having

having — verb

1. to eat a meal, a food item, or to drink a beverage

1.動詞及物A1
釋義

to eat a meal, a food item, or to drink a beverage

例句

Nora is having a sandwich and a glass of milk for lunch today.

having + food for a meal

Trang usually avoids having coffee after six in the evening.

同義詞
  • eating

    more direct; only for solid food, not drinks

  • drinking

    only for liquids

  • consuming

    more formal; covers both food and drink

反義詞

文法句型

having + [meal/food/drink]

用法筆記

This is a very common alternative to 'eat' and 'drink' in everyday conversation. 'Having breakfast/lunch/dinner' is the standard way to talk about meals.

常見錯誤

❌I am having the flu for breakfast.' (confusing ILLNESS and CONSUME senses)
✅I am having toast for breakfast.
💡'having + food' and 'having + illness' are different senses; the context makes the meaning clear.

2. to possess something that belongs to you, such as a physical object, a personal

2.動詞及物A1
釋義

to possess something that belongs to you, such as a physical object, a personal quality, or a learned ability

例句

Having a reliable car saves you a lot of trouble during the rainy season.

gerund phrase as subject: having + noun

Nora is proud of having a natural talent for drawing animals and people.

having + quality after preposition

同義詞
  • owning

    specifically about legal or formal possession

  • possessing

    more formal; can include abstract qualities

  • holding

    suggests temporary or physical control

反義詞
  • lacking

    to not have something at all

  • missing

    something you need or want is absent

文法句型

having + noun phrase (object, quality, skill)

用法筆記

This is the core sense of 'having' and works with both tangible objects (a car, a house) and intangible things (a skill, a quality, a right).

常見錯誤

❌I loving having a new phone.
✅I love having a new phone.
💡'having' is a gerund here, so the main verb takes a gerund as object.

3. to experience a disease or a health problem such as a fever, a cough, or the flu

3.動詞及物A2
釋義

to experience a disease or a health problem such as a fever, a cough, or the flu

例句

Having a bad cough kept Manuela home from school for the whole week.

having + symptom as cause

Charlotte worried about having a fever that would not go down with medicine.

同義詞
  • suffering from

    more serious or formal; suggests the illness is causing difficulty

  • experiencing

    more neutral; can also be used for non-medical conditions

反義詞

文法句型

having + [disease/symptom]

用法筆記

Subject is usually a person experiencing the illness. The illness noun often requires an article (a cold, a fever) or is uncountable (flu, measles).

常見錯誤

❌I am having fever since yesterday.
✅I have had a fever since yesterday.
💡with 'having' for illness, use the simple present or present perfect, not 'am having.'

4. to do a particular activity, take part in an event, or perform an action

4.動詞及物A2
釋義

to do a particular activity, take part in an event, or perform an action

例句

The team is having a meeting to discuss the new project this afternoon.

having a meeting: common collocation

Nala enjoys having a long phone call with her grandmother every Sunday.

同義詞
  • doing

    more general; does not pair with event nouns the same way

  • holding

    suggests organising an event (hold a meeting)

  • conducting

    more formal, for planned business activities

文法句型

having + [activity/event noun]

用法筆記

The noun that follows 'having' names the activity — meeting, party, conversation, bath, lesson. This sense does not work with every activity noun; it is restricted to certain conventional collocations.

常見錯誤

❌We are having a walk in the park.
✅We are taking a walk in the park.
💡'have a walk' is not natural; use 'take a walk' instead.

5. to be connected to someone through family, friendship, or professional ties — fo

5.動詞及物A2
釋義

to be connected to someone through family, friendship, or professional ties — for instance, having a younger sister, a trusted coworker, or a kind boss.

例句

Camila has three younger brothers and stays very close with each of them.

have + number + family member for family relations

As a team leader, Imran has a friendly boss who gives him useful advice.

