open book

IPA/ˈəʊpən bˈʊk/
IPA/ˈoʊpən bˈʊk/

open book — 慣用語

1. used to describe a person whose thoughts, feelings, and moods are so clearly exp

1.慣用語B2
釋義

坦率的人

想法和感受容易被看穿的人

used to describe a person whose thoughts, feelings, and moods are so clearly expressed that others can understand them without effort — as if their inner life were a book lying open for anyone to read

例句

Amara is an open book — you can tell she is upset from one glance at her face.

Amara 是個坦率的人——你只要看她一眼，就能知道她不開心。

be an open book: describing a transparent person

Dimitri has always been an open book with his friends, sharing every worry and joy.

Dimitri 對好友一向坦率，所有煩惱和喜悅都會分享。

同義詞
  • transparent

    more formal; often used in workplace or leadership contexts

  • readable

    suggests signs of emotion can be decoded, but not as fully accessible as an open book

  • candid

    emphasizes honest speech in a particular moment rather than an enduring trait

反義詞
  • enigma

    a person who is impossible to figure out or understand

  • closed book

    the direct opposite; someone who hides everything about themselves

文法句型

be an open book

be an open book to someone

用法筆記

Used only for describing people — not situations or facts. The person's inner state is visible without them having to explain it. Distinguish from sense 2: a person is an open book (sense 1), but a court case or a company's records are an open book (sense 2).

常見錯誤

❌She is like an open book to me.
✅She is an open book to me.
💡The idiom never uses 'like'; the person IS the book, not similar to one.
❌He is open book about his past.
✅He is an open book about his past.
💡The article 'an' must always be included.

2. used about a topic, situation, or set of facts where nothing is hidden — every d

2.慣用語B2
釋義

眾所皆知

毫無隱瞞、人人皆知的事情

used about a topic, situation, or set of facts where nothing is hidden — every detail sits in plain view and no mystery remains

例句

The company's accounts became an open book once the new financial reports came out.

新的財務報告出爐後，公司的帳目就眾所皆知了。

became an open book: describing fully-known information

Tariq's early life was an open book to the villagers who had known him since childhood.

Tariq 早年的生活對那些從小就認識他的村民來說，早已眾所皆知。

同義詞
  • public knowledge

    neutral, factual register; often used for official or widely circulated information

  • transparent

    more formal; applied to processes and systems rather than scattered facts

  • common knowledge

    suggests information known widely within a particular group

反義詞
  • mystery

    something that remains unknown or unexplained

  • secret

    deliberately hidden information

文法句型

be an open book

become an open book

be an open book to someone

用法筆記

Used for information, situations, or records — not for individual people. Distinguish from sense 1: a person can be an open book (sense 1), but a court case, a company's history, or a set of records is an open book (sense 2).

常見錯誤

❌The matter is open book now.
✅The matter is an open book now.
💡The article 'an' is always required.
❌The report left nothing as an open book.
✅The report left nothing hidden; everything was an open book.
💡The idiom describes something that IS fully known, not something that lacks transparency.