circulate

circulate — 動詞

1. When a liquid or gas moves steadily through a space or a closed system — for exa

1.動詞及物 / 不及物B1
釋義

循環；流通

液體或氣體在系統內持續流動

When a liquid or gas moves steadily through a space or a closed system — for example, warm air travelling through a building's heating ducts, or blood flowing around the body.

例句

Warm water circulates through the pipes to heat the whole house.

熱水在管線中循環流動，為整棟房子供暖。

circulates through [system] — preposition pattern

The ceiling fan helps the air circulate around the small bedroom.

吊扇幫助空氣在小臥室裡流通。

help + object + infinitive: help the air circulate

同義詞
  • flow

    more general; does not imply a closed system or return to a starting point

  • move around

    less formal and less precise than 'circulate'

反義詞

文法句型

circulate through/around something

circulate something through/in something

用法筆記

Frequently used with prepositions like 'through', 'around', and 'in'. Common in technical contexts such as heating, plumbing, and biology (blood circulation).

常見錯誤

❌The heart circulates the blood to go around the body.
✅The heart circulates blood around the body.
💡'circulate' already implies the movement; adding 'to go' is redundant.

2. When a piece of news, a rumour, a story, or an idea travels through a group of p

2.動詞及物 / 不及物B1
釋義

流傳；散播

消息、故事在人之間傳遞

When a piece of news, a rumour, a story, or an idea travels through a group of people and gradually reaches a large number of them.

例句

A rumour about the factory closure began to circulate among the workers.

關於工廠倒閉的謠言開始在員工之間流傳。

circulate among [group] — passive spread pattern

The video of the stray dog's rescue quickly circulated across social media.

那隻流浪狗獲救的影片迅速在社群媒體上傳播開來。

quickly circulate across [platform] — speed + medium

同義詞
  • spread

    more general; can describe both intentional and unintentional diffusion

  • go around

    informal; often used for rumours or jokes in casual speech

  • get out

    informal; implies that information was meant to be kept secret

反義詞
  • suppress

    to stop information from becoming known

文法句型

circulate among/between people

circulate something to somebody

circulate that...

用法筆記

Often used for rumours, unofficial news, or information that spreads without a clear source. The transitive form implies someone actively passed it on.

常見錯誤

❌The news circulated around quickly.
✅The news circulated quickly.
💡'around' is redundant; 'circulate' already implies movement from person to person.

3. To send a document, a piece of information, or an item to every person in a part

3.動詞及物B2
釋義

分發；傳閱

將文件或物品傳送給群體中的每個人

To send a document, a piece of information, or an item to every person in a particular group — for example, emailing a report to all team members or passing a notice around an office.

例句

The principal circulated the exam schedule to all teachers by Monday morning.

校長在週一早上之前將考試時間表分發給所有老師。

formal: circulated [document] to [group] by [deadline]

Please circulate the updated policy to every department before the end of the week.

請在週末前將更新後的政策傳閱給每個部門。

imperative: please + circulate + object + to [recipient]

同義詞
  • distribute

    more general; can include physical and digital delivery, and may not require each person to see the item

  • send around

    informal; common in office talk

  • pass around

    implies the item goes from person to person physically

文法句型

circulate something to somebody

circulate something among somebody

用法筆記

Mostly used in workplace, academic, or official contexts. The focus is on the sender's deliberate action of ensuring everyone receives the material.

常見錯誤

❌I circulated the whole team the memo.
✅I circulated the memo to the whole team.
💡'circulate' cannot take an indirect object without 'to'.

4. To walk around a social gathering and have brief conversations with many differe

4.動詞不及物B1
釋義

交際；走動

在社交場合中與不同的人交談

To walk around a social gathering and have brief conversations with many different people you meet there — for example, chatting with various guests at a wedding reception or conference dinner.

例句

At the wedding reception, Priya circulated among the tables and chatted with each family.

在婚宴上，Priya 在餐桌之間走動，與各個家庭聊天。

circulated among [group] — social context pattern

The host spent the whole evening circulating and making sure no guest felt left out.

主人整晚都在走動交際，確保沒有賓客感到被冷落。

spend time + circulating — continuous activity pattern

同義詞
  • mingle

    more common in everyday speech; focuses on talking and interacting rather than physical movement

  • socialise

    broader; does not specifically imply moving from person to person

文法句型

circulate among guests/people

circulate at a party/event

用法筆記

Always intransitive. Used exclusively in social settings such as parties, galas, conferences, and receptions. More specific than 'socialise' because it implies moving between people rather than staying in one spot.

常見錯誤

❌He circulated the room.
✅He circulated around the room.' or 'He circulated among the guests.
💡when talking about social mingling, 'circulate' needs a preposition like 'among' or 'around'.