used to
used to — 情態動詞
1. placed before a base verb to talk about an action that happened again and again
以前常會
表示過去反覆做某事
placed before a base verb to talk about an action that happened again and again over an earlier period of life.
Christopher used to cycle to school even in heavy rain.
Christopher 以前常會騎腳踏車去上學，就算下大雨也一樣。
used to + base verb for a repeated past action
Nadia used to call her grandmother every Sunday evening.
Nadia 以前常會在每個星期天晚上打電話給她奶奶。
The neighbors used to play cards on the front steps.
那些鄰居以前常會坐在前門台階上打牌。
Tunde used to feed the street cats before work.
Tunde 以前上班前常會去餵街貓。
- would
Can describe repeated past actions in stories, but it is not normally used for past states.
- habitually
More formal and adverbial; it describes a repeated pattern rather than giving the fixed grammar frame.
- regularly
Focuses on frequency, but it does not by itself place the action in a finished past period.
文法句型
used to + base verb
didn't use to + base verb
Did ... use to + base verb?
用法筆記
Usually followed by dynamic action verbs such as walk, call, or play. In questions and negatives, many speakers prefer did ... use to and didn't use to rather than used to by itself.
常見錯誤
used to — 片語
1. combined with be or become to show that someone knows something so well that it
習慣於
表示已對某事感到習慣
combined with be or become to show that someone knows something so well that it feels normal and no longer difficult or surprising.
Élise is used to the noise from the night market now.
Élise 現在已經習慣夜市傳來的聲音了。
be used to + noun phrase for something familiar
After two weeks, Gabriela was used to waking up before dawn.
過了兩個星期後，Gabriela 已經習慣天還沒亮就起床。
be used to + -ing form
Aoi isn't used to driving on icy roads yet.
Aoi 還不習慣在結冰的路上開車。
Vivek quickly became used to the hospital alarms.
Vivek 很快就習慣醫院的警報聲了。
- be accustomed to
Very close in meaning, but more formal in tone.
- be familiar with
Stresses knowledge or recognition more than personal comfort.
- feel at home with
More informal and suggests relaxed confidence as well as familiarity.
- be unaccustomed to
Formal opposite; it shows that something still feels unfamiliar.
文法句型
be used to + noun phrase
be used to + -ing form
get/become used to + noun phrase or -ing form
用法筆記
Almost always appears after a form of be, get, or become, and it is followed by a noun phrase or an -ing form. Distinguish it from used to + base verb, which talks about earlier habits or states instead of present familiarity.
常見錯誤
used to — 慣用語
1. placed before a verb such as be, have, or live to describe a situation that belo
以前是
表示過去的情況，現在可能不同
placed before a verb such as be, have, or live to describe a situation that belonged to an earlier time and has since changed.
Kenji used to live above a bakery near the station.
Kenji 以前住在車站附近一家麵包店的樓上。
used to + live for an earlier living situation
The road used to be much narrower before the bridge was built.
這條路在橋蓋好以前是窄得多的。
used to + be for a former condition
Layla used to have a small boat on the lake.
Layla 以前有一艘停在湖上的小船。
This room used to be my sister's bedroom when we were children.
這個房間以前是我姊姊的臥室，當時我們都還是孩子。
- once
A brief adverb that points to an earlier state, often in narrative or reflection.
- formerly
More formal and often used in written description.
- in the old days
More conversational and broader, often referring to an earlier period of life.
文法句型
used to + be / have / live
used to + stative or situation verb
用法筆記
Normally followed by verbs that describe a state, possession, or standing situation, such as be, have, live, or know. Use the modal-verb sense when the focus is on repeated past actions instead.