同義詞
  • have got

    informal British alternative; 'I have got a sister' means the same as 'I have a sister'

  • enjoy

    used specifically for positive relationships, e.g., 'She enjoys the support of her colleagues'

  • maintain

    suggests actively keeping a relationship, e.g., 'They maintain a close friendship despite the distance'

文法句型

have + noun (person expressing a relationship)

用法筆記

The relationship is usually made clear by adding a modifier or context (e.g., 'close friend', 'helpful boss'). Using 'have a relationship' without a modifier can sound vague or overly formal.

常見錯誤

❌I have friend in Taipei.
✅I have a friend in Taipei.
💡when referring to a single countable person, the article 'a' is needed.

6. to get something from another person, or to permit a situation, event, or person

6.動詞及物A2
釋義

to get something from another person, or to permit a situation, event, or person to come into your life

例句

Charlotte is having some old friends over for dinner this Saturday night.

having + someone over: social invitation

Having a letter from the company made Nkechi feel relieved and happy.

同義詞
  • receiving

    more formal; the focus is on the act of being given something

  • getting

    informal; can mean both receiving and obtaining

  • accepting

    emphasises willingness to receive

反義詞

文法句型

having + [someone/something received or allowed]

用法筆記

When followed by an object + past participle (having something done), this sense means 'to arrange for something to happen'. This is known as the causative 'have'.

常見錯誤

❌I am having a new phone from my mother.
✅I received a new phone from my mother.
💡for the literal act of receiving a gift, use 'receive' or 'get.' This sense of 'having' works better for visitors or arranged events.

7. to have a particular feature, design element, or characteristic as part of what

7.動詞及物B1
釋義

to have a particular feature, design element, or characteristic as part of what something is like — for example, a garden having a pond, or a hotel having a rooftop bar

例句

The new public library has a quiet reading room on every floor for students.

have + feature: library + reading room

The apartment block has large windows that let in plenty of natural light.

同義詞
  • possess

    more formal; often used in legal or technical descriptions rather than everyday speech

  • feature

    can be used as a verb meaning 'to include something as a notable part', e.g., 'The hotel features a rooftop pool'

  • boast

    implies the feature is impressive or worth showing off; informal and slightly boastful

反義詞
  • lack

    the opposite meaning — to not have a particular feature or characteristic

文法句型

have + (adjective) + noun (feature / characteristic)

用法筆記

The subject of this sense is usually an object, building, place, or abstract entity — not a person. For personal qualities, use sense 1 (POSSESS) instead. Common objects include structural features (large windows, three bedrooms), design elements (a pond, a balcony), and abstract characteristics (charm, character).

常見錯誤

❌The library has many books' (this is possession, not a feature).
✅The library has a computer lab on the second floor.
💡Use this sense for built-in features, not for things that could be moved or owned.

8. to arrange for another person to carry out an action, or to make something happe

8.動詞及物B1
釋義

to arrange for another person to carry out an action, or to make something happen by giving clear instructions or paying someone to do it

例句

Felipe had his assistant book the flights for the entire sales team.

have + person + bare infinitive (book)

The Watanabes had their kitchen completely remodelled last spring.

have + object + past participle (remodelled)

同義詞
  • make

    stronger — implies force or authority rather than arrangement

  • get

    more informal, often implies persuading rather than instructing

反義詞
  • prevent

    opposite action — stopping rather than causing

用法筆記

Frequently passive in this sense: 'I had my watch repaired' not 'I had repaired my watch'. The bare infinitive follows the person — no 'to' is used.

常見錯誤

❌My mother had me to clean my room.
✅My mother had me clean my room.
💡After 'have' in the causative sense, use the bare infinitive without 'to'.

9. to experience something bad or unpleasant that happens to you, especially becaus

9.動詞及物B1
釋義

to experience something bad or unpleasant that happens to you, especially because of another person's action or because of bad luck

例句

Salma had her wallet stolen while she was shopping at the night market.

have + object + past participle (stolen)

The family had their house flooded twice during the rainy season.

同義詞
  • suffer

    more direct and emotional; 'have' is softer and more factual

  • experience

    broader — can be positive or neutral, while this sense is always negative

用法筆記

This sense always uses the 'have + object + past participle' structure. The subject is the victim — the person who suffers the action, not the person who causes it. Distinguish from sense 7 (CAUSE TO HAPPEN) where the subject arranges the action.

