vanilla
vanilla — 名詞
1. a flavouring ingredient taken from the seed pods of a tropical orchid plant; it
香草精
從香草豆莢提煉的調味料
a flavouring ingredient taken from the seed pods of a tropical orchid plant; it adds a sweet, creamy taste to desserts, baked goods, and drinks
Meera added a teaspoon of vanilla to the cake batter before baking it.
Meera 在烤蛋糕前加了一茶匙香草精到麵糊裡。
add + vanilla + to [mixture]
Jisoo prefers homemade ice cream made with real vanilla rather than artificial flavouring.
Jisoo 比較喜歡用真正香草精做的自製冰淇淋，而不是用人工香料。
real vanilla vs artificial flavouring
The recipe needs vanilla extract, but fresh vanilla bean seeds work too.
食譜需要香草精，但新鮮香草豆莢的籽也可以直接用。
The kitchen smelled of warm vanilla and brown sugar while Nadia baked her birthday cake.
Nadia 在烤生日蛋糕時，整個廚房都飄著溫暖的香草和紅糖香氣。
Eshe bought pure vanilla from a speciality shop for her grandmother's pudding.
Eshe 在專賣店買了純香草精，要給奶奶做布丁。
- vanilla extract
more specific—refers to the liquid form made by soaking beans in alcohol
- vanilla flavouring
broader term that may include artificial substitutes
- vanilla bean
the whole dried pod, a different physical form
文法句型
vanilla used as uncountable noun
用法筆記
Uncountable in this sense—you say 'some vanilla' or 'a bottle of vanilla', not 'a vanilla'.
常見錯誤
vanilla — 形容詞
1. describing something that is basic, plain, or standard, with no unusual, special
普通的
無特殊功能或特色的
describing something that is basic, plain, or standard, with no unusual, special, or exciting features—commonly used for products, software, designs, services, or lifestyle choices
Élise chose the vanilla editing software because she only needed basic functions.
Élise 選擇了普通版的編輯軟體，因為她只需要基本功能。
vanilla editing software
The hotel room was clean but totally vanilla — white walls, beige carpet, no decoration.
那間飯店房間乾淨但極其普通——白牆、米色地毯，沒有任何裝飾。
vanilla = plain, unexciting
Tamar grew bored with her vanilla exercise routine and signed up for rock-climbing classes instead.
Tamar 對自己一成不變的運動方式感到厭倦，於是報名了攀岩課。
Stephanie thought the company's website design was too vanilla and asked for something bolder.
Stephanie 覺得公司網站設計太過平淡，要求做些更大膽的設計。
Emre wanted a phone that stood out, so he refused a plain vanilla model.
Emre 想要一支與眾不同的手機，所以拒絕買普通的機型。
- fancy
elaborate or decorated, the opposite of plain
- deluxe
specifically refers to upgraded or premium versions
- customised
personally adjusted to individual preferences
文法句型
[subject] + be + vanilla
vanilla + [noun]
用法筆記
Common in informal contexts about technology, products, and design. Frequently used predicatively ("that design is vanilla") or attributively ("vanilla version"). The meaning is usually mildly negative or dismissive, suggesting a lack of imagination.
常見錯誤
2. flavoured with or containing extract from the vanilla bean, especially in sweet
香草口味的
添加香草調味的
flavoured with or containing extract from the vanilla bean, especially in sweet foods and drinks
Manuela ordered a vanilla milkshake with whipped cream on top.
Manuela 點了一杯上面擠了鮮奶油的香草奶昔。
vanilla milkshake
Nicholas bought vanilla yoghurt for breakfast because he liked its mild, sweet taste.
Nicholas 買了香草優格當早餐，因為他喜歡它溫和甜美的味道。
The bakery sold vanilla cupcakes with pink frosting for the children's party.
那間烘焙坊為孩子的派對準備了粉紅色糖霜的香草杯子蛋糕。
Kevin asked for a scoop of vanilla ice cream with hot fudge sauce.
Kevin 點了一球淋上熱巧克力醬的香草冰淇淋。
- vanilla-flavoured
more explicit and slightly more formal
文法句型
vanilla + [noun]
用法筆記
Mainly used attributively before nouns (vanilla cake, vanilla pudding). In Taiwan, the common label is '香草口味' (xiāng cǎo kǒu wèi) on food packaging.