mate
mate — 名詞
1. the creature that an animal pairs with to produce offspring together
配偶
動物的交配對象
the creature that an animal pairs with to produce offspring together
The female penguin returns to the same beach each year to find her mate.
雌企鵝每年都會回到同一片海灘尋找牠的配偶。
singular possessive: her mate
A male peacock fans his colourful tail feathers to attract a mate.
雄孔雀會展開色彩斑斕的尾羽來吸引配偶。
attract a mate — collocation with attract
In many swan species, the male and female stay together as mates for life.
許多天鵝品種的雌雄個體會終生結為伴侶。
Eleni watched the pair of wolves, which had been mates for several winters.
Eleni 看著那對狼，牠們已經結伴好幾個冬天了。
- partner
used for both animals and humans, but more common for people
- breeding partner
more specific and scientific than mate
用法筆記
Used almost exclusively for non-human animals. For human relationships, use partner or spouse instead.
常見錯誤
2. a person you know well and like, especially someone you share activities or a ho
夥伴；朋友
一起活動或生活的人
a person you know well and like, especially someone you share activities or a home with
Arjun and his flatmate have been close mates since their first year of university.
Arjun 和他的室友從大學一年級開始就是好麻吉了。
close mates — adjective + mate collocation
Joaquín went to the concert with a few mates from his football club.
Joaquín 跟幾個足球俱樂部的夥伴一起去聽演唱會。
Mayumi invited her old school mate to stay for the weekend at her place.
Mayumi 邀請她的老同學來家裡住週末。
Shirin and Beatrix are not just teammates but also good mates outside of training.
Shirin 和 Beatrix 不只是隊友，練習以外也是很好的朋友。
A group of old mates meets every Friday at a café near the park.
一群老朋友每週五在公園附近的一間咖啡館聚會。
用法筆記
Very common in British, Australian and New Zealand English. In American English, friend is preferred; mate in the friend sense can sound foreign or old-fashioned.
常見錯誤
3. used when speaking directly to someone in a friendly way, most often between men
老兄；哥們
對熟人的友善稱呼
used when speaking directly to someone in a friendly way, most often between men who know each other
"Hey mate, do you have the time?" asked the man at the bus stop.
公車站的那個男人問道：「嘿，老兄，你知道現在幾點嗎？」
opening address: Hey mate + question
Joshua clapped Eitan on the shoulder and said, "Thanks a lot, mate."
Joshua 拍了拍 Eitan 的肩膀說：「謝啦，哥們。」
"No worries, mate, I will give you a hand with those bags," said Jisoo.
Jisoo 說：「別擔心，老兄，我來幫你拿這些袋子。」
The taxi driver called out, "Where to, mate?" as Iris climbed into the back seat.
計程車司機在 Iris 爬上後座時喊道：「去哪裡，先生？」
用法筆記
This is a vocative (form of direct address), not used as a subject or object. Distinguish from sense 2 (FRIEND), where mate is a noun referring to a person. Here it simply marks friendliness toward the listener.
常見錯誤
4. a person who works alongside and assists someone who has formal training in a sk
助手；學徒
協助技術工人的幫手
a person who works alongside and assists someone who has formal training in a skilled trade
Adisa started work as a plumber's mate before he got his own licence.
Adisa 在考到自己的水電執照前，先從水電師傅的助手做起。
possessive noun + mate: plumber's mate
The electrician's mate handed him the tools as he worked on the wiring.
水電工的助手在他配線時把工具遞給他。
Iris spent two years as a builder's mate to learn the trade from scratch.
Iris 花了兩年時間當建築師傅的助手，從頭學起這門手藝。
The chef's mate was in charge of chopping vegetables and washing all the dishes.
主廚的助手負責切菜和洗碗。
- assistant
more general; does not imply learning a trade
- apprentice
focuses on the training aspect rather than the helping role
用法筆記
Typically appears in the pattern [skilled worker]'s mate, e.g. plumber's mate, builder's mate. The mate is learning the trade while assisting.
5. an officer aboard a trading vessel who assists the captain and holds rank just b
大副
商船上的高級船員
an officer aboard a trading vessel who assists the captain and holds rank just below that position
The first mate checked the cargo list before the ship left the port.
大副在船離港前檢查了貨物清單。
first mate — standard nautical rank
Captain Larsen promoted Kevin to mate after three years of service at sea.
Larsen 船長在 Kevin 出海服務三年後晉升他為大副。
The mate kept watch on the bridge while the captain rested in his cabin.
大副在船長休息時在駕駛臺值班。
On a cargo vessel, the mate is responsible for navigation and crew safety.
