working
/ˈwɜːkɪŋ/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈwɜːrkɪŋ/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈwər-kiŋ/ (ame, mw)
working — 形容詞
- workingpositive
- more workingcomparative
- most workingsuperlative
1. describing things that are connected to your job or to the hours you spend at yo
工作的
與工作或工作時間有關的
describing things that are connected to your job or to the hours you spend at your workplace
Talia's working conditions improved after the office installed new desks.
Talia 的工作環境在辦公室安裝新桌椅後得到了改善。
attributive: working + conditions
Noor spends most of his working hours in front of a computer screen.
Noor 大部分的工作時間都花在電腦螢幕前。
Paloma took a part-time job to fit around her children's school hours.
Paloma 為了配合孩子的上課時間，找了一份兼職工作。
The office manager praised the team for their positive working attitude all year.
辦公室主管讚賞團隊整年保持積極的工作態度。
- professional
focuses on the skill or career aspect rather than the time spent
- occupational
more formal, often used in legal or medical contexts
文法句型
working + noun (conditions, hours, relationship, etc.)
用法筆記
Always placed before a noun (attributive). Common in fixed phrases such as working conditions, working hours, and working relationship.
常見錯誤
2. having a paid job; earning money through regular employment
有工作的
擁有給薪職業的
having a paid job; earning money through regular employment
Hugo's mother has been a working parent since he was a toddler.
Hugo 的母親從他還是學步幼兒時就一直是在職家長。
collocation: working parent / working mother
Amira joined the working population right after finishing university.
Amira 大學畢業後立即加入了就業人口的行列。
Kabir works as a delivery driver in the evenings, like many working students paying their own tuition.
Kabir 晚上當外送司機，就像許多自己付學費的半工半讀學生。
Jian's father is a working man who has kept the same factory job for twenty years.
Jian 的父親是一名工人，在同一家工廠工作了二十年。
- unemployed
without a paid job
- jobless
informal, without a job
文法句型
working + noun (mother, parent, population, etc.)
用法筆記
Always attributive. Often used in social or economic contexts to describe demographic groups.
常見錯誤
3. currently running or being used in a normal way; not broken or switched off
運作中
機器或設備正常運轉
currently running or being used in a normal way; not broken or switched off
Liang checked whether the office printer was still working before the meeting.
Liang 在開會前檢查了辦公室印表機是否還能運作。
predicate: be + working
Théo shook the flashlight gently until the bulb started working again.
Théo 輕輕搖晃手電筒，直到燈泡又重新亮起來。
The coffee machine is not working today, so everyone feels grumpy.
今天咖啡機壞了，所以每個人都心情不好。
Amihan tested the smoke detector and found it was working properly.
Amihan 測試了煙霧偵測器，發現它運作正常。
- running
more informal, often used for engines or motors
- operational
more formal, used for systems or equipment
文法句型
subject + be + working
working + adverb (properly, correctly, etc.)
用法筆記
This sense is most commonly used in the predicate position (after be, seem, or start). When used attributively, it overlaps with sense 6 (EFFECTIVE).
常見錯誤
4. describing the parts of a device that move around to make the whole machine run
活動的
機器中可移動的運轉零件
describing the parts of a device that move around to make the whole machine run
The watchmaker carefully cleaned every working part of the antique clock.
鐘錶匠仔細清理了那座古董時鐘的每一個活動零件。
collocation: working part(s)
The engineer oiled the working components of the factory conveyor belt.
工程師為工廠輸送帶的運轉部件上了油。
The mechanic checked every working part inside the old washing machine before replacing the motor.
舊馬車上只有一個活動輪子還能平穩轉動。
The pump stopped because sand had blocked its internal working mechanism.
那台泵浦因為沙子堵住了內部的運轉機制而停止運作。
- moving
simpler and more general; not restricted to mechanical contexts
- mechanical
refers to the whole system rather than just the parts that move
- stationary
fixed in place, not designed to move
文法句型
working + part(s) / component(s) / mechanism
用法筆記
Almost always used attributively before part or a synonym such as component or mechanism. Distinct from sense 3 because it specifically refers to physical moving parts, not the overall functioning of the device.
