art

art — 名詞

1. the process of creating things such as pictures, songs, or sculptures, often to

1.名詞A2
釋義

藝術創作

創造美感或表達情感的活動

the process of creating things such as pictures, songs, or sculptures, often to share emotions or to make something pleasing to look at or listen to.

例句

Hana turned to art after her grandmother died, painting flowers every evening.

Hana 在祖母過世後投入藝術，每晚都畫花。

art as an emotional outlet

For Beatriz, art is a way to show what she cannot say with words.

對 Beatriz 來說，藝術是她用來表達說不出口的話的方式。

art as expression: 'a way to'

同義詞
  • creativity

    the underlying ability rather than the activity itself

  • artistry

    stresses the skill behind the creative act

用法筆記

Always uncountable in this sense. Distinguish from sense 2 (focused on visual practice) by its broader scope: any creative making across media counts here.

常見錯誤

❌She studies an art at college.
✅She studies art at college.
💡uncountable; never use 'a/an' before this sense of art.

2. the practical work of painting, drawing, or shaping objects, especially as a hob

2.名詞A2
釋義

美術

繪畫雕塑等視覺創作活動

the practical work of painting, drawing, or shaping objects, especially as a hobby or as something you study at school.

例句

Citlali has been good at art since she was six years old.

Citlali 從六歲起美術就很拿手。

be good at art (school subject usage)

The school cut funding for art and replaced it with extra maths lessons.

學校刪減了美術預算，改用來上更多堂數學。

同義詞
  • painting

    narrower; only the brush-and-paint side

  • drawing

    narrower; only pencil or pen work

用法筆記

Distinguish from sense 1: this sense centres on visual making (paint, pencil, clay) rather than the broader idea of creative expression. Common in school contexts ('art class', 'art teacher').

常見錯誤

❌I have art lesson tomorrow.
✅I have an art lesson tomorrow.
💡though 'art' itself stays uncountable, 'lesson' takes 'a/an'.

3. the actual physical pieces that artists make — for example pictures hanging on w

3.名詞A2
釋義

藝術品

藝術家做出的作品實體

the actual physical pieces that artists make — for example pictures hanging on walls, sculptures in a park, or prints on display.

例句

The walls of Aunt Rosa's flat are covered with art she bought in Mexico.

Aunt Rosa 公寓的牆上掛滿了她在墨西哥買的藝術品。

art as physical objects on display

Thieves stole art worth two million dollars from the gallery last night.

小偷昨晚從畫廊偷走了價值兩百萬美元的藝術品。

art + worth + value

同義詞
  • artwork

    interchangeable; can also be countable as 'an artwork'

  • pieces

    informal short form, usually with 'of art' implied

用法筆記

Refers to the finished objects themselves (paintings, sculptures, prints), not the act of making them (sense 1) or studying them (sense 2). Often paired with verbs of ownership, display, or theft (collect, display, sell, steal).

常見錯誤

❌He owns three arts from that period.
✅He owns three pieces of art from that period.
💡to count, use 'piece(s) of art' or 'artwork(s)'.

4. creative fields like music, theatre, dance, and painting taken together as a who

4.名詞B1
釋義

藝文

音樂戲劇等文化藝術領域總稱

creative fields like music, theatre, dance, and painting taken together as a whole — often the focus of public funding or cultural policy.

例句

The new mayor promised to spend more public money on the arts.

新市長承諾會把更多公共經費投入藝文領域。

spend on the arts (funding context)

Many young people choose careers in the arts despite the low pay.

雖然薪水不高，許多年輕人還是選擇從事藝文工作。

careers in the arts

同義詞
  • culture

    broader; also covers food, customs, beliefs, not only creative output

  • humanities

    academic angle; literature and history rather than performance

反義詞
  • the sciences

    the standard contrast, especially in education and funding talk

文法句型

the arts

用法筆記

Almost always preceded by 'the'. Used as a collective umbrella term covering music, theatre, dance, literature, and visual arts together. Distinguish from sense 5: 'an art' = one specific form; 'the arts' = all of them grouped.

常見錯誤

❌She works in arts.
✅She works in the arts.
💡the definite article is required in this collective sense.

5. a particular type of creative activity that follows its own traditions and metho

5.名詞B2
釋義

一門藝術

有自己傳統與技法的創作類型

a particular type of creative activity that follows its own traditions and methods, such as ballet, opera, or filmmaking.

例句

Calligraphy is an art that takes decades to master, according to Master Wu.

吳師傅說，書法是一門得花上數十年才能精通的藝術。

an art (countable, with article)

At the Paris film school, Professor Leclerc reminded students that cinema is a young art compared to poetry.

在巴黎電影學院，Leclerc 教授提醒學生：和詩相比，電影是一門年輕的藝術。

comparing different arts

同義詞
  • discipline

    broader; covers academic fields too, not just creative ones

  • craft

    stresses skill and tradition, often with practical use

文法句型

a + adjective + art

用法筆記

Countable in this sense — takes 'a/an' or plural 'arts'. Distinguish from sense 4 (the umbrella collective 'the arts'): here you talk about ONE specific named art form (calligraphy, opera, etc.).

常見錯誤

❌Theatre is art.
✅Theatre is an art.
💡when naming one specific art form, you need an article.

6. school or university subjects that focus on language, history, philosophy, and s

6.名詞B1
釋義

文科

語文、歷史等非理科科目

school or university subjects that focus on language, history, philosophy, and similar topics rather than on laboratory science or maths.

例句

Daniel chose the arts because he loved Spanish and history more than chemistry.

Daniel 比起化學更喜歡西班牙文和歷史，所以選了文科。

the arts (school grouping)

Liberal arts students at Brown read widely across many fields.

布朗大學的文科學生會廣泛涉獵各個領域。

liberal arts (collocation)

同義詞
  • humanities

    near-identical in academic talk, often preferred in US universities

  • liberal arts

    American term; broader, includes some social sciences

反義詞
  • sciences

    the standard pairing in school timetables and degree types

用法筆記

Always plural in this sense. Distinguish from sense 4 ('the arts' as creative culture): here the contrast is academic (arts vs sciences) — typical degrees include English, history, philosophy. Common in 'arts faculty', 'arts degree', 'liberal arts'.

常見錯誤

❌He has a Bachelor of Art degree.
✅He has a Bachelor of Arts degree.
💡the academic name is plural.

7. a difficult skill that takes long practice to do really well, especially one tha

7.名詞C1
釋義

高深技藝

需長期練習與直覺的技巧

a difficult skill that takes long practice to do really well, especially one that involves judgement or feeling rather than fixed rules.

例句

During the heated board meeting, Priya showed the art of knowing when to stay quiet.

在那場激烈的董事會議上，Priya 展現了知道何時該保持沉默的高深技藝。

the art of + -ing

Dr. Xander calls listening to patients an art, not a routine task.

Xander 醫師說傾聽病人是一門技藝，不是例行公事。

art vs routine (judgement-based)

同義詞
  • knack

    informal; a quick natural ability, less effortful than 'art'

  • craft

    overlaps; stresses workmanship and learnable rules more than instinct

反義詞
  • science

    contrast: 'science' suggests fixed rules; 'art' suggests intuition

文法句型

the art of + -ing

用法筆記

Countable; almost always singular. The pattern 'the art of + -ing' is fixed and very common. Distinguish from sense 5 (named art forms like opera): here we mean any difficult human skill, often everyday or social.

常見錯誤

❌Negotiating is the art.
✅Negotiating is an art.' or 'Negotiating is the art of give and take.
💡needs an article and usually further specification.

art — 動詞