transferable
transferable — adjective
1. describes something such as a ticket, a document, or a legal right that can be g
describes something such as a ticket, a document, or a legal right that can be given or sold to another person so that the new owner may use or hold it
Adina's train ticket was non-transferable, so she could not give it to a friend.
collocation: non-transferable ticket
The lease on the apartment is transferable to family members if the tenant moves out.
passive: be transferable to [person/party]
Kofi bought a transferable concert pass that he could resell online if his schedule changed.
The software license is not transferable without the original owner's written permission.
Christopher received a transferable voucher that any member of the travel group could use.
- negotiable
narrower — used only for financial instruments such as cheques or promissory notes; not for tickets or licenses
- assignable
formal — applies to contracts, intellectual property, or leases that require a written assignment document
- conveyable
very narrow — used almost exclusively for real estate property transferred by a formal deed
- non-transferable
the direct opposite; cannot be given or sold to another person
文法句型
transferable + noun
non-transferable + noun
用法筆記
Frequently appears in the negative form non-transferable, especially on tickets, licenses, and official documents where the original purchaser is the only authorised user.
常見錯誤
2. describes a skill, qualification, or form of experience that stays useful when a
describes a skill, qualification, or form of experience that stays useful when applied to a different job, role, or area from the one where it was first developed
The management skills Emre learned in the army are transferable to many business roles.
collocation: transferable skills
Jenna discovered that her classroom teaching skills are transferable to corporate training positions.
pattern: be transferable to [different context]
Élise's patient-care skills as a nurse were highly transferable when she moved into healthcare consulting.
The language proficiency Hao gained in Shanghai proved transferable to his new job in Toronto.
When the factory closed, Bilal used his transferable problem-solving skills to retrain as a logistics manager.
- portable
informal — often used in the phrase 'portable skills'; emphasises that the skill stays useful when you move
- applicable
broader — can describe rules, methods, or ideas; less specific to employment contexts
- adaptable
focuses on the person's ability to adjust the skill, not on the skill's inherent usefulness elsewhere
- job-specific
describes a skill that only works in one particular role or industry
文法句型
transferable + noun
be transferable to + noun
用法筆記
The most common collocation is transferable skills, frequently used in career-change and professional-development contexts. The noun transferability is also common in this sense: 'the transferability of her qualifications'.
常見錯誤
3. describes a disease or medical condition that can pass from one living being to
describes a disease or medical condition that can pass from one living being to another, typically through direct contact, contaminated surfaces, or airborne particles
The flu virus is transferable through droplets when an infected person coughs nearby.
collocation: transferable through [medium]
Ritu was told that the skin infection is transferable by sharing towels or clothing.
passive: be transferable by [action]
Some diseases are transferable from animals to humans through bites or close contact.
The clinic posted warning signs that the illness is transferable in crowded indoor spaces.
- contagious
more common in everyday language; emphasises easy spread through casual contact
- infectious
formal medical term; emphasises the pathogen's ability to enter and multiply in a host
- communicable
formal — used in public health contexts, e.g. 'communicable disease report'
- non-communicable
medical term for diseases that cannot be passed between people, e.g. diabetes or heart disease
文法句型
be transferable through + noun
be transferable by + noun
用法筆記
Distinguish from senses 1 and 2 — this sense is restricted to diseases, pathogens, and medical conditions. Common synonyms include contagious, infectious, and communicable, though transferable places more emphasis on the mechanism of passing rather than on the ease of catching it.