berth
berth — noun
- berthsingular
- berthsplural
1. a bed or sleeping area on a ship, train, or other form of transport; also a plac
a bed or sleeping area on a ship, train, or other form of transport; also a place in a port or harbour where a ship can tie up and stay
Theo climbed into his narrow berth and pulled the curtain shut before the train pulled out of the station.
berth on a train — sleeping compartment
The captain guided the cargo ship into its berth at Kaohsiung Harbour just after sunrise.
berth at a harbour — place to dock
Each cabin on the overnight ferry had two berths stacked one above the other.
Passengers with tickets for a sleeping berth should collect their linen from the carriage attendant.
The harbour master reserved a berth for the research vessel at the western pier.
- bunk
a narrower, more basic sleeping shelf, often stacked; more common in hostels or crew quarters than passenger cabins
- cabin
a small private room on a ship, which may contain a berth but refers to the whole space, not just the bed
- docking space
a technical term for the area where a ship ties up; less common in everyday speech
- mooring
the place or equipment used to secure a boat; emphasises the act of tying up rather than the allocated space
文法句型
berth + in/on [vehicle]
berth + at [port]
用法筆記
Countable. When referring to a sleeping place, common collocates include 'upper/lower berth' and 'sleeping berth'. When referring to a docking space for ships, collocates with 'loading berth', 'cargo berth', and the verb 'take up a berth'.
常見錯誤
2. the position in a tournament or contest that a player or team earns, giving them
the position in a tournament or contest that a player or team earns, giving them the chance to compete at that level
The Taiwanese badminton team secured a berth in the Olympic quarter-finals after beating Indonesia.
secure a berth in [competition]
With only one berth left in the tournament, the final qualifying match attracted a huge crowd.
Naoko earned an automatic berth in the championship draw because of her top-five world ranking.
The soccer team celebrated wildly when they clinched a playoff berth on the last day of the regular season.
- slot
more informal and general; can refer to any allocated position, not just in competitions
- place
the most general term; 'earn a place in the finals' means the same but is less specific to sports journalism
- qualification
refers to the process or status of having qualified, not the allocated spot itself
文法句型
secure/earn + a/the berth
berth + in [competition]
用法筆記
Usually used with verbs like 'secure', 'earn', 'clinch', 'win', 'claim'. The noun is almost always singular in this sense. Common in sports journalism.
3. a job or role that a person has within an organisation, often one that is long-l
a job or role that a person has within an organisation, often one that is long-lasting or comfortable
After years of freelancing, Kian found a steady berth as a software engineer at a local tech firm.
find a berth as [role]
The former minister was offered a comfortable berth on the board of a state-owned enterprise.
Jiwoo turned down a lucrative berth at a multinational company to start her own business.
Hugo spent twenty years in the same quiet berth at the university library and never once thought of leaving.
- position
neutral and widely used; 'position' can be temporary or permanent, while 'berth' often implies stability
- post
slightly more formal than 'position' and often used in government, academic, or military contexts
- role
focuses on the function or duties of the job rather than its rank within an organisation
文法句型
berth + as/in [role/organisation]
a/the berth + at [company]
用法筆記
This sense often carries a nuance of stability, security, or comfort. It is slightly formal and more common in British English than American English. The adjective 'comfortable' or 'cosy' frequently precedes it.
常見錯誤
berth — verb
- berthpresent simple I / you / we / they
- berths3rd person singular
- berthing-ing form
- berthedpast simple
1. to bring a vessel into a harbour and fix it in position with ropes, or to arrive
to bring a vessel into a harbour and fix it in position with ropes, or to arrive at a port and tie up in this way
The fishing boat berthed at the small pier on the east side of the island just before the storm hit.
intransitive: [vessel] + berths + at [place]
Captain Ayesha carefully berthed her vessel between two larger container ships in the crowded harbour.
transitive: captain + berthed + vessel
The harbour master signalled for the ferry to berth at Dock Three alongside the passenger terminal.
Large cruise ships cannot berth at this old port because the channel is too shallow for their hulls.
The crew spent an hour berthing the cargo ship in heavy wind before the lines were secure.
文法句型
[vessel] + berth + at [place]
[captain/crew] + berth + [vessel] + at [place]
用法筆記
Can be used both with and without an object. When transitive, the subject is a person (captain, pilot, crew) and the object is the vessel. When intransitive, the subject is the vessel itself. Frequent in maritime communication and official port instructions.