beg

beg — 動詞

1. to ask for something in a deeply anxious or emotional way

1.動詞及物 / 不及物B2
釋義

懇求；哀求

很急切地請求

to ask for something in a deeply anxious or emotional way

例句

Yara begged the nurse to let her see her father.

Yara 懇求護士讓她去看父親。

beg somebody to do something

At the border, the hikers begged for water and dry socks.

在邊境，這群健行客苦苦哀求，希望有人給他們水和乾襪子。

beg for + noun

同義詞
  • plead

    close in meaning and common when someone is under emotional pressure

  • implore

    more intense and more formal or literary

  • ask

    much more neutral and not necessarily desperate

反義詞
  • demand

    suggests force or authority instead of humble urgency

文法句型

beg for something

beg somebody for something

beg somebody to do something

beg + direct speech

用法筆記

Only sense that commonly takes patterns like beg for something, beg somebody to do something, or direct speech. Distinguish from sense 2, where the speaker is asking for charity because of poverty.

常見錯誤

❌Yara begged the nurse let her see her father.
✅Yara begged the nurse to let her see her father.
💡after beg + object, English normally uses to + verb.

2. to seek food, money, or small help from strangers when you have nothing

2.動詞及物 / 不及物B2
釋義

乞討

因貧困向人要錢食物

to seek food, money, or small help from strangers when you have nothing

例句

Outside the station, an old man begged for coins in the rain.

車站外，一名老人在雨中乞討零錢。

beg for + money

After losing his job, Ken begged money from strangers near the bridge.

失業後，Ken 在橋邊向陌生人乞討錢財。

beg money from somebody

同義詞
  • panhandle

    American informal and usually about asking strangers in public for money

  • cadge

    informal and can mean getting things by asking without paying

  • solicit

    formal and broader, not always about poverty

文法句型

beg for money

beg for food

beg money from somebody

beg in the street

用法筆記

Subject is usually a poor or homeless person, and the thing asked for is often money, food, or small daily help. Distinguish from sense 1, which covers urgent requests in many situations and is not limited to charity.

常見錯誤

❌The old man begged to the passengers for money.
✅The old man begged the passengers for money.
💡beg can take a person directly before for + thing.

3. of a dog, to sit up with its front paws raised while waiting for food

3.動詞不及物
釋義

作揖

狗抬起前腳討吃的

of a dog, to sit up with its front paws raised while waiting for food

例句

When Nora held up a biscuit, the puppy begged at once.

Nora 一拿起餅乾，小狗立刻作揖。

a dog begs for food

At the pet show, three small dogs begged for treats together.

寵物展上，三隻小狗一起作揖討零食。

同義詞
  • sit up

    common everyday wording in dog training

  • sit pretty

    a training phrase for the same raised-paws position

文法句型

a dog begs

beg on its back legs

用法筆記

Usually used of trained dogs in home or show contexts. It often appears with words that describe treats, tables, or the dog's back legs.

4. said politely when you want to apologize or ask someone to repeat something

4.動詞
釋義

抱歉；請重說

客氣道歉或請人重說

said politely when you want to apologize or ask someone to repeat something

例句

"Beg your pardon, Mrs. Lin, I stepped on your bag."

「抱歉，Mrs. Lin，我踩到你的包包了。」

spoken apology: beg your pardon

"Beg your pardon?" the clerk asked through the noisy glass.

隔著吵雜的玻璃，店員問道：「請重說一次？」

asking someone to repeat

同義詞
  • sorry

    the usual everyday word, especially when asking someone to repeat

  • pardon

    a shorter version with the same polite function

  • excuse me

    often used before interrupting or attracting attention, not only after a problem

文法句型

beg your pardon

beg pardon

用法筆記

Fixed spoken formula, usually beg your pardon or beg pardon. Distinguish from sense 5: this sense is polite or apologetic, while sense 5 sounds offended.

常見錯誤

❌Beg your pardon to repeat?
✅Beg your pardon?' / 'Could you repeat that?
💡this expression works as a set spoken formula, not as beg + to-infinitive.

5. said sharply to show that another person's words seem rude or insulting

5.動詞
釋義

你說什麼

帶怒氣表示被冒犯

said sharply to show that another person's words seem rude or insulting

例句

"I beg your pardon?" Aunt May said after the rude joke.

「你說什麼？」Aunt May 聽到那個無禮笑話後說。

offended reaction

"Beg your pardon?" the driver snapped when Max called him lazy.

Max 說司機懶惰時，司機回嗆：「你說什麼？」

spoken formula with anger

同義詞
  • what

    much blunter and less polite

  • excuse me

    can also show offence, but often sounds less formal

  • how dare you

    far stronger and openly confrontational

文法句型

I beg your pardon?

beg your pardon?

用法筆記

Fixed spoken formula, often with strong stress on pardon. Distinguish from sense 4: this use challenges what was said, instead of apologizing or neutrally asking for repetition.