在貨船上，大副負責航行和船員安全。
- first officer
more modern term, used on cruise ships and large vessels
- deck officer
broader term for any officer working on deck
用法筆記
Usually preceded by first, second or third to show the officer's seniority. This sense is specific to merchant (non-military) ships; the equivalent on a naval ship would be lieutenant.
6. a person's husband, wife or the person with whom they share a long-term romantic
伴侶
配偶或長期交往對象
a person's husband, wife or the person with whom they share a long-term romantic relationship
Eleni and her mate have been living together for over twenty years.
Eleni 和她的伴侶已經一起生活超過二十年了。
possessive: her mate — for a lifelong partner
The party was full of couples, each with their mates beside them at the table.
派對上都是成雙成對的伴侶，每個人身邊都坐著自己的另一半。
Shirin introduced her mate to the rest of the group during dinner.
Shirin 在晚餐時向其他人介紹她的伴侶。
Kevin and his mate decided to buy a house together after getting engaged.
Kevin 和他的伴侶在訂婚後決定一起買房子。
用法筆記
This sense refers to human partners in a romantic or marital relationship, whereas sense 1 (SEXUAL PARTNER) refers to animal pairs. In modern usage, partner is more common than mate for human relationships.
常見錯誤
7. a drink prepared by steeping dried foliage from a South American shrub in hot wa
馬黛茶
南美洲傳統草本茶飲
a drink prepared by steeping dried foliage from a South American shrub in hot water
In Argentina, people often drink mate from a hollow gourd through a metal straw.
在阿根廷，人們經常用葫蘆杯搭配金屬吸管喝馬黛茶。
drink mate — verb + beverage collocation
Jisoo tried mate for the first time at a small café in Buenos Aires.
Jisoo 在布宜諾斯艾利斯的一間小咖啡館第一次嘗試馬黛茶。
The bitter taste of mate takes some getting used to for new drinkers.
馬黛茶的苦味需要一段時間才能讓新飲用者習慣。
Mate is often shared among friends as a social ritual in Paraguay and Uruguay.
在巴拉圭和烏拉圭，馬黛茶常被當作社交禮儀在朋友之間分享。
- yerba mate
the full name, refers to both the drink and the plant
- Paraguay tea
an older English name for the beverage
用法筆記
Often spelled maté (with an accent) to distinguish it from the other senses. The accent is added in English to show the stress is on the second syllable: /mɑːˈteɪ/.
mate — 動詞
1. when two animals come together to breed and create offspring; or when a person a
交配；配種
動物交配以繁殖後代
when two animals come together to breed and create offspring; or when a person arranges for animals to do this
In spring, thousands of frogs return to the pond to mate and lay their eggs.
春天時，成千上萬的青蛙回到池塘交配並產卵。
intransitive use: to mate
The zoo's breeding programme allows the pandas to mate in a safe and quiet space.
動物園的繁殖計畫讓熊貓能夠在安全安靜的環境中交配。
The dog breeder waited until the female was ready to mate with the chosen male.
狗狗培育員等到母犬準備好才讓牠與選定的公犬配種。
These rare birds mate in early summer and build their nests soon after that.
這些稀有鳥類在夏初交配，不久後就會築巢。
The farmer mated the strongest bull with several cows to improve the herd.
農夫讓最強壯的公牛與幾頭母牛配種，以改良牛群的品質。
文法句型
animals + mate
mate + with + [animal]
mate + [two animals]
用法筆記
Can be intransitive (the animals mate) or transitive (a person mates animals). The preposition with is used to indicate the partner: mate with. This verb is rarely used for human sexual activity in modern English.
常見錯誤
mate — 字尾
1. used at the end of a noun to form a word meaning a person who shares a particula
同⋯者
共同參與或居住的人
used at the end of a noun to form a word meaning a person who shares a particular place, activity or situation with another person
My roommate and I take turns cleaning the kitchen every week.
我和我的室友每週輪流打掃廚房。
roommate — shared living space
Henrik and his classmate worked together on the science project after school.
Henrik 和他的同學放學後一起做自然科學專題報告。
classmate — shared class/school
Iris was chosen as team captain by her teammates before the final basketball match.
Iris 在籃球冠軍賽前被隊友選為隊長。
Joaquín and his shipmate shared a small cabin on the vessel for six months.
Joaquín 和他的船員同伴在貨船上共用一個小艙房長達六個月。
Noor and her flatmate found a nice apartment close to the university campus.
Noor 和她的室友在大學附近找到了一間不錯的公寓。
文法句型
[noun] + mate
用法筆記
This is a productive suffix: you can form compounds like housemate, workmate, playmate, gym mate. The most common compounds are roommate, teammate, classmate and flatmate.