limits
limits — 慣用語
1. used in fixed expressions to talk about the greatest physical or mental ability
限度；極限
能力或行為限制的固定用法
used in fixed expressions to talk about the greatest physical or mental ability someone has, the restrictions placed on behaviour or spending, or the furthest point of something such as the imagination
After knee surgery, Sofia knew her limits and stopped running marathons.
膝蓋手術後，Sofia 明白自己的極限，不再跑馬拉松了。
know one's limits — awareness of personal ability
The city council set strict limits on how much water each household could use during the drought.
乾旱期間，市議會嚴格限制了每戶家庭可以用多少水。
set limits on — impose restrictions
Arjun's dedication to his students knows no limits; he spends every weekend preparing lessons.
Arjun 對學生的奉獻是沒有極限的；他每個週末都在備課。
The children were allowed to play outside within limits — no further than the park at the end of the street.
孩子們可以在一定範圍內到外面玩——但不能超過街尾的公園。
The IMAX film pushed the limits of what home theatre systems could deliver.
這部 IMAX 電影挑戰了家庭劇院系統所能達到的極限。
- boundaries
more concrete — 'set boundaries for children' emphasises rules, while 'set limits' focuses on amounts or degrees
- restrictions
more formal and rule-focused; 'limits' is broader
- parameters
more technical; used in formal or planning contexts
文法句型
know one's limits
know no limits
set limits (for/on)
within limits
without limits
to the limits
limits — 名詞
1. the biggest size, highest number, or greatest level that is allowed or can exist
上限；極限
可能或允許的最大數量或程度
the biggest size, highest number, or greatest level that is allowed or can exist
There are limits to how much information the human brain can absorb in one day.
人腦一天能吸收的資訊量是有限度的。
limits to [noun phrase] — indicates restriction on capacity
The insurance company set annual limits on how much they would pay for dental work.
保險公司對每年牙科治療的給付金額設有上限。
Emma pushed her savings beyond the limits of what she had planned for the trip.
Emma 這趟旅行的花費超出了她原本計劃的預算上限。
The temperature in the desert often reaches the upper limits of what the human body can handle.
沙漠中的氣溫經常達到人體所能承受的極限。
Wei's monthly phone plan has limits on both data usage and international calls.
Wei 的每月手機方案在上網用量和國際通話方面都有上限。
- minimum
the smallest amount allowed or possible
文法句型
limits of [noun]
within the limits of
beyond the limits of
upper/lower limits
用法筆記
Often used in the plural to refer to the outer boundaries or maximum capacity of something. The singular 'limit' is used for a single specific cap — e.g. 'the speed limit is 50 km/h.'
常見錯誤
2. the official line that marks where a town, city, or other area ends and another
界線；範圍
城鎮或區域的官方邊界
the official line that marks where a town, city, or other area ends and another begins
The new shopping centre will be built just outside the city limits.
新的購物中心將建在市中心範圍之外。
city limits — official boundary of a municipal area
Drivers must slow down as soon as they pass the town limits, where the speed drops.
駕駛人一通過鎮界就必須減速，因為速限降低了。
The national park lies within the limits of three different counties.
這座國家公園橫跨三個郡的範圍。
Kwame bought a farm just beyond the city limits because land was cheaper there.
Kwame 在市中心界限外買了一塊農地，因為那邊的地價比較便宜。
文法句型
city limits
town limits
within the limits of
outside the limits of
用法筆記
Nearly always appears as 'limits' in the plural when referring to municipal boundaries. The singular 'limit' is unusual in this sense.
3. a rule or law that controls how much of something is allowed, or what people are
限制；規範
控制行為或數量的規則或法律
a rule or law that controls how much of something is allowed, or what people are allowed to do
The school board imposed strict limits on the amount of homework teachers could assign each night.
學校董事會嚴格限制了老師每晚可以出的作業量。
impose limits on — officially introduce restrictions
Oliver's parents placed reasonable limits on his screen time during the school week.
