mini
mini — 名詞
1. a skirt cut so short that its lower edge sits well above the knee; a miniskirt
迷你裙
裙長在膝蓋以上的短裙
a skirt cut so short that its lower edge sits well above the knee; a miniskirt
Nila wore a red mini to the party with knee-high leather boots.
Nila 穿著一條紅色迷你裙，搭配長靴去參加派對。
mini as a noun meaning miniskirt
The shop window displayed several minis in bright colours and patterns.
那家店的櫥窗陳列了好幾條顏色鮮豔、花樣不同的迷你裙。
plural form: minis
Saira wore a black mini to the club and her friends all loved the outfit.
Saira 穿了一件黑色迷你裙去俱樂部，朋友們都說這套打扮很好看。
Quinn found a vintage leather mini at the charity shop for only five pounds.
Quinn 在慈善二手店找到一條復古皮質迷你裙，才花了五英鎊。
- miniskirt
the full form; 'mini' is a shortening
用法筆記
Often used in fashion contexts. When the context is clear, 'mini' alone is understood to mean 'miniskirt'.
2. a small British car from a famous brand first produced in the 1960s
迷你車
1960年代開始生產的英國小型汽車品牌
a small British car from a famous brand first produced in the 1960s
Ayana drives a blue Mini that she bought second-hand from a neighbour.
Ayana 開著一輛藍色的 Mini，是她向鄰居買的二手車。
brand name capitalised: Mini
The original Mini was designed in the late 1950s to save fuel.
最早的 Mini 是在 1950 年代末設計的，目的是為了節省燃油。
Mert parked his Mini in a spot too small for a regular car.
Mert 把 Mini 停在一個一般汽車停不進去的小車位裡。
The Mini became a cultural icon of 1960s Britain alongside the miniskirt.
Mini 和迷你裙一樣，已經成為 1960 年代英國文化的代表符號。
用法筆記
Capitalised as a proper noun when referring to the car brand. Both the classic model (Austin/Morris Mini) and the modern BMW-made version are called Mini.
mini — 形容詞
1. (of a skirt, dress, or shorts) cut extremely short so that the hem reaches only
超短的
裙長或褲長在膝蓋以上
(of a skirt, dress, or shorts) cut extremely short so that the hem reaches only the upper part of the thigh
Jenna wore a mini dress to the concert and got many compliments.
Jenna 穿了一件超短洋裝去聽演唱會，獲得不少稱讚。
collocation: mini dress
The bride chose a white mini skirt for the wedding reception.
新娘在婚宴上選穿白色迷你裙，而不是長禮服。
collocation: mini skirt
Shops sell mini shorts and mini dresses in the same summer collection.
同一個夏季系列中，店家同時推出超短短褲和超短洋裝。
Élise bought a mini denim skirt that she paired with a plain blouse.
Élise 買了一條迷你牛仔裙，搭配一件簡單的白襯衫。
- short
more general; 'mini' implies extremely short
- long
standard opposite of short in clothing
- full-length
describes a dress or skirt that reaches the ankle
文法句型
mini + noun (skirt/dress/shorts)
用法筆記
Almost always used attributively (before a noun) to describe items of clothing. The noun that follows is typically a type of clothing — skirt, dress, or shorts.
2. much smaller in size, scale, or seriousness than what is normal for that type of
縮減版的
規模或程度比正常小
much smaller in size, scale, or seriousness than what is normal for that type of thing
The company launched a mini version of their best-selling tablet.
那家公司推出了他們最暢銷平板的迷你版。
collocation: mini version
Valentina and Jin had a mini argument over the remote control but made up minutes later.
Valentina 和 Jin 為了遙控器小吵了一架，但幾分鐘後就和好了。
mini + argument = less serious disagreement
There was a mini heatwave in early spring that brought temperatures up to thirty degrees.
早春出現了一波迷你熱浪，氣溫升到了三十度。
The children put on a mini concert for their parents in the living room.
孩子們在客廳為爸媽舉辦了一場迷你音樂會。
Ari organised a mini festival featuring three local bands in the park.