常見錯誤

❌I had my hair cut' (when you paid for it — that's sense 7).
✅I had my car stolen
💡this sense only works for negative events you did not choose.

10. to feel or sense a particular physical sensation, emotion, or mental state

10.動詞及物B1
釋義

to feel or sense a particular physical sensation, emotion, or mental state

例句

Faisal had the strangest feeling that someone was standing behind him in the dark room.

have + feeling/impression/sense

After the long hike, the children had enormous appetites and ate everything on the table.

同義詞
  • feel

    more direct and personal; 'have' is slightly more detached and factual

  • experience

    more formal; works for both states and events

用法筆記

Often used with abstract nouns like 'feeling', 'sense', 'urge', 'desire', or 'impression'. Subject is typically a person, but the state itself can be physical (hunger, headache) or mental (doubt, certainty).

常見錯誤

❌I have headache' (direct translation from some languages).
✅I have a headache.
💡Always use an article or determiner before the state noun.

11. to bring a baby out of your body after carrying it in the womb

11.動詞及物B1
釋義

to bring a baby out of your body after carrying it in the womb

例句

Felipe's sister had a baby girl last Tuesday at the Wellington Maternity Hospital.

have + baby (+ gender/name)

The vet said the stray cat would probably have her kittens before morning.

同義詞
  • deliver

    more formal and clinical, used by medical professionals

  • give birth to

    more explicit and formal; 'have' is the everyday word

用法筆記

When used for humans, often specifies the baby's gender (a boy / a girl). This sense refers to the actual moment of delivery, not the state of being pregnant (see sense 11).

12. to carry a developing baby inside your body before it is born

12.動詞及物B1
釋義

to carry a developing baby inside your body before it is born

例句

Naoko is having a baby in August and has already chosen a name for her daughter.

is having + baby — continuous form for pregnancy

The doctor confirmed that Ingrid was having twins after the ultrasound scan.

同義詞

用法筆記

Usually used in the continuous form (is having / was having) because it describes a state or period, not a single event. Distinguish from sense 10 (GIVE BIRTH), which refers to the actual moment the baby emerges.

常見錯誤

❌She had a baby last week' (when you mean she was pregnant last week).
✅She was having a baby last week
💡Use continuous form for the pregnancy state; simple past is for the delivery.

13. used when pointing out one good feature or action in someone, especially while a

13.動詞及物B1
釋義

used when pointing out one good feature or action in someone, especially while acknowledging that other things about them are not as good

例句

Quinn may talk too much, but having a caring nature makes people forgive him.

contrastive structure: may X, but having Y…

Sora can be blunt when giving opinions, but having her cheerful attitude still makes people enjoy working with her.

contrastive: 'can be X, but having Y still makes...'

同義詞
  • possessing

    more formal and neutral; doesn't imply the contrast pattern

  • showing

    emphasises the visible action rather than the inner quality

文法句型

having + [positive noun phrase]

用法筆記

This sense often appears in a contrast pattern — someone's negative quality is mentioned first, then 'but' or 'yet' introduces the positive quality they have.

14. to take part in sexual activity with another person

14.動詞及物B2
釋義

to take part in sexual activity with another person

例句

The two characters in the film had sex for the first time in a hotel room overlooking the river.

had sex — most common fixed expression

Felipe and his partner had sex after the wedding ceremony at the resort.

同義詞
  • make love

    more romantic or euphemistic; implies emotional closeness

  • sleep with

    informal euphemism, implies overnight stay

用法筆記

The noun 'sex' in this expression has no article. 'Have sex' is the standard neutral-to-informal term; more formal alternatives are 'have sexual intercourse' or 'engage in sexual activity'. Avoid confusing with 'have a sex' (incorrect).

常見錯誤

❌They had a sex.
✅They had sex.
💡'Sex' in this sense is an uncountable noun and takes no article.

having — noun