Oliver 的父母對他在上學期間的螢幕時間做了合理限制。
place limits on — set rules restricting something
New environmental laws put tighter limits on how much pollution factories could release into the river.
新的環保法規對工廠可以排放到河裡的污染量設定了更嚴格的限制。
The restaurant had to work within the limits of its small kitchen, serving only thirty guests per evening.
這家餐廳只能在小型廚房的限制下經營，每晚只能接待三十位客人。
Samira set firm limits with her neighbours about noise after ten o'clock at night.
Samira 和鄰居明確約定晚上十點後不得喧嘩。
- restrictions
more formal and authoritative; 'limits' is slightly softer and more conversational
- rules
broader — not all rules are quantitative limits
- constraints
more formal, often used in business or technical contexts
- freedom
the absence of restrictions
文法句型
limits on [noun]
set limits
impose limits
limits to
常見錯誤
4. the maximum number of fish or wild animals that a person is legally allowed to c
捕獲限額
法定可捕撈或獵殺的數量上限
the maximum number of fish or wild animals that a person is legally allowed to catch or kill in a particular period
The fishing limits on this lake allow only three trout per person each day.
這個湖的釣魚限額是每人每天只能釣三條鱒魚。
fishing limits — legal maximum catch
Diego checked the hunting limits before his trip to the forest to make sure he stayed within the law.
Diego 在出發去森林之前查閱了狩獵限額，以確保自己合法。
Wildlife officers patrol the coast to ensure that fishermen respect the daily catch limits for crabs.
野生動物管理員沿著海岸巡邏，確保漁民遵守每日的螃蟹捕獲限額。
The province lowered the deer hunting limits this season to help the animal population recover.
省政府降低了本季的鹿隻狩獵限額，以幫助鹿群恢復數量。
- bag limit
specific to hunting; 'limits' is more general
- catch limit
specific to fishing
文法句型
bag limit
catch limit
daily limit
用法筆記
Typically expressed as 'bag limit' (for hunting birds and small game) or 'catch limit' (for fishing). Authorities set these limits to prevent overfishing and protect wildlife populations.
5. the largest amount of money that may be bet, raised, or paid out in a gambling g
賭注上限
博弈中可下注或支付的最高金額
the largest amount of money that may be bet, raised, or paid out in a gambling game
The poker room posted clear betting limits on each table — five hundred dollars maximum per hand.
撲克室在每張桌子上都清楚標示了下注上限——每手最高五百美元。
betting limits — maximum stake allowed
Hana set personal spending limits at the casino and walked away as soon as she reached them.
Hana 在賭場為自己設定了消費上限，一到那個金額就立刻離開。
spending limits — self-imposed cap on losses
High-roller tables have much higher betting limits, sometimes reaching tens of thousands of dollars per round.
高額賭桌的下注上限要高得多，每輪有時可達數萬美元。
The casino manager raised the table limits during the New Year weekend to attract big spenders.
賭場經理在跨年週末調高了賭桌限額，以吸引大手筆的客人。
- table limit
the specific maximum for a particular table in a casino
- stake limit
focuses on the amount risked per bet
文法句型
betting limits
table limits
spending limits
6. in mathematics, a value that a function or sequence gets closer and closer to as
極限值
函數或數列趨近的數學數值
in mathematics, a value that a function or sequence gets closer and closer to as the input gets nearer to a particular number
Students in calculus learn how to calculate the limit of a function as x approaches zero.
微積分課的學生學習如何計算當 x 趨近於零時函數的極限值。
limit of a function — the core calculus concept
The limit of the sequence one-half, one-third, one-fourth is zero, because the numbers keep getting smaller.
數列二分之一、三分之一、四分之一的極限值是零，因為這些數字越來越小。
Mei understood limits in her calculus class by visualising the curve getting closer to a line without touching it.
Mei 透過想像曲線越來越接近一條線卻不碰觸它，理解了微積分中的極限概念。
The professor explained that the limit of this equation equals four when n tends to infinity.
