sugar
sugar — 名詞
1. a sweet-tasting ingredient that comes in small grains or powder and is produced
糖；食糖
從植物中提取的甜味物質，用於烹飪
a sweet-tasting ingredient that comes in small grains or powder and is produced from specific crops to add sweetness to meals and beverages
Do you take sugar in your coffee every morning?
你的咖啡要加糖嗎？
uncountable: 'sugar' as a mass noun in drinks
Élise stirred a spoonful of brown sugar into her oatmeal.
Élise 舀了一匙紅糖攪進她的燕麥粥裡。
brown sugar as a common type
Walid bought a large bag of white sugar at the supermarket.
Walid 在超市買了一大包白糖。
The cake recipe calls for two cups of sugar and one cup of butter.
這個蛋糕食譜需要兩杯糖和一杯奶油。
Ife decided to cut down on sugar after visiting the dentist.
Ife 看牙醫後決定減少吃糖。
- salt
a salty seasoning rather than a sweet one; opposite taste category
用法筆記
Sugar is an uncountable noun when referring to the substance as a whole. Do not say 'a sugar' for the general substance — that is only used in sense 4 (a unit of sugar).
常見錯誤
2. one of several kinds of sweet-tasting chemical found in living things, used by t
糖類
植物和水果中的天然甜味物質
one of several kinds of sweet-tasting chemical found in living things, used by the body to produce energy
Fruit contains natural sugars that give you energy without the crash.
水果含有天然糖分，能提供能量又不會造成血糖急遽升降。
natural vs. refined sugar distinction
Tomás learned about glucose and fructose in his biology class.
Tomás 在生物課上學到了葡萄糖和果糖。
Eve checks the label for added sugars before buying breakfast cereal.
Eve 在買早餐麥片前會先檢查標籤上的添加糖含量。
The doctor told Harper to keep an eye on her blood sugar levels.
醫生告訴 Harper 要注意自己的血糖值。
Many processed foods contain hidden sugars under different names.
許多加工食品以不同名稱隱藏額外的糖分。
- carbohydrate
a broader category that includes sugars, starches, and fiber; 'sugar' is one type of carbohydrate
- glucose
a specific simple sugar that is the main energy source for cells; more technical
- fructose
a specific simple sugar found naturally in fruit; more technical
用法筆記
In this sense, 'sugar' can be countable ('simple sugars' refers to different types) or uncountable ('sugar occurs naturally in fruit'). 'Blood sugar' is a fixed health collocation — it is uncountable and always singular.
常見錯誤
3. a word used when speaking in a warm, friendly way to somebody you feel close to,
親愛的；甜心
對喜歡的人友善的稱呼方式
a word used when speaking in a warm, friendly way to somebody you feel close to, like 'dear' or 'sweetheart'
Don't worry, sugar, everything is going to be just fine.
別擔心，親愛的，一切都會沒事的。
informal affectionate address
Naoko smiled warmly and said, "Thanks for carrying my bags, sugar!"
Naoko 笑容滿面地說：「謝謝你幫我拿袋子，甜心！」
Come here, sugar, and give your grandmother a hug.
過來，寶貝，給奶奶一個擁抱。
The waitress smiled and said, "What can I get for you, sugar?"
女服務生微笑著說：「甜心，您想要點什麼？」
- sweetheart
more widely used as a term of endearment across regions; similar in meaning
- dear
common in British English; less regional than 'sugar'
- honey
similar register and usage; popular in American English
文法句型
used as a form of address
用法筆記
Used mainly in informal American and Southern U.S. speech. It can sound friendly or patronising depending on the context and relationship. Not common in British English — British speakers are more likely to use 'love' or 'dear'.
常見錯誤
4. a single serving of sugar, for example one spoonful or one cube, put into a hot
一匙糖；方糖
加入飲料中的糖，以匙或塊為計量單位
a single serving of sugar, for example one spoonful or one cube, put into a hot drink
How many sugars do you take in your tea?
你的茶要加幾匙糖？
countable: 'how many sugars' in drinks
Adina takes two sugars in her coffee every morning.
Adina 每天早上都在咖啡裡加兩匙糖。
The cafe puts small packets of sugar in a basket near the counter.
咖啡館在櫃檯旁邊放了一籃小包裝的糖。
Dario asked for just one sugar in his hot chocolate, not two.
Dario 說他的熱巧克力只要加一顆方糖，不要兩顆。
用法筆記
In this sense 'sugar' is a countable noun and can be used with numbers: 'one sugar', 'two sugars', etc. This is the only sense where 'a sugar' is correct and natural. The unit is usually a teaspoonful, a cube, or a small packet — the exact amount depends on context.
常見錯誤
sugar — 感嘆詞
1. a polite word used to express annoyance, frustration, or disappointment when som
糟糕；唉呀
遇到麻煩時的溫和感嘆詞，代替髒話
a polite word used to express annoyance, frustration, or disappointment when something goes wrong, as a milder alternative to a stronger swear word
Oh sugar! I left my keys inside the locked car.
喔糟糕！我把鑰匙留在鎖著的車裡了。
mild exclamation for minor frustrations
Sugar! The bus pulled away just as Layla reached the stop.
唉呀！Layla 跑到公車站時，公車正好開走了。
Christopher dropped his phone and muttered, "Oh, sugar."
Christopher 摔了手機，低聲說：「噢，糟了。」
Sugar! The train left without her even though she arrived on time.
糟糕！她明明準時到了，火車卻沒等她。
用法筆記
A euphemistic substitute for the swear word 'shit'. Suitable in situations where you want to express frustration without using offensive language — for example, around children or in a workplace. Still informal; not appropriate in very formal writing.
常見錯誤
sugar — 動詞
1. to add sugar to a food or drink, often by sprinkling or stirring it in
加糖
在食物或飲料中加入糖
to add sugar to a food or drink, often by sprinkling or stirring it in
Layla sugared her tea and then took a careful sip.
Layla 在茶裡加了糖，然後小心地啜了一口。
transitive: sugar + [drink]
Christopher always sugars his morning cereal with brown sugar.
Christopher 總是在早餐麥片上撒紅糖。
The baker sugared the top of the cake before serving it to guests.
烘焙師在蛋糕頂部撒了糖才端給客人。
Should I sugar the lemonade or leave it without any sweetener?
我應該在檸檬水裡加糖，還是讓它不加甜味劑？
- sweeten
more common in modern English; can mean adding any sweetener, not just sugar
- unsweeten
rare; more commonly expressed as 'leave unsweetened'
文法句型
sugar + noun phrase
用法筆記
This verb is less common in everyday conversation than the phrase 'add sugar'. It is often used in cooking instructions or descriptive writing. The past participle 'sugared' can also be used as an adjective: 'sugared almonds'.