hop
hop — verb
- hoppresent simple I / you / we / they
- hopshe / she / it
- hoppedpast simple
- hopping-ing form
1. to move forward or sideways by pushing off the ground with one foot and landing
to move forward or sideways by pushing off the ground with one foot and landing on the same foot, often as a game or because of an injury.
The children played a game where they had to hop across the playground without stopping.
hop across [a space] — movement pattern
Mei-Lin stubbed her toe on the door frame and hopped to the sofa to sit down.
During physiotherapy, Omar was asked to hop forward ten times on his right foot.
The little girl tried to hop along every crack in the pavement without touching the lines.
- walk
uses alternating feet with one always on the ground
用法筆記
Intransitive only. The focus is on the action itself, not on a destination or goal. Use 'hop over' when there is a boundary, and 'hop across' for a surface.
常見錯誤
2. to travel to a place quickly or for a short time, especially by getting onto or
to travel to a place quickly or for a short time, especially by getting onto or off a vehicle or by making a short trip.
Javier decided to hop on the next bus to the city centre before the shops closed.
hop on [a vehicle] — board quickly
Amara hopped over to the supermarket to pick up eggs and milk before dinner.
The sales team will hop from one city to another during their three-day tour of customers.
It was late, so Sofia hopped into a taxi instead of waiting for the last train.
- pop (over to)
British English, equally informal, suggests a quick visit
- dash
implies more urgency and speed, often on foot
文法句型
hop + preposition (on, into, out of, over to)
用法筆記
Common in informal spoken English. 'Hop on/in/into' refers to boarding a vehicle quickly; 'hop out of' means to leave. 'Hop over to' describes a short, casual visit to a nearby place.
常見錯誤
3. to move forward by pushing the ground with both feet together in one motion — th
to move forward by pushing the ground with both feet together in one motion — the way rabbits, frogs, sparrows, and similar small creatures get from place to place.
A brown rabbit hopped across the lawn and disappeared into the bushes near the fence.
hop across [a space] — describing animal movement
The sparrow hopped along the garden fence looking for crumbs dropped at lunchtime.
Frogs hop from one lily pad to the next in the pond behind the old school building.
A kangaroo can hop much faster than a human can run over the same distance.
用法筆記
Used specifically for creatures that move with both legs together — rabbits, kangaroos, frogs, and many birds. Not used for four-legged animals that walk or run.
4. to clear a low obstacle by jumping over it in a single quick motion, usually wit
to clear a low obstacle by jumping over it in a single quick motion, usually without using your hands.
Kwame hopped the low stone wall and landed softly on the grass on the other side.
hop + [obstacle] — transitive pattern
The young athlete easily hopped the hurdle during the training session on Tuesday.
Runners at the park would hop the fallen tree trunk to stay on the path.
Shira hopped the small puddle that had formed after the morning rain shower.
文法句型
hop + noun phrase (obstacle)
用法筆記
Transitive — the obstacle is the direct object. Differs from sense 1 ('jump on one foot') because both feet leave the ground and you land on either one or both feet over the obstacle.
常見錯誤
5. to begin working on a task immediately and with energy, often in response to an
to begin working on a task immediately and with energy, often in response to an instruction or urgent situation.
When the manager asked for volunteers, Diego hopped to it and started gathering the equipment.
hop to it — fixed phrase for starting quickly
The kitchen staff saw the lunch rush coming and hopped to it without being told twice.
As soon as the teacher gave out the worksheets, Yuna hopped to it and finished first.
When the delivery truck arrived, the warehouse staff hopped to it and unloaded every box in thirty minutes.
- get cracking
British English idiom, similar level of informality
- get moving
more general, less energetic connotation
- delay
to put off starting something
文法句型
hop to it
用法筆記
Almost always used in the fixed expression 'hop to it' (or 'hop to'). The 'it' does not refer to a specific object — it is part of the idiom. Common in workplace and classroom settings as an encouraging instruction.
常見錯誤
hop — noun
- hopsingular
- hopsplural
1. a short jump off the ground using a single foot, or a short jump made by a small
a short jump off the ground using a single foot, or a short jump made by a small creature pushing with both feet in a single motion.
With one quick hop, the cat reached the top of the kitchen counter and knocked over a cup.
a quick hop — single short jump
The toddler took a hop and then a wobbling step before falling into her mother's waiting arms.
Each careful hop brought the injured runner closer to the bench near the finish line.
The frog covered the distance in three quick hops and disappeared into the long grass.
用法筆記
Countable noun. Often used to describe the movement of small animals or children. Can also describe an injured person's movement when they cannot put weight on one foot.
常見錯誤
2. a short journey, especially by plane or train, between places that are close to
a short journey, especially by plane or train, between places that are close to each other.
The flight from Taipei to Hong Kong is a short hop of about ninety minutes.
a short hop — common phrase for brief journeys
The Lin family planned a weekend hop to Hualien to see the Taroko Gorge for the first time.
With high-speed rail, Taichung to Taipei is just a quick hop before lunch.
The flight attendant worked the Singapore-to-Kuala Lumpur hop twice that morning.
- short haul
more formal term used in aviation for a short flight
- jaunt
a short trip taken for pleasure; slightly more literary
- long haul
a long-distance journey
文法句型
a hop from X to Y
用法筆記
Usually singular. Common in travel contexts. 'A hop' implies the journey is noticeably shorter than typical for that mode of transport. Not used for long international flights.
3. cone-shaped flower clusters from a tall vine, picked after drying and added when
cone-shaped flower clusters from a tall vine, picked after drying and added when making beer to create a sharp, bitter flavour.
Brewers put hops into beer to give it a bitter taste that balances the sweet malt.
put hops into [beer] — standard brewing collocation
The shop near the market sells dried hops for people brewing beer at home.
This pale ale has a strong hop smell that some drinkers find too bitter.
Farmers harvest hops in late summer and dry them before selling to breweries.
用法筆記
Often used in the plural form 'hops' when referring to the dried flowers as a product or ingredient. 'Hop' as an uncountable noun refers to the plant or the substance in general.
4. an informal social event where people gather to dance to popular music, especial
an informal social event where people gather to dance to popular music, especially one held at a school or community centre.
The school gym had balloons and streamers for the annual spring hop on Friday.
annual / spring / school hop — common modifiers
People wore colourful retro clothes for the sixties-themed hop at the community hall.
The local church hosts a family hop every October with live music and snacks.
My grandmother still talks about the hop where she met my grandfather in 1965.
用法筆記
Primarily American English. Now less common than 'dance' or 'prom' for school events, but still used in nostalgic or retro contexts.
hop — adjective
- hoppositive
- hoppercomparative
- hoppestsuperlative
1. connected with the hop plant or its dried flowers, especially in the context of
connected with the hop plant or its dried flowers, especially in the context of growing them or using them to make beer.
The hop fields in the valley stretch for miles, with tall poles covered in climbing green vines.
hop fields / hop plant / hop vine — common attributive uses
This craft beer has a strong hop character that comes from four different varieties of the flower.
The hop farmer showed the visitors the drying barn where the cones are processed.
A good hop harvest depends on the weather during the summer growing months.
用法筆記
Only used attributively before a noun (hop plant, hop harvest, hop industry). Does not appear in predicative position ('this plant is hop'). The noun sense 3 (hops) is much more common than this adjective.