shade
shade — 動詞
1. to stop light from reaching a person or thing by placing something between the l
遮光；遮蔽
阻擋光線照射人或物
to stop light from reaching a person or thing by placing something between the light and that person or thing, so that the area stays darker or cooler
Noa shaded her eyes with her hand so she could read the bus number.
Noa 用手遮住眼睛，這樣她就能看清楚公車號碼。
shade + body part + with [object]
A large umbrella shaded the picnic table while the children ate their lunch.
一把大洋傘為野餐桌遮擋陽光，孩子們在一旁吃午餐。
Femi shaded the seedlings from the midday sun with a piece of cloth.
Femi 用一塊布為幼苗遮擋正午的烈日。
The balcony awning shades the living room windows during summer afternoons.
夏天午後，陽台的遮陽篷為客廳窗戶遮擋光線。
- expose
to allow light to reach
- illuminate
to make bright by adding light
文法句型
shade + noun phrase (person/body part/object)
shade + noun phrase + from + light source
shade + noun phrase + with + blocking object
用法筆記
The object of 'shade' is the person, body part, or thing being protected from light, not the light source itself. The blocking object often follows 'with' or 'from'.
常見錯誤
2. to pass from one state or colour to another through a series of small, unnoticea
漸變；轉變
顏色或狀態逐漸變化
to pass from one state or colour to another through a series of small, unnoticeable steps, so that there is no clear dividing line — used mainly about colours in nature or art, but also about moods, opinions, or seasons
The evening sky shaded from deep blue into soft lavender as the stars appeared.
傍晚的天空從深藍色漸漸轉為柔和的淡紫色，星星也跟著出現了。
shade from [colour] into [colour]
In early autumn the maple leaves begin to shade slowly from green to orange.
初秋時，楓葉開始從綠色慢慢轉成橘色。
The cared-for lawn near the house shades into a meadow where wildflowers grow.
房子附近修剪整齊的草地逐漸過渡到一片長滿野花的草地。
Lotte's initial nervousness about the speech gradually shaded into calm confidence.
Lotte 一開始對演講的緊張感，漸漸轉變為沉穩的自信心。
- contrast
to be sharply different rather than gradually changing
文法句型
shade from [A] into [B]
shade into [something]
用法筆記
Most often paired with 'into' to introduce the resulting state. The change is always smooth and continuous, never sudden or sharp. Can describe physical shifts in colour, landscape, or light, as well as abstract changes in feelings or conditions.
shade — 名詞
1. a place that is darker and cooler than the surrounding area because something su
遮蔭；陰涼處
陽光被遮擋形成的陰涼區域
a place that is darker and cooler than the surrounding area because something such as a tree, building, or umbrella blocks the direct sunlight.
Sofia sat under the big oak tree to rest in the cool shade during her lunch break.
Sofia 在午休時間坐在大橡樹下，享受那涼爽的樹蔭。
in the shade — position under a tree
The temperature dropped noticeably when we walked into the shade of the old stone building.
當我們走進老舊石造建築的陰影處時，氣溫明顯下降了。
shade of + noun (building)
Ife planted bushes along the fence to create shade for the flowers.
Ife 沿著圍籬種了一排灌木，為那些花製造遮蔭。
Aoi found a patch of shade under the bamboo grove and spread out her picnic blanket.
Aoi 在竹林下找到一小片陰涼處，攤開她的野餐墊。
文法句型
in the shade
shade of + noun
a shade of
用法筆記
This sense is usually uncountable ('sit in the shade'). When used with 'a', it refers to a specific area: 'a cool shade by the wall'. Frequently paired with prepositions 'in' and 'under'.
常見錯誤
2. a cover, usually made of glass, fabric, or paper, that fits over a light bulb to
燈罩
罩在燈泡上使光線柔和的裝置
a cover, usually made of glass, fabric, or paper, that fits over a light bulb to make the light softer or to direct it in a certain direction.
Ravindra replaced the old paper lampshade with a simple white glass one to brighten the room.
Ravindra 把舊紙燈罩換成一個簡潔的白色玻璃燈罩，讓房間更明亮。
lamp shade — compound noun for lamp cover
Élise chose a dark green fabric shade for the bedside lamp because it gives a warm glow at night.
Élise 為床頭燈選了一個深綠色布質燈罩，因為它晚上會發出溫暖的光芒。
shade for + lamp type — specifying purpose
The silk shade on the ceiling light was covered in dust and needed a gentle cleaning.
