leone
leone — noun
1. a country on the west coast of Africa, officially named Sierra Leone; the name i
a country on the west coast of Africa, officially named Sierra Leone; the name is sometimes shortened to 'Leone' in informal or journalistic use, especially when the context makes the reference clear.
Christopher spent three years working as a teacher in Leone before moving to Ghana.
short form of Sierra Leone in context
The civil war in Leone during the 1990s displaced millions of people.
Soraya read a news report about the recent elections in Leone.
Jude's grandmother fled Leone during the war and settled in London.
- Sierra Leone
the full, official name; always preferred in formal contexts
文法句型
the Leone
in/from Leone
用法筆記
This shortened form is much less common than the full name 'Sierra Leone'. Learners should use 'Sierra Leone' in formal writing and speech.
2. the official currency of Sierra Leone; one leone is made up of one hundred cents
the official currency of Sierra Leone; one leone is made up of one hundred cents, though high inflation means cent coins are rarely seen in daily use.
Ilan exchanged fifty dollars for about five hundred thousand leones at the bank in Freetown.
countable: leones (plural form)
The market vendor asked for two thousand leones for a bag of rice.
used with numbers in everyday transactions
Walid noticed that the leone had lost value against the dollar over the past year.
Greta checked the exchange rate and saw that one US dollar was worth over twelve thousand leones.
文法句型
number + leone(s)
leone note/coin
用法筆記
The plural form is either 'leone' or 'leones', with 'leone' being more common in everyday Sierra Leonean English. Because of high inflation, prices are typically quoted in thousands of leones.
常見錯誤
⚠️ 'leones' (e.g. 'five hundred thousand leones') is the standard international written plural, while 'leone' as a plural ('two thousand leone') is common in everyday Sierra Leonean speech. Both are acceptable; choose based on context.