Ari 在公園裡辦了一場迷你音樂節，邀請了三個在地樂團。
- small-scale
similar but more neutral; 'mini' can sound more informal
- compact
focuses on efficient use of space, not on reduced seriousness
- full-scale
standard opposite for events, products, or conflicts
- large-scale
contrasts with the reduced-scope meaning
文法句型
mini + noun (version/edition/tournament)
用法筆記
Used only before a noun (attributive). Can describe anything from objects to events to conflicts — the core meaning is 'reduced in degree or size compared to the standard'. The word 'mini' here still carries a sense of playfulness or diminished seriousness.
3. notably small compared with others of the same kind — used for animals, plants,
小型的
尺寸比同類小
notably small compared with others of the same kind — used for animals, plants, food items, and everyday objects
Megan adopted a mini pig that stays about the size of a cat.
Megan 養了一隻迷你豬，長大後大約和貓一樣大。
mini pig = a breed of small pig
The bakery sells mini cakes that are perfect for children's parties.
那家麵包店賣的小蛋糕非常適合兒童派對。
Nila grows mini tomatoes in pots on her apartment balcony.
Nila 在公寓陽台上的花盆裡種了小番茄。
Sora and Tunde stayed at a charming mini hotel that had only six guest rooms.
Sora 和 Tunde 住在一間迷你可愛的小旅館，那裡只有六間客房。
The kitchen came with a mini fridge that fitted neatly under the counter.
廚房裡有一台可以整齊放在流理台下方的迷你冰箱。
文法句型
mini + noun (animal/plant/food)
用法筆記
Common in marketing and everyday descriptions of products. Unlike sense 2 (REDUCED SCALE), this sense does not imply 'less serious' — it simply comments on physical size. A 'mini pig' is physically small, not a less-serious version of a pig.
常見錯誤
mini — 字首
1. attached before a noun to describe something reduced in size, length, or importa
迷你；小型
比標準版本更小或次要
attached before a noun to describe something reduced in size, length, or importance compared with the usual version of that thing
A minibus picked up the children from the school every morning.
每天早上都有一台小型巴士到學校接孩子們。
minibus = small bus for up to 15 passengers
The hotel room had a mini-fridge stocked with cold drinks and snacks.
飯店房間裡有一台小冰箱，裡面放了飲料和零食。
mini-fridge = small refrigerator
Quinn stayed at a mini-resort on the coast that had just twenty cabins.
Quinn 在海邊的一個小小度假村住了下來，那裡只有二十間小木屋。
Ziad bought a mini-vacuum cleaner to keep inside the car.
Ziad 買了一台小型吸塵器放在車裡用。
The garden centre sold mini-cacti that fitted on a narrow windowsill.
園藝中心賣的小仙人掌剛好可以放在狹窄的窗台上。
文法句型
mini- + noun
用法筆記
The prefix 'mini-' is extremely productive — new words are formed frequently in product names and informal speech. It is usually attached with a hyphen, though many common words have lost the hyphen (minibus, miniskirt, minivan).
常見錯誤
mini — 構詞成分
1. forms compound nouns in media, event, and educational contexts to describe a ver
短版；精簡版
時間或篇幅比常規短
forms compound nouns in media, event, and educational contexts to describe a version that is shorter in duration, fewer in episodes, or limited in scope compared with the standard full-length version — the reduction is in time or content rather than in physical dimensions
The television network aired a mini-series about the life of a famous painter.
電視台播出了一部關於一位著名畫家生平的短篇影集。
mini-series = TV drama with a small number of episodes
Ayana took a mini-break to the mountains to escape the city noise.
Ayana 到山上度了一個短假，逃離城市的喧囂。
mini-break = short holiday
The university offers a mini-course on digital photography every summer.
每年夏天那所大學都會開設一門數位攝影短期課程。
Shirin signed up for a mini-MBA programme that lasted only six weeks.
Shirin 報名了一個僅為期六週的迷你企管碩士課程。
- full-length
describes a film or series of normal duration
- complete
contrasts with a shortened version of a course or programme
文法句型
mini- + noun (media, events, education)
用法筆記
Distinguish from the prefix sense (SMALLER VERSION): the prefix attaches productively to any noun to indicate physical or comparative reduction (mini-fridge, minibus, mini-cactus). This combining form is restricted to established compounds in media, events, and education where the reduction is in duration or content rather than physical dimensions. A 'mini-series' has fewer episodes, not a physically smaller screen.