bass

bass — 名詞

1. the deep end of the musical scale, covering the notes that sound lowest whether

1.名詞B2
釋義

低音聲部

音樂中音域最低的部分

the deep end of the musical scale, covering the notes that sound lowest whether they are played on instruments or sung by voices.

例句

The cellos and tubas carry the bass through the slow opening movement.

大提琴與低音號在緩慢的開頭樂章撐起整個低音聲部。

uncountable: carry / play the bass

Mr. Park taught the choir how to keep the bass steady under the melody.

Park 老師教合唱團如何在主旋律下方穩穩維持低音聲部。

bass under / beneath the melody

同義詞
  • low end

    informal; often used by sound engineers

  • bottom end

    casual studio talk for the lowest part of the mix

反義詞
  • treble

    the high end of the musical range; direct opposite

用法筆記

Almost always uncountable in this sense. Distinguish from sense 2 (a particular male singer) and sense 3 (low frequencies coming from a speaker).

常見錯誤

❌I love the basses of this song.
✅I love the bass of this song.
💡for the low range of music, bass is uncountable, not pluralised.

2. a male singer whose natural voice reaches the very lowest notes a man can comfor

2.名詞B2
釋義

男低音

音域最低的成年男聲歌手

a male singer whose natural voice reaches the very lowest notes a man can comfortably produce, or that voice itself.

例句

Greta has been singing as a bass in the church choir since she was sixteen.

Greta 從十六歲就在教會合唱團裡擔任男低音。

sing as a bass

The opera house hired a Russian bass to perform the role of the king.

歌劇院聘請了一位俄羅斯男低音來演唱國王這個角色。

hire / cast a bass

同義詞
  • basso

    Italian-origin term used in opera contexts

  • bass-baritone

    narrower; a singer who covers both bass and lower baritone

反義詞
  • tenor

    the high adult male voice

  • soprano

    the high adult female voice

用法筆記

Countable. Refers only to adult male voices; the female equivalent is contralto. Distinguish from sense 1, where bass is uncountable and refers to the part rather than the singer.

常見錯誤

❌She sings bass in the choir.
✅She sings alto in the choir.
💡bass labels the lowest male voice; women use alto or contralto for low parts.

3. the deep, rumbling sound that comes out of a stereo, headphones, or other audio

3.名詞B1
釋義

低音；重低音

音響或耳機輸出的低頻聲音

the deep, rumbling sound that comes out of a stereo, headphones, or other audio equipment when low frequencies are played.

例句

Priya turned up the bass until the floor of her apartment started to shake.

Priya 把重低音轉大，直到整間公寓的地板開始震動。

turn up / down the bass

These cheap earbuds have almost no bass, so songs sound flat.

這款便宜的耳塞式耳機幾乎沒什麼低音，歌聽起來很扁平。

have / lack bass (audio quality)

同義詞
  • low frequencies

    technical audio-engineering term for the same thing

  • lows

    shortened, common in producer and DJ talk

反義詞
  • treble

    the high-frequency output of a speaker

用法筆記

Always uncountable. Pairs naturally with treble (high frequencies). Distinguish from sense 1: this sense is about the sound a device produces, not the musical part being performed.

常見錯誤

❌My phone speaker has good basses.
✅My phone speaker has good bass.
💡for audio output, bass takes no plural even when describing multiple devices.

4. a tall, four-stringed electric guitar tuned an octave below a normal one, used i

4.名詞B1
釋義

貝斯；電貝斯

四弦低音的電吉他

a tall, four-stringed electric guitar tuned an octave below a normal one, used in bands to lock in with the drums and add a deep pulse.

例句

Jamal bought a second-hand bass and started practising in his bedroom every night.

Jamal 買了一把二手貝斯，開始每天晚上在房間裡練習。

buy / play a bass (countable)

The bass holds the rhythm together while the guitarist improvises a solo.

貝斯穩住整個節奏，讓吉他手可以即興獨奏。

the bass holds the rhythm

同義詞

用法筆記

Often shortened from 'bass guitar'. Like other instruments, it is uncountable after 'play' (play bass) but countable when referring to a specific instrument (bought a bass, two basses on stage).

常見錯誤

❌He plays the bass guitar with six strings.
✅He plays bass guitar with four strings.
💡a standard bass has four strings, not six (five- and six-string basses exist but are not the default).

5. the biggest bowed string instrument in an orchestra, often taller than the playe

5.名詞B2
釋義

低音提琴

提琴家族中體型最大的低音樂器

the biggest bowed string instrument in an orchestra, often taller than the player, that produces the deepest notes among the violin's relatives.

例句

Two musicians struggled to load the bass into the back of a small van.

兩位樂手吃力地把低音提琴搬進一台小貨車的後車廂。

load / carry a bass (large instrument)

The jazz bass at the back of the stage gave the band its warm, walking rhythm.

舞台後方的爵士低音提琴為樂團撐起溫暖的搖擺律動。

jazz bass (acoustic upright in jazz)

同義詞
  • double bass

    the unambiguous full name; preferred in classical contexts

  • upright bass

    common in jazz and folk to distinguish from the electric bass

  • contrabass

    formal term used in orchestral scores

用法筆記

Often called the double bass or upright bass to distinguish from the electric bass guitar in sense 4. Players either bow it (classical) or pluck it (jazz).

常見錯誤

❌She carried the small bass on her shoulder.
✅She carried the small cello on her shoulder.
💡a double bass is too tall to carry on a shoulder; learners often confuse it with the cello.

6. any of several spiny-finned fish, found both in the sea and in lakes and rivers,

6.名詞B2
釋義

鱸魚

棲於海洋與淡水的可食用魚類

any of several spiny-finned fish, found both in the sea and in lakes and rivers, that anglers catch for sport and people cook as a meal.

例句

Diego caught two large bass at the lake before sunrise on Saturday.

Diego 星期六日出之前在湖邊釣到了兩條大鱸魚。

catch a bass / two bass (zero plural)

The chef grilled the bass with lemon, garlic, and a sprig of fresh rosemary.

主廚用檸檬、大蒜和一小束新鮮迷迭香把鱸魚烤熟。

grill / fry / bake bass

同義詞
  • sea bass

    the saltwater varieties, common on restaurant menus

  • largemouth

    informal short name for largemouth bass, popular with US anglers

用法筆記

This sense is pronounced /bæs/ (rhymes with 'gas'), unlike the music senses which are pronounced /beɪs/ (rhymes with 'face'). The plural is usually 'bass' (zero plural), not 'basses'.

常見錯誤

❌We caught five basses yesterday.
✅We caught five bass yesterday.
💡like 'fish' and 'deer', the fish sense of bass keeps the same form in the plural.

bass — 形容詞