pretty
pretty — 形容詞
1. having a nice appearance that is gentle and refined rather than striking — for e
漂亮的
美麗動人的，尤指精緻優雅
having a nice appearance that is gentle and refined rather than striking — for example, a young child with soft features, or a garden full of blooming flowers.
The garden looked so pretty with all the spring flowers in bloom.
花園裡開滿了春天的花朵，看起來非常漂亮。
pretty + noun phrase for visual appeal
Caleb bought his little sister a pretty blue dress for her birthday.
Caleb 買了一件漂亮的藍色洋裝給他的小妹妹當生日禮物。
Of all the houses on the street, the one with the red roof is the prettiest.
這條街上所有房子當中，紅屋頂的那間是最漂亮的。
Apinya wore a pretty pink ribbon in her hair for the school concert.
Apinya 在頭上繫了一條漂亮的粉紅緞帶，準備參加學校音樂會。
Everyone thought the kittens were so pretty that they could not choose just one.
每個人都覺得那些小貓好漂亮，以至於無法只選一隻帶回家。
- beautiful
stronger and more general; can describe people, nature, art, and abstract beauty
- lovely
warmer and more affectionate; often used for people and experiences
- attractive
broader in scope; can describe appeal beyond physical appearance
- cute
informal; suggests a younger, smaller, or more playful kind of prettiness
- ugly
the most direct opposite in appearance
用法筆記
Frequently used to describe women, children, and things with a delicate or refined beauty, less often used for adult men. For men, 'handsome' or 'good-looking' is more common.
常見錯誤
pretty — 副詞
1. to a moderate degree; more than a little but less than very.
相當
在一定程度上，但不是非常
to a moderate degree; more than a little but less than very.
The exam was pretty hard, but Mathieu still passed it.
考試相當難，但 Mathieu 還是通過了。
pretty + adjective (hard) meaning 'fairly'
Gabriel is pretty good at playing the saxophone for someone his age.
Gabriel 以他的年齡來說，薩克斯風吹得相當好。
Constanza is pretty sure she locked the front door before leaving.
Constanza 相當確定她在出門前鎖好了大門。
The hotel was pretty expensive, so the Watanabe family looked for a cheaper one.
那間旅館相當貴，所以 Watanabe 一家找了間比較便宜的。
Tomás can run pretty fast even though he is only nine years old.
Tomás 才九歲，但已經跑得相當快了。
文法句型
pretty + adjective/adverb
用法筆記
In informal British English, 'pretty' can be a weakener ('pretty good' = fairly good), while in American English it often leans toward a strengthening meaning ('pretty good' = quite good).
常見錯誤
2. to a large degree; very close to completely — used before 'much', 'well', 'nearl
幾乎
接近完全的程度
to a large degree; very close to completely — used before 'much', 'well', 'nearly', and similar words to emphasise that something is almost the case.
Eshe is pretty much finished with her homework and only needs to check it.
Eshe 的作業幾乎寫完了，只需要再檢查一遍。
pretty much + finished meaning 'almost completely'
The bridge repairs are pretty well complete, apart from the paintwork.
橋樑的修繕工作幾乎完成了，只剩下油漆的部分。
Devika had pretty much decided to study medicine by the end of high school.
Devika 在高中畢業前就幾乎已經決定要讀醫學系了。
The cake was pretty much gone within twenty minutes of being served.
蛋糕上桌不到二十分鐘就幾乎被吃光了。
Sahil pretty nearly missed his flight because of the traffic jam.
Sahil 因為塞車，差一點錯過了他的航班。
文法句型
pretty much + verb/noun
pretty well + verb
用法筆記
Only used with a small set of modifiers: 'much', 'well', 'nearly', and occasionally 'damn' (informal). Does not stand alone as an intensifier — you cannot say 'pretty finished' to mean 'almost finished'.
常見錯誤
pretty — 名詞
1. delicate or decorative clothing items, such as lace gloves, silk ribbons, or emb
漂亮衣服
裝飾性或精緻的衣著
delicate or decorative clothing items, such as lace gloves, silk ribbons, or embroidered garments, that are attractive in a refined way.
Yara opened the old trunk and found the pretties her grandmother had worn as a bride.
Yara 打開那個舊皮箱，找到了祖母結婚時穿過的漂亮衣服。
plural form 'pretties' for dainty clothes
The antique shop in the village sells Victorian pretties like lace collars and silk fans.
村裡那家古董店賣維多利亞時代的漂亮衣飾，像是蕾絲領和絲扇。
For the costume party, Yara borrowed some pretties from the theatre wardrobe.
為了化妝舞會，Yara 從劇院服裝間借了一些漂亮的衣物。
The boutique window was full of silk pretties and embroidered shawls.
那家精品店的櫥窗裡擺滿了絲質的漂亮衣物和刺繡披肩。
用法筆記
Almost always used in the plural form 'pretties'. This sense is old-fashioned and appears mainly in historical or nostalgic contexts.
2. a person or thing that is pleasant to look at, often used affectionately or play
漂亮的人／物
外表好看的人或東西
a person or thing that is pleasant to look at, often used affectionately or playfully.
In the old photograph, the two pretties in the front row were the youngest cousins.
在那張老照片裡，前排那兩個漂亮的娃兒是最年輕的表姊妹。
plural 'pretties' for attractive people
Benjamin called all the kittens in the litter his little pretties.
Benjamin 把那窩小貓全都叫做他的小漂亮。
The market stall sold handmade glass pretties in every colour.
那家市場攤位上賣的手工玻璃小飾品，個個都是漂亮的小東西。
Look at these little pretties on the shelf — would you like one for your room?
你看架子上的這些小玩意兒——要不要選一個放房間？
- beauty
commoner as a noun for beautiful people; 'she is a beauty' is more modern than 'she is a pretty'
用法筆記
Usually plural and often preceded by 'little' to express fondness. Can refer to either people (especially children) or small decorative objects. Slightly dated and informal.
pretty — 動詞
1. to make someone or something look more attractive, usually by adding small decor
美化
使看起來更吸引人
to make someone or something look more attractive, usually by adding small decorative touches or improvements.
Obi prettied up the living room with fresh flowers and new cushions.
Obi 用鮮花和新靠墊把客廳美化了一番。
pretty up + object + with [additions]
Sahil prettied himself before the job interview by putting on a clean shirt.
Sahil 在面試前換上乾淨的襯衫，把自己打理得好看些。
The children prettied the classroom with paper snowflakes for the holiday party.
孩子們用紙雪花裝飾教室，準備過節派對。
Devika prettied up the plain white dress by adding a red silk belt.
Devika 用一條紅色絲質腰帶把那件樸素的白色洋裝點綴得更好看了。
文法句型
pretty + object
pretty up + object
用法筆記
Almost always used with 'up' (pretty up) in modern English. Without 'up', it sounds dated or poetic. The object is typically a room, outfit, or oneself.