transcribe
/trænˈskraɪb/ (bre, ipa) · /trænˈskraɪb/ (ame, ipa) · /tran(t)-ˈskrīb/ (ame, mw)
transcribe — 動詞
- transcribepresent simple I / you / we / they
- transcribeshe / she / it
- transcribedpast simple
- transcribing-ing form
1. To write down exactly what someone says, sings, or plays, so that the content is
抄錄
將口語或錄音內容寫成文字
To write down exactly what someone says, sings, or plays, so that the content is kept as a written record — for example, turning an interview recording into text or copying a handwritten letter onto a computer.
Baraka transcribed the lecture recordings for students who could not attend.
Baraka 將課堂錄音內容抄錄下來，給無法出席的同學參考。
transitive: transcribe + direct object (recording/speech)
The interview was transcribed and submitted as evidence in the court case.
訪談內容被抄錄下來，作為法庭案件的證據提交。
passive: be transcribed
Zayd carefully transcribed every word the elderly storyteller shared with them.
Zayd 仔細地將老奶奶分享的故事逐字抄錄下來。
Anjali transcribed the meeting notes from her notebook onto the shared document on her computer.
Anjali 把會議筆記從她的筆記本抄錄到電腦上的共用文件裡。
It took the assistant three hours to transcribe the CEO’s speech from the recording.
助理花了三個小時，將執行長的演講從錄音檔抄錄成文字。
文法句型
transcribe + direct object (speech/recording/document)
be transcribed + (by agent)
用法筆記
Frequently used in formal or professional contexts such as journalism, law, medicine, and academic research. The object is typically spoken or recorded material (an interview, a lecture, a dictation).
常見錯誤
❖ "She transcribed a new email for her boss" (if she composed it herself). ✅ "She transcribed the voicemail message her boss left." — transcribe implies copying from a source; writing something original is composing, not transcribing.
2. To change written material or a musical work into a different version — for inst
改編；轉寫
改寫成另一種形式或樂器版本
To change written material or a musical work into a different version — for instance, moving from one script to another, or rewriting a piece so a different instrument can play it, while preserving the core content.
The choir director asked Lara to transcribe the piano score for soprano voices.
合唱團總監請 Lara 將鋼琴樂譜改編成女高音版本。
infinitive: ask + to transcribe + [composition] + for [different voice/instrument]
The novel was transcribed into simplified Chinese characters for young readers.
這本小說被轉寫成簡體中文版本，供年輕讀者閱讀。
passive: be transcribed into [alternative script]
Transcribing the author's handwritten journal into digital text took the editor six months.
將作者的手寫日記轉寫成數位文字，花了編輯六個月的時間。
Beatrix spent a year transcribing the symphony for a chamber orchestra of twelve players.
Beatrix 花了一整年時間，把交響曲改編成十二人室內樂團的版本。
文法句型
transcribe + [composition] + for [instrument/medium]
be transcribed + into [alternative format]
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1: in this sense the target format changes (e.g. different instruments, different writing system), whereas sense 1 simply produces a written version of spoken or played content. Often used in music and translation contexts.
常見錯誤
❖ "The pianist transcribed the sonata" (without specifying the new form). ✅ "The pianist transcribed the sonata for a woodwind trio." — always state the target instrument or format to make the meaning clear.
3. To write a word, sentence, or speech sound using a special set of symbols that r
標音
用音標符號標記發音
To write a word, sentence, or speech sound using a special set of symbols that represent pronunciation, such as those in the International Phonetic Alphabet.
The Arabic word was transcribed into IPA symbols for the pronunciation guide.
這個阿拉伯語詞彙被標音成國際音標符號，放入發音指南中。
passive: be transcribed into [phonetic system]
Élise transcribed the regional dialect sounds using the International Phonetic Alphabet.
Élise 使用國際音標記錄了該地方方言的發音。
Asher transcribed the subtle difference between two vowel sounds in his phonetics class.
Asher 在語音學課堂上標記了兩個母音之間細微的發音差異。
The linguist transcribed the tone patterns of each word for the language textbook.
這位語言學家為語言教科書中的每個詞彙標記了聲調模式。
- represent phonetically
more explicit but less concise; makes the method obvious
- note the pronunciation of
describes the purpose rather than the method
文法句型
transcribe + [word/sound] + using [phonetic system]
be transcribed + into [phonetic notation]
用法筆記
Subject is typically a linguist, phonetician, or language student. This sense is rare in everyday conversation and appears mostly in academic linguistics or dictionary-making.
常見錯誤
❖ "You should transcribe this word." (ambiguous with senses 1 and 2). ✅ "You should transcribe this word using phonetic symbols to show how it is pronounced." — specify the method (phonetic symbols) to distinguish this sense.