pal

pal — noun

1. someone you know well and like spending time with, especially in a relaxed and c

1.名詞B1
釋義

someone you know well and like spending time with, especially in a relaxed and casual way.

例句

Marcus invited a few old pals over to watch the football match.

collocation: old pal

Lina has been my best pal since we shared a desk in primary school.

collocation: best pal

同義詞
  • friend

    neutral register; works in any context

  • buddy

    informal, mostly American; similar warmth

  • mate

    informal, mainly British and Australian

  • chum

    old-fashioned and slightly playful

反義詞

文法句型

pal of [someone]

[possessive] pal

用法筆記

Informal register — common in spoken English and casual writing, less suitable for formal essays or business emails. Often modified by 'old', 'best', 'good', or 'close'.

常見錯誤

❌I would like to introduce my pal Mr. Tanaka in this report.
✅I would like to introduce my colleague Mr. Tanaka in this report.
💡'pal' is too casual for formal writing; use 'friend', 'colleague', or 'associate' instead.

2. a word used when calling out to an unknown man — occasionally with warmth, thoug

2.名詞B2
釋義

a word used when calling out to an unknown man — occasionally with warmth, though more often with irritation when he is doing something that bothers you.

例句

Back off, pal — that parking space belongs to my mother.

hostile vocative followed by a warning

Hey pal, you dropped your wallet by the bench.

friendly vocative to a stranger

同義詞
  • buddy

    American equivalent, same range from friendly to hostile

  • mate

    British/Australian; usually friendlier than 'pal'

  • mister

    more neutral, often used by children to a stranger

文法句型

used vocatively: '..., pal.'

用法筆記

Used vocatively (calling out to someone), almost always to a male stranger. Tone depends entirely on context: a soft 'hey pal' can be warm, while 'listen, pal' before a complaint is confrontational. Distinguish from sense 1, which names a friend rather than addresses a stranger.

常見錯誤

❌Hello, pal Mr. Wilson, please sit down.
✅Hello, Mr. Wilson, please sit down.
💡this 'pal' replaces a name; you do not stack it with one.
❌Excuse me, pal,' she said to the elderly woman.
✅Excuse me, ma'am,' she said to the elderly woman.
💡this sense is used to men only.

pal — verb