stairs

stairs — noun

1. a row of steps inside a building that joins one floor to the next, letting peopl

1.名詞A1
釋義

a row of steps inside a building that joins one floor to the next, letting people walk between them

例句

Hui ran up the stairs to catch the phone before it stopped ringing.

ran up the stairs — movement verb + up/down + stairs

Evelyn sat on the stairs and waited for her father to come home from work.

同義詞
  • steps

    more general; can be indoors or outdoors, like steps leading to a temple

  • staircase

    the whole structure including the stairs, banisters, and supporting frame

  • stairway

    the passage or shaft that contains the stairs

  • flight

    one unbroken section of stairs between landings

文法句型

always used in the plural form

用法筆記

Always used in the plural form 'stairs' and takes a plural verb. The singular form 'stair' is rare and refers to a single step (see sense 2).

常見錯誤

❌I walked up the stair.
✅I walked up the stairs.
💡When you mean the whole set of steps, 'stairs' must be plural.
❌The stair is very steep.
✅The stairs are very steep.
💡'Stairs' takes a plural verb.

2. one of the flat surfaces that together form a staircase; the place where you put

2.名詞B1
釋義

one of the flat surfaces that together form a staircase; the place where you put your foot when walking up or down

例句

Yael sat on the top stair and tied both of her shoes with care.

the top stair — singular 'stair' for a single step

Every time Anong stepped on the third stair, it let out a loud creak.

同義詞
  • step

    much more common word for a single level in a staircase

  • tread

    technical term for the flat horizontal part of a step

用法筆記

The singular form 'stair' is much less common than 'step' for referring to a single step. Most English speakers use 'step' in everyday speech, and 'stair' mainly appears in contexts where the staircase itself is already the topic.

常見錯誤

❌Be careful on the stair.' (when you mean the whole set)
✅Be careful on the stairs.
💡Use 'stairs' (plural) for the whole structure. Use 'stair' only for one individual step.