characteristic
characteristic — 名詞
1. A quality or feature that naturally belongs to a particular person, thing, or gr
特徵;特質
某人或某物具辨識度的典型特質
A quality or feature that naturally belongs to a particular person, thing, or group and helps make them recognizable for what they are.
Theo's most noticeable characteristic is his endless curiosity about how machines work.
Theo 最顯著的特徵,就是他對機器運作原理無止盡的好奇心。
possessive + characteristic — describing a person's defining quality
One characteristic of Mediterranean architecture is the use of white walls and terracotta roof tiles.
地中海建築的一大特徵,是使用白色牆壁和陶土屋瓦。
The Watanabe family's generosity is a characteristic that has brought the community together.
渡邊一家的慷慨,是一項把社區凝聚在一起的特質。
Scientists identified a genetic characteristic shared by all members of the citrus plant family.
科學家發現了柑橘類植物所有物種共有的一項遺傳特徵。
文法句型
characteristic + of + noun phrase
用法筆記
Often followed by 'of' to indicate who or what the quality belongs to. The noun is neutral — it does not carry a positive or negative judgment by itself.
常見錯誤
characteristic — 形容詞
1. Showing the qualities that are typical of a particular person, thing, or group a
典型的;特有
顯示某人或某物顯著特質的
Showing the qualities that are typical of a particular person, thing, or group and help set that person or thing apart from others.
It was characteristic of Dr. Okafor to visit every patient personally before surgery.
手術前親自探訪每一位病人,正是 Okafor 醫生一貫的作風。
characteristic of [person] + to-infinitive
The warm, earthy flavours in this stew are characteristic of traditional Korean cooking.
這鍋湯溫暖樸實的風味,是傳統韓國料理的典型特色。
Ravi responded with characteristic patience when the system crashed twice in one day.
系統一天當機兩次時,Ravi 以他一貫的耐心來應對。
The red sandstone cliffs that line the coast are characteristic of this region's geology.
沿岸的紅砂岩峭壁是此地地質的一大典型特徵。
- typical
more common, slightly less formal
- distinctive
emphasizes what makes something different from others
- representative
suggests a sample that stands for a larger category
- uncharacteristic
not typical of someone or something
文法句型
be characteristic of [someone/something]
characteristic + noun
用法筆記
Frequently takes the preposition 'of' in a predicative pattern: '[subject] is characteristic of [someone/something]'. When used attributively before a noun (e.g. 'characteristic smile'), it means the same as 'typical/recognizable'.