practise
practise — verb
1. to repeat an activity many times so that your ability improves — for example, pr
to repeat an activity many times so that your ability improves — for example, practising the violin every day before a concert, or practising a dance routine until you remember every step without thinking.
Liang practises the piano for an hour every evening before dinner.
practise + instrument noun phrase
The choir meets twice a week to practise songs for the spring concert.
practise + songs (object is the thing being prepared)
Apinya spent the whole afternoon practising her presentation in front of the bathroom mirror.
Have you practised your free throws? the basketball coach asked the team.
Otis needs to practise writing essays if he wants to pass the exam in June.
- rehearse
Specifically for preparing a performance (play, speech, concert) rather than general skill-building
- train
Focuses on building physical or mental ability over time, often with a coach or plan
- drill
Repeating the same short routine until it becomes automatic, common in military or classroom settings
文法句型
practise + noun phrase (practise the piano)
practise + verb-ing (practise speaking English)
practise (alone, intransitive) (The team practises on Tuesdays.)
用法筆記
In British English the verb is spelled practise and the noun is practice. In American English both the verb and noun are spelled practice.
常見錯誤
2. to do the work of a skilled profession that requires a special qualification and
to do the work of a skilled profession that requires a special qualification and official permission to operate — for example, a doctor practising medicine at the county hospital, or a lawyer practising law in a small firm in Tainan.
Dr. Adina Chen has practised medicine at the city hospital for over fifteen years.
After the bar exam, Andrew plans to practise law at a small firm in Taichung.
practise + law (profession noun)
Maeve's grandfather practised dentistry in the same small town for forty years.
The clinic wants a young doctor to practise both Western and traditional medicine.
- work as
More general; works for any job, not just licensed professions
- be engaged in
More formal, used in official contexts (be engaged in the practice of law)
- pursue
Emphasises the career path rather than the daily work
文法句型
practise + profession (medicine / law / dentistry / architecture)
用法筆記
This sense is used almost exclusively with a profession noun (medicine, law, dentistry, architecture, psychology, veterinary medicine). It is NOT used for general jobs such as teaching, engineering, or nursing, even though those also require training.
常見錯誤
3. to make a particular activity a regular part of your life, especially because of
to make a particular activity a regular part of your life, especially because of your beliefs, culture, or personal rules — for example, a family that practises vegetarianism for religious reasons, or a community that practises traditional weaving methods that have been handed down for centuries.
The Wang family practises vegetarianism as part of their Buddhist beliefs.
Yasmin practises meditation for ten minutes every morning to start her day calmly.
practise + meditation (belief-linked habit)
Many people in the village still practise the traditional craft of basket weaving.
Salma and her friends practise yoga in the park every Sunday at sunrise.
Indigenous communities around the world practise ceremonies that date back hundreds of years.
文法句型
practise + belief/activity noun (practise Buddhism, practise yoga)
practise + verb-ing (practise meditation, practise giving to charity)
用法筆記
The activity named after practise in this sense is typically meaningful in a cultural, spiritual, or ethical way. Unlike sense 1 (repeated to improve), the point here is about regular observance, not skill development. Unlike sense 2, the object is a custom or belief, not a profession.