dating

dating — 名詞

1. the practice of meeting people socially with the aim of finding a romantic partn

1.名詞A2
釋義

約會

尋找戀愛對象的社交活動

the practice of meeting people socially with the aim of finding a romantic partner, which may include going out for meals, drinks, or other shared activities as a couple

例句

Naoko found the dating scene in Taipei very different from what she knew in Osaka.

Naoko 發現台北的約會文化和她在大阪所熟悉的有很大不同。

collocation: dating scene

Online dating has become a common way for young people to find partners.

網路約會已成為年輕人尋找伴侶的常見方式。

compound noun: online dating

同義詞
  • courtship

    more formal and old-fashioned; suggests a traditional, longer process often leading to marriage

  • seeing someone

    informal phrasal expression; emphasises exclusivity rather than the activity itself

文法句型

dating + noun (e.g. dating app, dating scene)

often in compounds: online dating, speed dating

用法筆記

Uncountable — you cannot say 'a dating' or 'two datings'. Unlike the countable noun 'date' (e.g. 'I had a date'), dating describes the general activity. Subject is usually a person or group of people rather than an institution.

常見錯誤

❌I have a dating tonight.
✅I have a date tonight.
💡'dating' is the general activity; a single planned meeting is a 'date'.
❌He is in a dating with her.
✅He is dating her.' or 'They are in a relationship.
💡'dating' is not used with an article.

2. the use of scientific tests to determine how old an object, material, or place i

2.名詞B2
釋義

年代測定

用科學方法推算物品或地層的年齡

the use of scientific tests to determine how old an object, material, or place is — for example, a fossil, a rock formation, or an ancient building

例句

Carbon dating of the wooden bowl showed it was more than three thousand years old.

對木碗進行的碳十四年代測定顯示，它已有三千多年的歷史。

pattern: carbon dating of [object]

The research team applied radiometric dating techniques to rock samples from the volcano.

研究團隊將輻射測年技術應用在火山岩樣本上。

collocation: radiometric dating techniques

同義詞
  • age determination

    broader term used across many scientific fields; less tied to a specific method

  • radiocarbon dating

    subset of scientific dating that specifically measures carbon-14 decay; only works on organic material

文法句型

[method] + dating (e.g. carbon dating)

dating + of + [object]

用法筆記

Uncountable. Almost always appears with a qualifying method name or modifier (carbon dating, radiometric dating, luminescence dating). When used alone ('dating of the sample'), a scientific context is required for clarity — otherwise readers may default to the romantic sense.

常見錯誤

❌The dating of the fossil was done by checking its size.
✅The dating of the fossil was done using radiometric analysis.
💡scientific dating requires a recognised method, not casual observation.