beneath

beneath — 介系詞

1. at a level lower than another person or thing, sometimes right under it.

1.介系詞B2
釋義

在底下

位於某人或某物較低處

at a level lower than another person or thing, sometimes right under it.

例句

A metal box lay beneath the wooden stairs in the hall.

一個金屬盒躺在走廊木樓梯的底下。

beneath + noun for a lower physical position

Snow still covered the grass beneath the pine trees.

雪仍覆蓋著松樹底下的草地。

同義詞
  • below

    close in meaning, but usually more neutral and common

  • under

    the everyday choice, especially when one thing is directly covered by another

  • underneath

    often stresses being hidden or tucked under something

反義詞
  • above

    the direct opposite for vertical position

  • over

    common opposite when talking about something higher

文法句型

beneath + noun

用法筆記

More formal than 'under' or 'below'. It is especially common in writing and in descriptive speech about where something is.

常見錯誤

❌The bags are beneath of the bench.
✅The bags are beneath the bench.
💡do not add 'of' after 'beneath'.

2. used for something seen as too low, rude, or unimportant for a person.

2.介系詞C2
釋義

有失身分

低到不合其身分或品格

used for something seen as too low, rude, or unimportant for a person.

例句

Linnea felt that copying homework was beneath her.

Linnea 覺得抄作業這種事有失身分。

be beneath + person for moral judgment

Cheap jokes about students are beneath a school principal.

拿學生開低級玩笑，有失校長身分。

同義詞
  • unworthy of

    a clear modern equivalent in formal writing

  • too low for

    more direct and less formal

  • below

    possible, but much rarer than 'beneath' in this meaning

反義詞
  • worthy of

    expresses the positive idea directly

  • suited to

    focuses on being appropriate rather than too low

文法句型

be beneath + person

be beneath + abstract noun

用法筆記

Usually follows a form of 'be'. Common objects are a person's name or pronoun, or nouns such as 'notice', 'contempt', and 'dignity'.

常見錯誤

❌This work is beneath for me.
✅This work is beneath me.
💡the person comes directly after 'beneath'.

beneath — 副詞