5. good enough to start using, even though you may update or refine it later
暫用；可用
足夠好作為初步基礎
good enough to start using, even though you may update or refine it later
The film director kept the original working title until the final week of editing.
那位電影導演直到剪輯的最後一週都保留著最初的暫定片名。
collocation: working title
The research team agreed on a working definition of the term before starting the study.
研究團隊在開始這項研究之前，先確定了該術語的暫定定義。
collocation: working definition
The local council approved a working budget that could be adjusted later.
地方議會通過了一份暫定預算，日後可以再調整。
The chef had a working knowledge of French cooking techniques from her training in Lyon.
那位主廚因為曾在里昂受訓，具備法式烹飪技術的實用知識。
- provisional
more formal, emphasises the temporary nature
- preliminary
suggests something that comes before the main version
文法句型
working + noun (definition, title, knowledge, plan, budget)
用法筆記
Only sense that pairs with nouns such as title, definition, knowledge, hypothesis, or document. The implication is always provisional and subject to revision.
常見錯誤
6. describing a relationship, arrangement, or system that produces good results in
有效的
能順利運作並產生好結果
describing a relationship, arrangement, or system that produces good results in practice
Tomás and his neighbour have developed a very working relationship over the years.
Tomás 和他的鄰居多年來建立了非常順暢的合作關係。
collocation: working relationship
Niran's team found a working arrangement that allowed everyone to work from home.
Niran 的團隊找到了一項有效的安排，讓每個人都可以遠距工作。
The court reached a working solution that satisfied both parties in the dispute.
法院達成了一項可行方案，滿足了糾紛中雙方的訴求。
The community centre established a working partnership with the local library.
社區中心與當地圖書館建立了有效的合作夥伴關係。
- successful
emphasises the positive outcome more than the process
- effective
more general; not limited to collaborative or social contexts
- dysfunctional
failing to work as intended; often used for relationships or systems
- broken
no longer functioning at all
文法句型
working + noun (relationship, arrangement, solution, partnership)
用法筆記
Overlaps partially with sense 3 (FUNCTIONING) when used predicatively. What distinguishes this sense is the emphasis on quality of operation rather than the binary on/off state. Most common in collocations describing human or social systems.
常見錯誤
working — 名詞
1. the way in which a system, organisation, machine, or natural process operates an
運作方式
系統、機器或組織的運作過程
the way in which a system, organisation, machine, or natural process operates and produces results
The biology students studied the workings of the human heart for their exam.
生物系學生為了考試，研讀了心臟的運作方式。
pattern: the workings of + noun
The accountant explained the workings of the tax system to the new intern.
會計師向新來的實習生解釋了稅務制度的運作原理。
New employees often find the inner workings of a large organisation difficult to understand.
新進員工往往覺得難以理解大型組織的內部運作方式。
The documentary revealed the workings of the ancient water system beneath the city.
那部紀錄片揭示了這座城市地底古老供水系統的運作方式。
文法句型
the workings of + noun
用法筆記
Almost always used in the plural form (workings). The phrase 'the workings of something' is the standard structure. 'Inner workings' is a very common fixed collocation.
常見錯誤
2. a hole dug in the ground to take out minerals, stone, or metal
礦場
開採礦物的挖掘場地
a hole dug in the ground to take out minerals, stone, or metal
The old copper workings in this valley were closed down back in the early nineteen-eighties.
這座山谷裡的舊銅礦場早在二十世紀八十年代初就關閉了。
pattern: [mineral] + workings
Visitors to the region can tour the limestone workings that date back to Roman times.
前往該地區的遊客可以參觀那些可追溯至羅馬時代的石灰岩礦場。
The surveyor mapped the entrance to the abandoned tin workings near the river.
測量員繪製了河邊那座廢棄錫礦坑入口的地圖。
Local historians wrote a book about the silver workings that employed hundreds of miners.
當地歷史學家撰寫了一本關於銀礦的書，這些礦場曾僱用數百名礦工。
文法句型
often in place names: copper workings, limestone workings
用法筆記
Most commonly appears in plural form preceded by the name of the extracted material (e.g. gold workings, tin workings). Typically encountered in historical or geological writing rather than everyday speech.