天花板的絲質燈罩上積滿了灰塵，需要輕輕清潔一下。
James bought a cone-shaped metal shade for his reading lamp to focus the light on his book.
James 買了一個錐形金屬燈罩裝在他的閱讀燈上，好把光線聚焦在書本上。
文法句型
lamp shade
shade of + colour/material
用法筆記
Often used in the compound 'lampshade' ('lamp shade' is also common). Can describe both the shape and material: 'a red silk shade', 'a metal shade'.
常見錯誤
❌ 'I need a new shade for my lamp.' (This is correct!) — No common mistake for this sense.
3. the darker areas of a painting or drawing that the artist uses to create depth,
暗部；陰影
繪畫中表現立體感的深色區域
the darker areas of a painting or drawing that the artist uses to create depth, contrast, and a sense of three-dimensional form.
The art teacher showed the class how adding shade around the edges of an apple makes it look round.
美術老師向全班示範，在蘋果邊緣加上陰影可以讓它看起來更立體。
adding shade — collocation in art instruction
Adina used charcoal to create strong shades in the portrait, making the face look more realistic.
Adina 用炭筆在畫像中畫出強烈的暗部，使臉部看起來更逼真。
strong shades — adjective + shade for high contrast
In watercolour painting, beginners often struggle to put enough shade in their landscapes.
在水彩畫中，初學者常常難以在風景畫裡加入足夠的暗部層次。
The drawing uses dark shade under the chin to show where the head meets the neck.
這幅畫在下巴下方用了深色暗部，來表現頭部與頸部的連接。
- shadowing
the technique of creating darker areas, especially in drawing
- dark areas
simpler term; less technical but useful for beginners
- highlight
the lightest parts of a painting or drawing
文法句型
shade and light
shades of + colour
用法筆記
Typically uncountable as a general concept ('shade is important in realistic drawing'). The plural 'shades' refers to specific dark patches ('the shades in the background'). Often paired with the word 'light' or 'tone' in art discussions.
4. dark glasses that you wear to protect your eyes from bright sunlight (an informa
墨鏡
遮擋強光的有色眼鏡（非正式用法）
dark glasses that you wear to protect your eyes from bright sunlight (an informal short form of 'sunglasses').
James put on his shades as soon as he stepped off the plane into the bright Miami sun.
James 一下飛機踏上陽光燦爛的邁阿密，就立刻戴上他的墨鏡。
informal register: put on shades
Romi bought a new pair of shades with rounded pink lenses for her trip to the beach.
Romi 為了去海灘度假，買了一副新的圓形粉紅鏡片太陽眼鏡。
a pair of shades — fixed expression
The celebrity walked past the photographers without taking off her shades, even inside the hotel lobby.
那位名人走過攝影師面前時墨鏡始終沒摘下來，即使進了飯店大廳也一樣。
Ravindra always keeps a spare pair of shades in his car for sunny days.
Ravindra 車上總是放著一副備用墨鏡，以備大太陽天使用。
- sunglasses
the standard, neutral term; appropriate in any context
- dark glasses
descriptive term; slightly old-fashioned
文法句型
a pair of shades
wear shades
put on shades
用法筆記
Always plural ('my shades,' 'those shades'). Very informal — suitable for everyday conversation but not for formal writing. The full term 'sunglasses' is more neutral.
常見錯誤
5. a rectangular sheet of fabric or plastic fitted above a window frame that you ca
遮光簾
可拉上拉下遮擋窗戶的簾子
a rectangular sheet of fabric or plastic fitted above a window frame that you can lower to keep sunlight out or pull up to let it into the room.
Emre pulled down the shade in the bedroom so that the morning sun would not wake the baby.
Emre 把臥室的遮光簾拉下來，免得早上的陽光吵醒寶寶。
pull down the shade — phrasal verb pattern
Nadia raised the shade to let in some light while keeping the bottom half of the window covered for privacy.
Nadia 把遮光簾拉高讓光線照進來，同時下半部窗戶仍然遮住以保護隱私。
raise the shade — opposite verb pattern
The old window shade snapped back up when Christopher let go of the cord too quickly.
Christopher 放開拉繩太快，那扇舊的遮光簾啪地一聲彈了上去。
Sofia lowered the kitchen shade halfway to keep the afternoon glare off the counter.
Sofia 把廚房遮光簾拉下一半，以免午後的強光照到流理檯上。
文法句型
pull down the shade
window shade
raise the shade
用法筆記
This sense is primarily American English. In British English, the same object is usually called a 'blind' (e.g. 'roller blind'). The verbs 'pull down' and 'raise' are the most common pair for operating a shade.
