earn

earn — verb

1. to receive money in return for the work or services you provide, such as a salar

1.動詞及物 / 不及物A2
釋義

to receive money in return for the work or services you provide, such as a salary, wage, or income

例句

Sari earns a good salary working as a nurse at the city hospital.

earn + salary (direct object for money received)

After finishing his apprenticeship, Ryo began to earn more money as a qualified electrician.

同義詞
  • make

    more general; 'make money' is informal and common; 'earn money' emphasizes work done

  • bring in

    informal phrasal verb: 'Her freelance work brings in extra cash'

  • net

    refers to income after deductions: 'He nets about fifty thousand a year'

反義詞
  • spend

    opposite action — earning puts money in, spending takes it out

  • lose

    opposite financial outcome: 'lose money' vs 'earn money'

文法句型

earn + [money / salary / wage / income / living]

earn + by + -ing

intransitive: earn well / earn enough

用法筆記

This sense can be used transitively (with a direct object such as salary, wage, or income) or intransitively when the amount is clear from context: 'She earns well in her new role.' The object is almost always related to money or financial reward.

常見錯誤

❌She earned the race yesterday.
✅She won the race yesterday.
💡'earn' is for money or deserved results; 'win' is for competitions, races, and games.
❌He earns a lot of prize from his job.
✅He earns a lot of money from his job.
💡'prize' is not used as an object of 'earn'; use 'win a prize' or specify the income type.

2. to receive or deserve something because of your efforts, actions, or positive qu

2.動詞及物B1
釋義

to receive or deserve something because of your efforts, actions, or positive qualities — for example, earning someone's trust by always telling the truth, or earning a victory through months of training

例句

Padma earned the respect of her teammates after leading the project through a difficult crisis.

earn + respect (abstract noun as direct object)

By volunteering at the shelter every weekend, Talia earned a reputation for kindness in her community.

earn + reputation (achieved through sustained effort)

同義詞
  • deserve

    stronger emphasis on worthiness rather than the act of receiving: 'She deserves a break'

  • merit

    more formal, often used in academic or professional contexts: 'His proposal merits serious consideration'

  • win

    overlaps when effort leads to achievement: 'win admiration', but 'win' can also involve luck or competition

反義詞
  • lose

    opposite outcome: 'lose someone's trust' vs 'earn someone's trust'

  • forfeit

    lose the right to something through your own actions: 'forfeit respect'

文法句型

earn + [respect / trust / reputation / praise / victory]

earn + [indirect object] + [direct object]

用法筆記

Frequently takes an abstract noun as direct object (respect, trust, reputation, praise, loyalty, place). Distinguish from sense 1: the object here is never money or income — it is something non-financial that is deserved because of effort or good conduct.

常見錯誤

❌I earned a promotion by work hard.
✅I earned a promotion by working hard.
💡'by' must be followed by a gerund (-ing form), not a bare noun or verb.
❌He earned a good prize for his efforts.
✅He earned a good reputation for his efforts.
💡'prize' is won, not earned through sustained effort.

3. to produce a financial return — such as interest, dividends, or profit — on mone

3.動詞及物B2
釋義

to produce a financial return — such as interest, dividends, or profit — on money you have put into savings, investments, or loans

例句

Chiara's savings account earns two and a half percent interest every year.

earn + interest (financial return from savings)

These government bonds earn a fixed return of four percent over a ten-year period.

earn + return (subject = investment instrument)

同義詞
  • yield

    formal financial term: 'The bond yields 3.5% annually'

  • generate

    broader, can apply to any kind of production: 'generate income', 'generate revenue'

  • return

    used as a noun in finance: 'earn a return on investment'; less common as a verb in this sense

文法句型

[investment / account] + earns + [interest / return / profit]

earn + [percentage] + interest/return

earn + [person] + [amount] + in interest

用法筆記

The subject is often the account, bond, or investment itself rather than a person: 'The account earns 4% interest.' When a person is the subject, the investment vehicle is usually mentioned: 'She earned 5% on her bonds.' Never used for losses — use 'suffer a loss' or 'incur a loss' instead.

常見錯誤

❌My stock investment earned me a big loss.
✅My stock investment earned me a big profit.' or 'My stock investment caused me a big loss.
💡'earn' is only used for positive returns, never for losses.
❌The bank earns 2% from my deposit.
✅My deposit earns 2% at the bank.
💡the money/investment earns; the bank pays interest, it does not earn interest from the depositor.