white lie
white lie — 名詞
1. a statement that is not true but is told to avoid upsetting someone, as a polite
善意的謊言
為顧及感受或免尷尬所說的小謊
a statement that is not true but is told to avoid upsetting someone, as a polite gesture, or to escape a minor social difficulty — the subject is harmless and the intention is kind, not selfish
Andrei told a white lie when he said he loved his aunt's strange soup.
Andrei 說了一個善意的謊言，說他很喜歡阿姨煮的怪湯。
tell + a white lie + when-clause
Hannah offered a white lie about her friend's haircut, calling it 'interesting' instead of saying it looked bad.
Hannah 對朋友的髮型說了個善意的謊言，稱讚它「很有特色」，而不是直接說不好看。
Beatrix told a little white lie about her age to get the student discount at the museum.
Beatrix 為了在博物館買學生優待票，說了個關於年齡的善意的謊言。
a little white lie + about [topic] + infinitive of purpose
Eitan's white lie about having another appointment was a gentle way to end the long phone call.
Eitan 說自己還有別的約會，用這個善意的謊言來禮貌地結束漫長的電話。
Sofia told a white lie, saying the hospital food was good, to cheer up her grandmother.
Sofia 對醫院的食物說了個善意的謊言，說東西很好吃，好讓奶奶開心一些。
a little white lie + about [topic] + to-infinitive purpose
- tell a white lie
- a little white lie
- just a white lie
- harmless white lie
- fib
an informal word for a small, unimportant lie, often used with children; less focused on the kind motive
- half-truth
a statement that mixes truth and falsehood; more deliberate and less motivated by kindness than a white lie
- malicious lie
a false statement intended to harm or deceive someone for selfish reasons
文法句型
tell + a white lie
tell + a white lie + about [topic]
用法筆記
Frequently found in the verb phrase 'tell a white lie', which is the most natural pattern for learners to use. The adjective 'little' is a common modifier ('a little white lie'). The term covers both cases where the speaker aims to spare someone's feelings and cases where the lie is about a harmless, trivial matter — these two motivations often overlap in real usage.
常見錯誤
同根字
常見搭配
常用片語
- tell a white lie
- a little white lie
- just a white lie
- harmless white lie
介系詞搭配
- about [topic]