常見錯誤
6. a particular form, level of lightness or darkness, or variety of a colour — for
色調；深淺
同一顏色的深淺或濃淡變化
a particular form, level of lightness or darkness, or variety of a colour — for example, sky blue, navy blue, and royal blue are all shades of blue.
Manuela painted the kitchen walls a soft shade of yellow that made the room feel warm and bright.
Manuela 把廚房牆壁漆成柔和的黃色調，讓整個房間感覺溫暖又明亮。
a shade of + colour — describing variation
This shop sells paint in over thirty different shades of white, from creamy to icy grey tones.
這家店賣的油漆有超過三十種不同的白色色調，從奶油色到冰灰色都有。
shades of + colour (plural for range)
The leaves of the maple tree change through many shades of red and orange during autumn.
楓樹的葉子在秋天會經歷許多種紅色和橙色的色調變化。
Adina chose a darker shade of blue for the sofa so that stains would not show easily.
Adina 選了一種較深的藍色調來做沙發，這樣污漬比較不容易看出來。
文法句型
a shade of + colour
shade of + colour name
用法筆記
Followed by 'of + colour': 'a shade of green / blue / red'. Can also be used without a colour name when the colour is clear from context: 'This shade suits your skin tone better.' Do not confuse with sense 1 (blocked sunlight) — this sense always relates to colour.
常見錯誤
7. a very small, often nearly unnoticeable difference in opinion, feeling, meaning,
細微差別
意見或情感上的微小差異
a very small, often nearly unnoticeable difference in opinion, feeling, meaning, or quality that makes one thing distinct from other things that are otherwise alike
There are many shades of opinion among the voters this election season.
這次選舉中，選民們有許多不同的意見傾向。
shades of opinion — range of subtle differences in views
Folake detected a shade of disappointment in her father's voice during the call.
Folake 在通話中聽出父親語氣裡帶著一絲失望。
Yuki caught a shade of hesitation in her colleague's reply to the manager.
Yuki 從同事回答主管時的語氣中，捕捉到一絲猶豫。
João could not tell the subtle shade of difference between the two musical notes.
João 聽不出那兩個音符之間的細微差別。
文法句型
shade + of + noun
用法筆記
Often used in the plural form 'shades of' when referring to multiple gradations. Can also appear with 'a shade of' followed by an abstract noun to indicate a small trace of a quality or feeling.
8. a very small amount or degree; used to describe something that is only slightly
稍微
少量的；略微的
a very small amount or degree; used to describe something that is only slightly different from a particular state, especially in comparisons with an expected norm
The soup was a shade too salty for Théo's taste.
這碗湯對 Théo 來說稍微鹹了一點。
a shade too + adjective — slightly more than desired
Her new dress is a shade brighter than the one she wore last week.
她那件新洋裝比上週穿的那件稍微亮一些。
The meeting started a shade later than planned because of the traffic jam.
會議因為塞車比原定時間稍微晚了一點才開始。
This year's sales figures are a shade better than last year's results.
今年的銷售數字比去年稍微好一些。
- slightly
more common in everyday speech and writing across all registers
- a little bit
more informal and conversational
文法句型
a shade + adjective/adverb
a shade too + adjective
a shade + comparative
用法筆記
Always used in the fixed phrase 'a shade' followed by an adjective or adverb. It cannot be used as an independent noun meaning 'a small amount' in other grammatical roles. The article 'a' is mandatory.
常見錯誤
9. used to say that a current person, situation, or event calls to mind someone or
令人想起
使人聯想到類似的人事物
used to say that a current person, situation, or event calls to mind someone or something similar from an earlier time, often in a striking or surprising way
The team's comeback victory had shades of their famous 2019 final win.
這支球隊的逆轉勝讓人想起他們2019年那場經典決賽。
shades of + noun phrase — reminds one of a past event
When Emre began to sing, it was shades of his famous older brother.
當 Emre 開始唱歌時，那模樣簡直讓人想起他那位名氣響亮的哥哥。
The politician's speech had shades of the same arguments from five years ago.
那位政治人物的演講充滿了五年前同樣的論調。
Looking at the old photographs, Indra felt shades of her happy childhood summers.
看著舊照片，Indra 想起了童年快樂的夏日時光。
- reminds me of
more direct and neutral in register
- echoes
more formal and often used in literary or critical writing
文法句型
shades of + noun phrase
用法筆記
Always appears in the plural form 'shades of' followed by a noun phrase. This expression is most common in informal contexts, such as conversation, journalism, and social media, to draw a quick comparison.