john

john — 名詞

1. a word used in everyday informal conversation for a room that contains a toilet,

1.名詞B1
釋義

廁所；茅房

非正式用語，指家中或公共場所的廁所

a word used in everyday informal conversation for a room that contains a toilet, especially in a house, a restaurant, or a small public place

例句

The guest asked the waiter where the john was before ordering his meal.

客人向服務生問廁所在哪裡，然後才點餐。

'ask [where] the john is' — polite request pattern

The children asked their mother where the john was near the park playground.

孩子們問媽媽公園遊樂場附近的廁所在哪裡。

'ask where the john is' — inquiry pattern

同義詞
  • bathroom

    the most neutral and common term; 'john' is much more informal

  • restroom

    polite term, used more in public spaces; 'john' is casual

  • toilet

    direct term; 'john' is a slang alternative

  • loo

    British informal equivalent, same register

文法句型

the + john

use the john

go to the john

用法筆記

Often paired with the definite article ('the john') rather than the indefinite article. This usage is common in casual American speech but may sound dated to younger speakers in some regions.

常見錯誤

❌I need to find a john, quickly.
✅I need to use the john, quickly.
💡'The john' is the standard form; 'a john' can sound odd in the toilet sense.

2. a man who pays a sex worker for sex — this meaning is now considered old-fashion

2.名詞C1
釋義

嫖客

付錢買春的男人（老式用法）

a man who pays a sex worker for sex — this meaning is now considered old-fashioned and rarely appears in everyday conversation outside of crime reports or historical writing

例句

The detective explained that the victim had been meeting johns in the hotel for months.

偵探解釋說，受害者在旅館內接嫖客已經有好幾個月了。

'johns' as plural for clients — law-enforcement context

Adina found an article that used the word 'john' for men who paid for sex.

Adina 找到一篇文章，用「john」這個詞來指稱花錢買春的男人。

同義詞
  • client

    neutral and modern; 'john' is dated slang

  • customer

    neutral business term; 'john' carries a criminal-justice tone

  • trick

    slang used within the sex work community; more specific than 'john'

文法句型

be a john

arrest johns

用法筆記

Frequently used in law-enforcement, journalism, and historical writing. The term is considered derogatory by some when applied to sex workers' clients. Modern alternatives like 'client' or 'customer' are more neutral. Do not confuse with the toilet sense — context (crime, sex work, policing) disambiguates.

常見錯誤

❌The john was out of order, so I used the one upstairs.' (confusing the two senses)
✅The police questioned several johns outside the hotel.
💡The 'toilet' meaning uses 'the john'; the 'client' meaning uses 'a john' or 'the johns' (plural).