consonant
consonant — 名詞
1. a sound produced when the breath from your lungs is partly or fully blocked by y
子音；輔音
非母音的語音或字母
a sound produced when the breath from your lungs is partly or fully blocked by your lips, tongue, or teeth, or a written sign that stands for such a sound
The word 'dog' begins with a consonant, but 'apple' starts with a vowel.
單字「dog」以子音開頭，但「apple」以母音開頭。
countable noun; contrasted with vowel
Nicholas found it hard to say the consonant 'th' because his first language does not have that sound.
Nicholas 發現要發出「th」這個子音很困難，因為他的母語沒有這個音。
consonant as a specific speech sound
Children in the class wrote each consonant of the alphabet twice in their notebooks.
班上的小朋友在筆記本上把每個輔音字母練習寫了兩次。
The letter 'y' can act as either a vowel or a consonant depending on its position.
字母「y」可以是母音，也可以是子音，要看它在單字中的位置而定。
Aoi's name starts with a vowel sound, but Emre's name begins with a consonant.
Aoi 的名字以母音開頭，但 Emre 的名字以子音開頭。
- vowel
the other main category of speech sounds, made with an open airflow
常見錯誤
consonant — 形容詞
1. matching or fitting well with a particular idea, system, or set of beliefs; not
一致；相符
與某事物和諧一致
matching or fitting well with a particular idea, system, or set of beliefs; not causing any conflict
The company's new rules were consonant with the values stated in its founding documents.
公司的新規定與創立文件中所陳述的價值觀一致。
be consonant with + noun phrase
Jessica found that the job offer was consonant with her long-term career goals.
Jessica 發現這份工作機會與她的長期職業目標相符。
A policy that harms poor families is not consonant with the idea of fairness.
損害貧困家庭的政策不符合公平的理念。
Ilan's explanation of what happened was not consonant with the evidence the police collected.
Ilan 對事件的解釋與警方收集到的證據不一致。
- consistent
more common in everyday language; 'consonant' is more formal and less frequent
- compatible
emphasises that two things can exist together without problems; 'consonant' suggests a closer, more harmonious fit
- harmonious
more poetic; implies active agreement rather than just the absence of conflict
- inconsistent
direct opposite; far more common than the antonym 'dissonant'
- discordant
stronger; suggests active conflict or clashing
文法句型
be consonant with [noun phrase]
用法筆記
Almost always used with the preposition 'with.' The subject is typically an action, rule, or policy, and the object is typically a principle, value, or standard.
常見錯誤
2. describing a combination of musical notes that sounds pleasant and complete when
和諧；協和
音符組合聽起來悅耳
describing a combination of musical notes that sounds pleasant and complete when played together, because of the way their frequencies relate to each other
Tara preferred consonant chords in her piano pieces, avoiding the sharp sound of dissonance.
Tara 偏好鋼琴曲中和諧的和弦，避免尖銳的不協和音。
contrasted with dissonance
A major third is considered a consonant interval in Western music theory.
在西方音樂理論中，大三度被視為協和音程。
The guitarist played a series of consonant notes that gave the audience a calm, settled feeling.
吉他手彈奏了一連串和諧的音符，讓聽眾感到平靜安穩。
In the piece, the composer moved from a tense dissonant passage into a consonant resolution.
在這首樂曲中，作曲家從緊張的不協和段落進入和諧的解決。
- harmonious
broader in meaning; 'consonant' is the technical term in music theory
- euphonious
describes any pleasing sound; 'consonant' specifically refers to the relationship between notes
- dissonant
the direct opposite; describes notes that create tension or an unstable feeling
用法筆記
Commonly contrasted with 'dissonant' in discussions of harmony. The most consonant intervals are the octave, fifth, and major third.
常見錯誤
3. relating to a pattern in which the same consonant sound appears more than once i
子音重複的
在詩文中重複相同子音
relating to a pattern in which the same consonant sound appears more than once in a line or phrase, especially in poetry or song lyrics
The line 'sweet sleep soft falls' uses a consonant pattern with the repeated 's' sound.
詩句「sweet sleep soft falls」運用了子音重複的手法，反覆出現「s」的聲音。
consonant pattern with repeated [sound]
Lien noticed that the repeated 'l' and 'f' sounds made the poem feel gentle and flowing.
Lien 注意到不斷出現的「l」和「f」音讓這首詩感覺柔和流暢。
Rap lyrics often rely on consonant sounds to create rhythm and energy in the delivery.
饒舌歌詞經常利用子音來創造節奏感和表演的力度。
The poet used a consonant match between 'bright' and 'brave' to link the two ideas.
詩人利用「bright」和「brave」之間相同的子音來連結這兩個概念。
- alliterative
more specific; refers only to repeated sounds at the start of words, whereas 'consonant' can apply to any position
- assonant
refers to repeated vowel sounds rather than consonant sounds
用法筆記
Distinguish from 'alliteration,' which repeats the initial sound of words. 'Consonant' patterns can occur anywhere in a word, not just at the beginning.
常見錯誤
4. producing or having a deep, full, echoing sound that seems to vibrate and last f
共鳴；洪亮
發出深厚迴響的聲音
producing or having a deep, full, echoing sound that seems to vibrate and last for a noticeable time
The old wooden hall had a consonant warmth that made every cello note sound rich and full.
這座老舊的木造大廳有著共鳴的溫暖音色，讓每一下大提琴的音符聽起來都豐厚飽滿。
consonant describing acoustic quality of a space
Maja's voice had a consonant depth that made everyone in the room stop talking to listen.
Maja 的聲音有一種洪亮的深度，讓房間裡每個人都停下來聆聽。
The bell's consonant tone travelled across the whole valley and slowly faded away.
鐘聲那共鳴般的音調傳遍整座山谷，然後緩緩消逝。
Dahlia loved the consonant echo in the stone cave when she sang a single quiet note.
Dahlia 喜歡在石洞中只唱一個輕柔音符時所產生的共鳴迴音。
- dull
describes a sound that is flat and lacks richness or echo
用法筆記
This sense overlaps partially with 'resonant' but is far less common. It typically describes the acoustic quality of a space or an object rather than of the human voice or musical composition.