty or disagreement, hoping to find a way forward
Mizuki talked to her flatmate about the dirty dishes and they agreed on a cleaning schedule.
Mizuki 和室友溝通了碗盤沒洗的問題，兩人一起訂了清潔時間表。
talk to someone about a problem
The two neighbours need to talk before the argument over the fence gets worse.
那兩個鄰居得好好談一談，免得為了圍欄的事吵得更兇。
Sivan sat down with his son to talk through the boy's worries about starting school.
Sivan 坐下來跟兒子好好談了他對上學的憂慮。
Sivan and Eshe talked it over for an hour at the kitchen table and finally reached a decision.
Sivan 和 Eshe 在廚房餐桌前商量了一個小時，終於做出決定。
Eshe talked with her brother about caring for their father and they agreed to share the costs.
Eshe 跟哥哥商量了照顧父親的事，他們同意分攤費用。
文法句型
talk to someone about a problem
talk things through
talk it over
用法筆記
Often used with 'through' or 'over' when the object is a problem or situation rather than a person.
4. to speak in front of a group, sharing knowledge or teaching them about something
演講；主講
對聽眾正式講述某個主題
to speak in front of a group, sharing knowledge or teaching them about something
Eleni talked to the students about her years working as a marine biologist.
Eleni 向學生講述了她多年來從事海洋生物學研究的經歷。
talk to + audience about + subject
Professor Okonkwo talked on ancient trade routes for nearly an hour.
Okonkwo 教授以古代貿易路線為題講了將近一個小時。
talk on + subject (formal academic style)
Hoa was invited to talk about climate policy at the town hall this Friday.
Hoa 應邀於本週五在市政廳主講氣候政策議題。
A police officer talked to the parents about keeping children safe online.
一位警察向家長們講解了如何保護孩子的網路安全。
Sora talked on the history of Korean pottery at the community centre last month.
Sora 上個月在社區中心主講了韓國陶藝的歷史。
文法句型
talk on a subject
talk about a subject to an audience
用法筆記
Often used with 'on' for more formal, academic presentations and with 'about' for less formal talks. 'Talk to' specifies the audience.
5. to give away secret information, often after being pressured or questioned for s
招供；洩密
透露本應保密的消息
to give away secret information, often after being pressured or questioned for some time
The suspect finally talked after six hours of questioning at the station.
那名嫌犯在警局被訊問六個小時後終於招供了。
intransitive: talk = confess information
The captured journalist refused to talk, even when her captors threatened her.
被擄的記者拒絕透露任何消息，即使擄人者威脅她也不說。
Someone in accounts talked and now the whole floor knows about the merger.
會計部門有人洩了密，現在整層樓都知道併購的事了。
Detectives Bao and Jude tried everything at the police station to make the prisoner talk, but he stayed silent.
Bao 和 Jude 這兩位警探在警察局用盡方法要讓那名囚犯招供，但他始終保持沉默。
- withhold
to deliberately refuse to give information that is asked for
文法句型
talk (under questioning)
make someone talk
refuse to talk
用法筆記
Always intransitive in this sense. The subject is a person who knows secrets. Common in contexts of interrogation, espionage, or workplace gossip.
talk — 名詞
- talksingular
- talksplural
1. an exchange of spoken words between people, usually focused on one topic
談話；對話
人與人之間的口語交流
an exchange of spoken words between people, usually focused on one topic
Bao had a long talk with his manager about taking on more responsibility.
Bao 跟主管進行了一次長談，討論承擔更多責任的事。
have a talk with someone about something
Defne asked the teacher for a private talk after the other children had gone home.
Defne 等其他孩子都回家後，請老師跟她私下談一談。
a private talk
The two friends sat on the riverbank and had a talk about their schooldays.
兩個朋友坐在河岸邊，聊起學生時代的往事。
After a short talk with the nurse, Jenna felt much calmer about the treatment.
Jenna 和護理師簡短交談後，對治療方案放心了許多。
- conversation
more formal and neutral; the standard word for spoken exchanges
- chat
informal, light conversation about unimportant things
- discussion
implies a more focused exchange, often about a serious or specific matter
2. a formal presentation spoken to an audience, meant to inform or teach them about
演講；講座
向聽眾正式講述的內容
a formal presentation spoken to an audience, meant to inform or teach them about something
Mizuki gave a talk on traditional paper-making at the craft museum last Sunday.
Mizuki 上週日在工藝博物館辦了一場關於傳統造紙的講座。
give a talk on + subject
The geography teacher's talk about volcanoes kept the class interested for two hours.
地理老師關於火山的演講讓全班學生專注聽了兩個小時。
Sivan went to a talk by a well-known author at the city book festival.
Sivan 在市立圖書節去聽了一場知名作家的演講。
The university library hosts free lunchtime talks every Wednesday in the main hall.
大學圖書館每週三在主廳舉辦免費的午餐講座。
- lecture
more formal; usually longer and in a university or educational setting
- speech
can be for any occasion; often political, ceremonial, or celebratory
- presentation
usually includes slides or visual aids, common in business and academia
3. official meetings where groups hold structured conversations, trying to reach an
會談；談判
正式討論以達成協議
official meetings where groups hold structured conversations, trying to reach an agreement or settle issues
Peace talks between the two neighbouring countries started in Vienna on Tuesday.
兩個鄰國之間的和談於週二在維也納展開。
peace talks
Trade talks with the island nations have dragged on for nearly eight months.
與那些島國的貿易談判已經拖了將近八個月。
trade talks
The union leaders began talks with the rail company over pay and weekend hours.
工會領袖與鐵路公司就薪資和週末工時展開了談判。
Talks between union leaders and factory bosses broke down in Brussels after neither side would budge on pay.
工會領袖與工廠老闆在布魯塞爾的談判因薪資問題互不讓步而破裂。
- negotiations
emphasises the bargaining process between parties with different goals
- discussions
broader and less formal; does not necessarily imply a goal of reaching agreement
- dialogue
emphasises open communication, often between opposing sides in a conflict
用法筆記
Almost always plural in this sense ('talks'). Used in formal contexts: diplomacy, business, labour relations. Distinguish from noun/1: 'talks' here are structured and official, not personal conversations.
4. what people are saying about events that may or may not be accurate; rumour and
傳聞；閒話
未經證實的說法或猜測
what people are saying about events that may or may not be accurate; rumour and speculation
There is talk that the old cinema might be torn down by the end of summer.
有傳聞說那家老電影院可能會在夏天結束前被拆掉。
there is talk that + clause
Eshe heard talk of a new head teacher arriving, but nothing had been confirmed.
Eshe 聽說要來一位新校長，但還沒有任何消息獲得證實。
talk of + something
The sudden departure of the finance director caused a lot of talk around the office.
財務總監突然離職，在辦公室裡引起了不少閒言閒語。
At the village shop, Lakshmi dismissed the talk about the mayor as idle gossip with no real proof.
在村裡的小店，Lakshmi 對那些關於鎮長的閒話嗤之以鼻，認為毫無根據。
- gossip
more specifically about personal or private matters; often malicious
- rumour
a specific unverified story or claim spreading among people
- speculation
more formal; reasoned guessing when full facts are not available
用法筆記
Often used with no article ('there is talk'). Frequently carries a negative or dismissive tone — suggesting the talk is unfounded or idle.