discourse

discourse — 名詞

1. serious conversation or debate in which people exchange ideas and arguments, oft

1.名詞B2
釋義

討論；辯論

針對重要議題的意見交流

serious conversation or debate in which people exchange ideas and arguments, often about important social, political, or academic matters.

例句

A healthy discourse between opposing political parties is essential for any functioning democracy.

對立政黨之間進行健康的對話，對任何運作正常的民主制度都至關重要。

discourse + between [participants]

The conference provided a space for open discourse on human rights issues in the region.

該會議為該地區人權議題提供了公開討論的空間。

同義詞
  • debate

    more structured and often oppositional; discourse can be cooperative

  • dialogue

    emphasizes two-way exchange; discourse can be one-directional

  • discussion

    less formal and more common in everyday use

文法句型

discourse + about/on/regarding [topic]

discourse + between [participants]

用法筆記

Unlike sense 3, this sense describes an event or process of discussion — an exchange of views between people. It is uncountable and often modified by adjectives such as 'open,' 'civil,' 'public,' or 'political.'

常見錯誤

❌We had a discourse about the project.
✅We had a discussion about the project.
💡'Discourse' in this sense is uncountable and more formal; for everyday conversation, 'discussion' is more natural.

2. a lengthy spoken or written text in which a particular subject is examined in a

2.名詞B2
釋義

正式演講

針對特定主題的長篇嚴肅論述

a lengthy spoken or written text in which a particular subject is examined in a serious, organized manner.

例句

Professor Amira delivered a thoughtful discourse on the ethics of artificial intelligence.

Amira 教授就人工智慧的倫理議題發表了一場發人深省的演講。

a discourse + on [topic] — countable

The philosopher's written discourse covered centuries of moral thought in under fifty pages.

這位哲學家的書面論述在不到五十頁的篇幅中涵蓋了數百年的道德思想。

同義詞
  • lecture

    specifically spoken and delivered to an audience; discourse can be written

  • treatise

    a long written work dealing systematically with a subject

  • address

    a formal spoken presentation, usually to a large audience

文法句型

a discourse + on/about [topic]

用法筆記

This is the only noun sense that is countable — you can say 'a discourse' or 'discourses.' It is distinguished from sense 1 by referring to a single piece of communication (a lecture, an essay, a treatise) rather than an interactive exchange between people.

常見錯誤

❌I gave a discourse at the meeting.
✅I gave a talk at the meeting.
💡'Discourse' sounds overly formal for most everyday speaking contexts; use 'speech,' 'lecture,' or 'talk' instead unless the context is very formal.

3. the way people use written or spoken language to express meaning, especially whe

3.名詞C1
釋義

語言表達

口語或書面語的連貫表達

the way people use written or spoken language to express meaning, especially when considering a stretch of text or conversation as a connected whole rather than as isolated sentences.

例句

The linguist analyzed the political leader's discourse for hidden persuasive techniques.

那位語言學家分析了這位政治領袖的演說，找出其中隱藏的說服技巧。

uncountable noun describing connected language

Classroom discourse between teachers and students follows certain rules that differ from casual talk.

師生在課堂上的對話遵循著某些與日常閒聊不同的規則。

同義詞
  • communication

    broader term covering any exchange of meaning, not just connected language

  • language

    more general; discourse specifically emphasizes language in actual use rather than as an abstract system

文法句型

discourse + about/on [topic]

用法筆記

This sense is the most technical and is commonly found in academic writing, especially in linguistics, sociology, and cultural studies. Unlike sense 1, it does not refer to a single event of discussion but to language as a broader system or practice.

常見錯誤

❌The discourse was very long.' (when referring to a single speech)
✅The discourse on immigration has shifted dramatically.
💡Use sense 2 (countable) for a specific speech or writing; sense 3 (uncountable) refers to language use as a general phenomenon.

discourse — 動詞