silver
silver — 名詞
1. a grey-white metal that is very valuable and can be polished until it shines bri
銀
一種有光澤的灰白色貴金屬
a grey-white metal that is very valuable and can be polished until it shines brightly, often used in jewellery, coins, and household objects such as forks and knives.
The Watanabe family passed down a set of silver jewellery from grandmother to granddaughter.
Watanabe 家族將一套銀飾從祖母傳到了孫女手中。
family heirloom context
For her birthday, Shanti received a beautiful silver necklace with a small blue stone.
Shanti 生日時收到一條鑲有小藍石的美麗銀項鍊。
Quan polished the silver forks and spoons until they shone in the candlelight.
Quan 把銀叉和銀湯匙擦得在燭光下閃閃發亮。
The old coins in the museum were made of pure silver mined from nearby mountains.
博物館裡那些古幣是用附近山上開採的純銀製成的。
Defne's wedding ring is made of silver because she prefers its soft glow to gold.
Defne 的結婚戒指是銀做的，因為她偏愛銀柔和的光澤勝過黃金的亮彩。
- precious metal
broader category including gold and platinum; less specific than 'silver'
文法句型
silver + noun (attributive)
用法筆記
Uncountable when referring to the metal itself. To refer to individual items made of silver, use 'a silver [object]' (a silver necklace, silver coins).
常見錯誤
2. a disc of shiny silver-coloured metal presented to the runner-up in a contest or
銀牌
比賽第二名的獎牌
a disc of shiny silver-coloured metal presented to the runner-up in a contest or sporting event.
Baraka won a silver in the 100-metre race at the national championships.
Baraka 在全國錦標賽的一百公尺賽跑中贏得一面銀牌。
collocation: win a silver (medal)
Yumi's team took the silver after losing the final match by just one point.
Yumi 的隊伍在決賽中以一分之差落敗，拿下銀牌。
The gymnast held her silver medal tightly and promised to train harder for gold.
那位體操選手緊握著銀牌，誓言明年要更努力訓練爭取金牌。
Christopher was happy with his silver, though he had hoped to finish first.
Christopher 對自己拿到銀牌感到滿意，雖然他原本希望能得第一。
The crowd cheered loudly when the home team received their silver medals.
當地主隊拿到銀牌時，觀眾大聲歡呼。
- silver medal
the full, more formal term
- runner-up prize
broader; includes non-sport competitions
文法句型
win + a + silver
take + the + silver
silver + medal
用法筆記
Can be shortened to 'a silver' in sports journalism: 'She won a silver in the 200-metre race.' The full form 'silver medal' is more common in everyday speech.
常見錯誤
3. the colour of polished silver: a grey-white shade with a bright, reflective qual
銀色
像銀一樣的灰白色
the colour of polished silver: a grey-white shade with a bright, reflective quality.
Asher painted his bedroom walls in a soft silver that caught the morning light.
Asher 把臥室的牆壁漆成一種柔和的銀色，在晨光中閃爍著光芒。
The car's new paint job was a beautiful silver that sparkled under the sun.
那輛車新烤漆的顏色是漂亮的銀色，在陽光下閃閃發亮。
collocation: beautiful silver (colour)
Élise chose a dress in pale silver for the winter wedding.
Élise 為那場冬日婚禮選了一件淺銀色的洋裝。
The leaves of the olive tree have a gentle silver on their underside.
橄欖樹的葉背帶著一抹柔和的銀色。
Kasia's hair had turned a lovely shade of silver as she grew older.
Kasia 隨著年紀增長，頭髮變成了一頭漂亮的銀色。
- grey-white
describes the colour without the metallic shine; less vivid
- argent
literary or heraldic term; very rare in everyday English
文法句型
a + adjective + silver
shade of silver
用法筆記
Often used with a descriptive adjective: 'a pale silver', 'a soft silver', 'a dark silver'. As an uncountable noun the colour is simply 'silver' ('the car is silver').
silver — 形容詞
1. made from the metal silver, or having the shiny grey-white colour of silver.
銀製；銀色
用銀製成的，或呈銀白色光澤的
made from the metal silver, or having the shiny grey-white colour of silver.
The silver teapot was a family treasure that had been used for over fifty years.
那把銀茶壺是傳家之寶，已經使用了五十多年。
attributive: silver + noun (physical object)
Eitan received a silver watch as a graduation gift from his uncle.
Eitan 收到一只銀手錶，是他叔叔送的畢業禮物。
A silver moon hung low over the hills, lighting the path ahead.
一輪銀月低懸在山丘上方，照亮了前方的路。
Joaquín wore a silver tie with his grey suit to the office party.
Joaquín 在辦公室派對上戴了一條銀色領帶搭配灰色西裝。
The silver frame around the photograph was engraved with tiny flowers.
照片周圍的銀色相框刻有精緻的小花圖案。
- silvery
suggests a silver-like shine or colour rather than actual silver metal; more poetic
- silver-coloured
explicitly refers to colour only, not material
文法句型
silver + noun
用法筆記
When used attributively (before a noun), 'silver' can describe either the material ('a silver ring' = made of silver) or the colour ('a silver car' = silver-coloured). Context usually makes the distinction clear.
常見錯誤
silver — 動詞
1. to cover a surface with a coating of silver or silver-coloured material, so that
鍍銀；呈銀色
在表面覆上銀或銀色物質
to cover a surface with a coating of silver or silver-coloured material, so that it shines like a mirror or takes on a grey-white metallic look.
The artist silvered the back of the glass pane to create a small mirror.
那位藝術家在玻璃板背面鍍了一層銀，製成一面小鏡子。
active: silver + object (mirror-making)
Years of wear had silvered the iron gate, giving it a soft grey sheen.
多年的風吹雨打讓那道鐵門蒙上一層銀灰色的光澤。
The factory silvers thousands of teaspoons each day using a modern process.
那家工廠每天用現代化程序為數千隻茶匙鍍銀。
The jeweller carefully silvered the copper pendant to give it a brighter finish.
珠寶匠仔細地在銅墜子上鍍銀，讓它表面更光亮。
- plate with silver
more common in everyday use; refers specifically to electroplating
- silver-plate
verb form; interchangeable with 'silver' in technical contexts
文法句型
silver + object
be silvered
用法筆記
More common in the passive ('a mirror that has been silvered') or in technical descriptions of manufacturing. In everyday language, people more often say 'plated with silver' or 'silver-plated'.