directly

directly — 副詞

1. happening with no other person, thing, or step coming between — for example, goi

1.副詞B1
釋義

直接地

沒有中間人或事物介入

happening with no other person, thing, or step coming between — for example, going from one place to another without stopping, or dealing with someone rather than through another person.

例句

Ayana sent the application directly to the university admissions office.

Ayana 直接把申請表寄到大學招生辦公室。

directly to [person/place] — no intermediary

We flew directly from Taipei to San Francisco without any stopovers.

我們從台北直飛舊金山，中途沒有任何停留。

travel route: directly from [place A] to [place B]

同義詞
  • straight

    more informal; used mainly for physical movement ('go straight home')

  • immediately

    can overlap but focuses on time rather than the absence of intermediaries

反義詞
  • indirectly

    through an intermediary or by a roundabout route

  • through

    as in 'through an agent' or 'via someone else'

文法句型

directly + [preposition]

directly + [past participle]

用法筆記

This is the most common sense of 'directly'. It works with verbs of movement (go, come, fly), communication (speak, send, report), and physical placement.

常見錯誤

❌I contacted to him directly.
✅I contacted him directly.
💡'contact' is a transitive verb and does not take 'to'.
❌She went directly at the store.
✅She went directly to the store.
💡'directly' pairs with 'to', not 'at', for destinations.

2. saying what you think in an open, truthful way, without trying to soften your wo

2.副詞B2
釋義

坦率地

坦誠直言，即使可能讓人不好受

saying what you think in an open, truthful way, without trying to soften your words — even if what you say might upset someone.

例句

Indra asked her manager directly whether she would receive a pay raise.

Indra 直接問主管她是否會獲得加薪。

ask + directly + [reported question]

The nurse told Heather directly that the test results showed nothing serious.

護士坦率地告訴 Heather，檢查結果沒有大礙。

tell + directly + [that-clause]

同義詞
  • frankly

    nearly identical; 'frankly' is often used as a sentence adverb ('Frankly, I was shocked')

  • openly

    stresses a lack of secrecy rather than blunt honesty

  • candidly

    slightly more formal, suggesting honest disclosure

反義詞
  • indirectly

    hinting or implying rather than stating plainly

  • evasively

    avoiding giving a direct answer

文法句型

speak/tell/ask + directly + [about something]

directly + [clause] (as a sentence adverb)

用法筆記

Often used for giving opinions or unpleasant feedback. It suggests courage rather than rudeness — the speaker is being honest, not harsh.

常見錯誤

❌He spoke me directly about the problem.
✅He spoke to me directly about the problem.
💡'speak' requires 'to' before the person you are addressing.
❌Directly, your work is not good enough.' (sentence adverb position is rare for this sense)
✅I am telling you directly that your work is not good enough.
💡Better to pair 'directly' with a verb.

3. without any wait or pause; at once — used when one action happens in the same in

3.副詞B1
釋義

立即

沒有遲延地

without any wait or pause; at once — used when one action happens in the same instant as something else or without a gap.

例句

When the fire alarm went off, everyone left the building directly.

火災警報一響，所有人立即離開了建築物。

action without delay: [event] + directly

Lukas called the emergency services directly after he saw the car crash.

Lukas 看到車禍後立即打了緊急電話。

temporal sequence: directly after [noun phrase]

同義詞
  • immediately

    identical in meaning; more common in both BrE and AmE

  • instantly

    stresses an even shorter gap — the action happens in an instant

  • right away

    informal, common in spoken English

反義詞
  • eventually

    suggests a delay or a longer gap

  • later

    at some point after, not immediately

文法句型

directly + [past simple verb] (past action)

directly + after + [clause]

常見錯誤

❌I directly went home after the party.' (non-standard word order)
✅I went directly home after the party.
💡In standard English, 'directly' usually follows the main verb, not the subject.

4. after a very short amount of time; in the near future — often used to say that s

4.副詞B2
釋義

很快

不久之後就要發生

after a very short amount of time; in the near future — often used to say that something is about to happen.

例句

The train will arrive directly, so please stand behind the yellow line.

火車很快就會進站，請站在黃線後面。

future event: will + [verb] + directly

Wei promised to join us directly after finishing his phone call.

Wei 答應打完電話後馬上來找我們。

temporal sequence: directly after [gerund]

同義詞
  • shortly

    common in both British and American English; less ambiguous

  • presently

    more formal and slightly dated

  • in a moment

    colloquial phrase, especially in British English

反義詞

文法句型

directly + [verb] (future event)

directly + after/before + [noun]

用法筆記

This sense is most common in British English. In American English, 'directly' is rarely used to mean 'soon' — speakers prefer 'shortly' or 'in a moment'.

常見錯誤

❌I will be there directly.' (ambiguous — could mean 'soon' or 'immediately')
✅I will be there shortly.
💡To avoid confusion, use 'shortly' in American English or add context like 'directly after work'.

directly — 連接詞