mutual
mutual — 形容詞
1. relating to feelings or actions that each person in a group directs toward the o
相互的；彼此
雙方對彼此有對等的感覺或行為
relating to feelings or actions that each person in a group directs toward the other person equally — for example, when two colleagues respect each other to the same degree, or when both sides in a deal trust each other.
The two leaders expressed mutual respect during the trade negotiations.
兩位領袖在貿易談判中表達了相互尊重。
collocation: mutual respect
Evelyn and Tendai built their business on mutual trust and open communication.
Evelyn 和 Tendai 的事業建立在互相信任和坦誠溝通的基礎上。
collocation: mutual trust
Nellie and Amani reached a mutual understanding about dividing household chores after weeks of arguing.
Nellie 和 Amani 經過數週爭執後，終於在分擔家務方面達成了相互理解。
The ceasefire was possible only because the dislike between the armies was mutual.
停火之所以可能，是因為雙方軍隊都對彼此懷有厭惡。
- reciprocal
more formal and often used in legal, scientific, or diplomatic contexts
- two-way
more informal and concrete; common in everyday speech
- one-sided
describes feelings or actions that go in only one direction
文法句型
mutual + noun
be mutual
用法筆記
Commonly paired with abstract nouns such as respect, trust, understanding, and agreement. The phrase 'the feeling is mutual' is a fixed expression used when someone's negative feelings toward another person are returned.
常見錯誤
2. held in common between two sides — describing something that both parties have t
共同的
雙方或多方共同擁有或參與的
held in common between two sides — describing something that both parties have together, such as a friend, an interest, or a goal.
Wren and Darius were surprised to discover a mutual love for jazz music.
Wren 和 Darius 驚訝地發現他們對爵士樂有共同的熱愛。
collocation: mutual love for [something]
Adina met her business partner through a mutual acquaintance in Kyoto.
Adina 透過一位共同認識的朋友在京都認識了她的商業夥伴。
collocation: mutual acquaintance
The two departments worked toward a mutual goal of reducing office waste.
兩個部門共同努力於減少辦公室浪費的共同目標。
Although they came from different backgrounds, they found a mutual interest in photography.
儘管背景不同，他們發現了對攝影的共同興趣。
- separate
describes things not shared but held individually
文法句型
mutual + noun
常見錯誤
mutual — 名詞
1. a financial business — for example, an insurance company or a savings bank — who
互助組織
由會員共同擁有的金融機構
a financial business — for example, an insurance company or a savings bank — whose ownership belongs to the people using it, not to outside investors who purchase shares.
My grandmother saved money with a mutual that offered better rates to members.
我祖母在一家互助組織存錢，該組織為會員提供較好的利率。
The insurance mutual returned part of its profits to every policyholder this year.
這家保險互助會今年將部分利潤返還給每位保戶。
collocation: insurance mutual
Brandon applied for a car loan at the mutual where his parents were longtime members.
Brandon 向互助會申請車貸，他的父母在那裡當了多年的會員。
Haruto joined the local housing mutual to get an affordable mortgage for his first home.
Haruto 加入了當地的房屋互助會，以便為他的第一間房子申請到優惠的房貸。
- cooperative
broader term covering any member-owned organization, not limited to finance
- building society
British term for a specific type of housing mutual
- corporation
a company owned by shareholders rather than members
文法句型
a + mutual
the + mutual
用法筆記
Common in British English for buildings societies and insurance companies organized as mutuals. In American English, the term 'mutual fund' refers to a different product (a pooled investment), but that is a compound noun, not this sense.
2. someone known by two different people, often when those two are not acquainted a
共同朋友
兩個人都認識的人
someone known by two different people, often when those two are not acquainted and this person brings them together.
Aarav and Mei were introduced by a mutual who had worked with both of them.
Aarav 和 Mei 是透過一位與兩人都共事過的共同朋友介紹認識的。
When Ignacio moved to Seoul, a mutual from university showed him around the city.
Ignacio 搬到首爾時，一位大學時期的共同朋友帶他參觀這座城市。
We discovered our connection when a mutual mentioned your name during dinner.
我們發現彼此的關聯，是因為一位共同朋友在晚餐時提到了你的名字。
The new colleague turned out to be a mutual from an art camp years ago.
那位新同事原來是多年前藝術夏令營的共同朋友。
- mutual friend
the full, more formal equivalent
- common acquaintance
implies less closeness than 'friend'
文法句型
a + mutual
through a + mutual
用法筆記
This is a clipped, informal use of 'mutual' that stands for 'mutual friend.' Common in conversational English but less appropriate in formal writing, where 'mutual friend' or 'common acquaintance' is preferred.
常見錯誤
3. a person on a social media platform who follows your account and whom you follow
互追者
社群媒體上互相追蹤的人
a person on a social media platform who follows your account and whom you follow back, creating a two-way connection.
Astrid gained over two hundred new mutuals after her travel video went viral.
Astrid 的旅遊影片爆紅後，增加了兩百多位新的互追者。
pattern: gain + mutuals
A mutual shared my post, which helped it reach thousands of extra viewers.
一位互追者轉發了我的貼文，讓更多讀者看到了這則內容。
On the art forum, users often look for mutuals who draw in a similar style.
在藝術論壇上，使用者經常尋找畫風相似的互追者。
Yuna checks her new mutuals' profiles before accepting any follow requests.
Yuna 在接受追蹤要求之前，會先查看新互追者的個人資料。
- mutual follower
the full, more explicit term
- follower
broader — does not imply the two-way relationship
- follower-only
someone who follows you but is not followed back
文法句型
mutuals + verb
gain + mutuals
mutuals on [platform]
用法筆記
Primarily used on platforms like Twitter/X, Instagram, and Tumblr. The singular form sounds odd in this sense — most speakers use the plural 'mutuals' to refer to the group of such followers.