able
able — 形容詞
1. having what you need to do something — for example the strength, knowledge, time
能夠；有能力
具備做某事所需的條件
having what you need to do something — for example the strength, knowledge, time, money, or chance — so that doing it is possible for you.
Bram was able to lift the heavy box because she trains at the gym every morning.
瑪雅每天早上都去健身房訓練，所以她能夠搬起那個重箱子。
be able to + verb showing physical capability
After three months of lessons, Wen is finally able to read short stories in Spanish.
上了三個月的課之後，卡洛斯終於能夠閱讀西班牙文短篇故事了。
be able to + verb after gaining a skill
The Watanabe family were not able to attend the wedding because of the typhoon.
渡邊一家因為颱風而沒能參加婚禮。
Will you be able to pick up the kids from school on Friday afternoon?
你星期五下午能夠去學校接小孩嗎？
Nobody was able to answer the teacher's last question.
沒有人能夠回答老師最後一道問題。
文法句型
be able to + verb
able to do something
用法筆記
Predicative only — cannot stand before a noun in this sense. You say 'she is able to swim' but not 'an able to swim girl'. Past form 'was/were able to' often replaces 'could' when reporting one specific success rather than a general capacity.
常見錯誤
2. to do something with less difficulty than before, usually after some change in y
更易做到
在某種改變之後做某事變得更容易
to do something with less difficulty than before, usually after some change in your situation that makes the task smoother.
With her new glasses, Grandma Lin is much better able to read the newspaper at breakfast.
戴上新眼鏡後，林奶奶在早餐時間更容易看清楚報紙了。
comparative: better able to + verb
After moving closer to the office, Theo is more able to spend evenings with his children.
搬到離公司比較近的地方之後，馬可仕更能夠陪小孩度過晚上時光。
more able to + verb
Quiet classrooms help shy students feel better able to ask their teacher for help.
安靜的教室能讓害羞的學生更容易向老師求助。
Once the road reopened, the village was again able to receive fresh supplies twice a week.
道路一恢復通行，村莊又能夠每週兩次收到新鮮物資了。
- better placed to
stresses that the situation, not the person, has improved
- in a better position to
more formal phrasing for the same idea
- less able to
the comparative opposite within the same pattern
文法句型
be better able to + verb
be more able to + verb
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1: this sense almost always appears with 'better', 'more', 'less', or 'again', signalling a change that has made the action easier than it was. Plain 'be able to' without one of these markers belongs to sense 1.
常見錯誤
3. clever and good at a job — used as a quiet compliment to describe someone whose
能幹；幹練
聰明且工作表現優異的
clever and good at a job — used as a quiet compliment to describe someone whose work is reliably of high quality.
Dr. Sven is an able surgeon whose patients travel from across the country to see her.
田中醫師是一位能幹的外科醫師，病患從全國各地遠道而來找她看診。
attributive: an able + profession noun
The new mayor surrounded herself with able advisers who knew the city well.
新任市長身邊網羅了一群熟悉這座城市的幹練幕僚。
attributive plural: able + people noun
Few writers are abler than Morrison at painting a whole family in a single paragraph.
在用一個段落就勾勒出整個家族這方面，少有作家比莫里森更為出色。
The school lost one of its ablest teachers when Mr. Park retired last summer.
去年夏天朴老師退休時，學校失去了一位最幹練的老師。
- incompetent
stronger; suggests work falls below an acceptable level
- inept
formal; stresses clumsy or awkward performance
文法句型
an able + noun
用法筆記
Attributive only — placed before a noun, never after a linking verb in this sense. 'She is able' means sense 1 (she can do it), not 'she is skilful'. Common with profession nouns: lawyer, manager, teacher, leader, scholar.
常見錯誤
able — 字尾
1. a word ending joined to a verb to make an adjective meaning that the thing descr
可…的
表示「可以被…的」之形容詞字尾
a word ending joined to a verb to make an adjective meaning that the thing described can have the verb's action done to it — for example, 'washable' clothes are clothes you can wash.
The cushion covers are washable, so coffee spills are not a disaster at our dinner parties.
椅墊套是可水洗的，所以我們的晚餐聚會就算打翻咖啡也不算什麼大災難。
wash + -able = can be washed
Rashida chose a recyclable lunchbox to take to her first day at the new office.
莉娜為新公司的第一天挑了一個可回收的便當盒。
recycle + -able = can be recycled
The doctor said the small lump on his shoulder was harmless and easily removable.
醫生說他肩膀上那個小腫塊沒有大礙，而且很容易切除。
Most plastic forks at the festival were not biodegradable, which upset the local volunteers.
節慶上多數塑膠叉都不是可生物分解的，這讓當地的志工很難過。
- -ible
same meaning; used mostly on Latin roots (visible, edible)
- un- + verb + -able
the negative form (unbreakable, unreadable)
文法句型
verb + -able → adjective
用法筆記
Often spelled '-ible' on roots taken from Latin (visible, edible, audible). For verbs ending in silent 'e', drop the 'e' before adding '-able' (move → movable, like → likable), though some words keep it (changeable, noticeable) to protect a soft 'g' or 'c' sound.
常見錯誤
2. a word ending joined to a verb to make an adjective meaning that the thing descr
值得…的
表示「值得被…的」之形容詞字尾
a word ending joined to a verb to make an adjective meaning that the thing described deserves the verb's action — for example, a 'lovable' puppy is one that deserves to be loved.
The new puppy at the shelter has soft brown ears and a lovable face.
收容所新來的小狗有一對柔軟的棕色耳朵，還有一張惹人疼愛的臉。
love + -able = deserving to be loved
Aunt Rosa made a memorable speech at the wedding that the whole family still quotes.
蘿莎阿姨在婚禮上發表了一段令人難忘的致詞，全家人到現在還會引用。
memory/remember + -able = worth remembering
The little café near the station serves a very respectable breakfast for the price.
車站附近那家小咖啡館，以這個價位來說提供的早餐相當值得稱許。
Theo thought the old film was laughable rather than scary.
馬可仕覺得那部老電影與其說恐怖，不如說可笑。
- -worthy
similar meaning of deserving (praiseworthy, trustworthy, noteworthy)
- un- + verb + -able
the negative form (unforgivable, unforgettable)
文法句型
verb + -able → adjective
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1: in sense 1 the action is simply possible (a 'readable' file = one a computer can open); in sense 2 the action is deserved or recommended (a 'readable' novel = one worth reading). Many '-able' words sit in both senses depending on context.