教授解釋說，當 n 趨近於無限大時，這個方程式的極限值等於四。
- limiting value
more explicit; 'limit' is the standard shorter term in math
- asymptote
a related concept but not identical — an asymptote is a line a curve approaches
文法句型
limit of a function
limit of a sequence
approach a limit
tends to a limit
用法筆記
In mathematical contexts, 'limit' is usually treated as a singular countable noun. The plural 'limits' refers to this concept in general discussions — e.g. 'We studied limits last semester.' Distinguish from noun sense 1 (MAXIMUM AMOUNT), which describes a real-world cap rather than an abstract mathematical convergence.
常見錯誤
7. a person or thing that tests your patience or is so annoying that you cannot acc
忍無可忍
令人無法接受的人事物
a person or thing that tests your patience or is so annoying that you cannot accept it any longer
After three hours of waiting in the rain, Clara said the delay was the absolute limits.
在雨中等了三個小時後，Clara 說這場延誤實在讓人忍無可忍。
be the limits — informal expression of exasperation
The constant dog barking was the limits for Ananya, so she spoke to the landlord.
鄰居的狗叫個不停，Ananya 忍無可忍，於是去找房東談了。
No coffee for the third week running was the limits for the whole team.
連續第三個星期沒有咖啡喝，團隊的每個人都覺得這真是極限了。
When the bus drove past her stop without stopping, Amara said that was the limits.
公車過站不停直接開走，Amara 說這真是夠了。
- the last straw
more common idiom for the final irritation; 'the limits' is less frequent but similar
- the end
common informal equivalent — 'That's the end! I've had enough.'
文法句型
be the limits
that's the limits
用法筆記
Used informally in the fixed expression 'that's/that was the limits', meaning 'that is the final thing I can tolerate.' This sense is always plural and always appears with a definite article. Strongly colloquial — avoid in formal writing or exams.
limits — 動詞
- limitspresent simple I / you / we / they
- limitses3rd person singular
- limitsing-ing form
- limitsedpast simple
1. to keep something within a particular size, amount, or area, usually to prevent
限制；控制
將某事物控制在特定範圍內
to keep something within a particular size, amount, or area, usually to prevent it from becoming too big or too much
The doctor told Ingrid to limit her coffee intake to one cup per day.
醫生告訴 Ingrid 每天只能喝一杯咖啡。
limit [noun] to [amount] — restrict to a specific quantity
The conference organisers limited each speaker to fifteen minutes on stage.
會議主辦單位限制每位講者上台時間為十五分鐘。
Jun decided to limit his search for an apartment to three neighbourhoods near the train station.
Jun 決定只搜尋火車站附近三個社區的公寓。
Parents are encouraged to limit the amount of sugar their young children eat each day.
專家鼓勵家長限制幼童每天的糖分攝取量。
After the flood, relief workers had to limit access to the affected area for safety reasons.
水災過後，救災人員基於安全考量限制進出受災區域。
文法句型
limit [noun] to [amount]
limit [noun] to [something]
limit yourself to [something]
常見錯誤
2. to decide and state exactly what the maximum or minimum of something should be,
設定；規定
以官方或合約方式明定上限
to decide and state exactly what the maximum or minimum of something should be, especially in an official or legal context
The government limited the price of basic medicines to keep them affordable for everyone.
政府限制了基本藥品的價格，讓所有人都負擔得起。
limit the price of — officially set a maximum price
The new housing law limits the number of short-term rentals in residential buildings to thirty per cent.
新的住房法規將住宅大樓中的短租單位比例限制在百分之三十。
Ruth's employment contract limited her working hours to forty per week, with overtime paid separately.
Ruth 的僱傭合約將她的工時限制在每週四十小時，加班費另計。
The board of directors has limited CEO bonuses to twice the average employee salary.
董事會將執行長的獎金上限設定為員工平均薪資的兩倍。
文法句型
limit [noun] to [amount]
be limited by
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1 (RESTRICT OR REDUCE): sense 1 focuses on keeping something within bounds that already exist; sense 2 focuses on officially fixing a specific boundary in rules or contracts.