vow
vow — 動詞
1. to promise someone or yourself in a very serious and determined way that you wil
發誓；立誓
鄭重承諾要做某事
to promise someone or yourself in a very serious and determined way that you will do something, often because you feel strongly about it or want to change something important in your life.
Christopher vowed to improve his grades after receiving his exam results.
Christopher 在收到考試成績後發誓要努力提升自己的成績。
vow + to-infinitive for personal commitments
Theo and his partner vowed to support each other through every challenge.
Theo 和伴侶發誓無論遇到什麼挑戰都要互相扶持。
Shanti vowed that she would visit her sick aunt every week without fail.
Shanti 發誓每週一定會去探望生病的阿姨，風雨無阻。
At the graduation ceremony, the students vowed to use their education for good.
在畢業典禮上，學生們發誓要用所學的知識造福社會。
Emre vowed never to let fear prevent him from speaking the truth.
Emre 發誓絕不讓恐懼阻止他說出真相。
- break
to fail to keep a vow or promise
文法句型
vow + to-infinitive
vow + that-clause
vow + never/not to-infinitive
vow + noun phrase (rare)
用法筆記
Stronger and more formal than 'promise'. This sense almost always requires a complement — either a to-infinitive or a that-clause — specifying what action the speaker commits to. Not used for casual arrangements or everyday favours.
常見錯誤
2. to offer or give someone or something completely to a god or a religious purpose
奉獻
以誓言奉獻給神明
to offer or give someone or something completely to a god or a religious purpose, as part of a formal and serious promise made in a ceremony or ritual.
The temple was vowed to the goddess Athena in ancient times.
這座神廟在古代被奉獻給女神雅典娜。
passive: was vowed to [deity]
Alessia vowed her life to serving the monastery and its community.
Alessia 誓言將一生奉獻給修道院及其社區。
vow + life/reflexive object to [purpose]
The Watanabe family vowed a portion of their harvest to the shrine each spring.
渡邊家族每年春天都將一部分收成奉獻給神社。
In the old ceremony, warriors vowed their finest weapons to the war god.
在古老的儀式中，戰士們將他們最精良的武器奉獻給戰神。
- dedicate
more general and less tied to formal promises; can be used for non-religious commitments too
- consecrate
more formal and specifically religious; implies a holy purpose through a blessing
- devote
similar meaning but does not necessarily involve a formal promise or vow
文法句型
vow + object + to + deity/purpose
be vowed + to + deity/purpose
用法筆記
Frequently used in the passive voice. The object is typically something of great personal value — one's life, children, property, or possessions. This sense is almost entirely limited to religious or ritualistic contexts.
常見錯誤
vow — 名詞
1. a formal and serious promise, made to yourself, another person, a group, or a go
誓言；誓約
嚴肅的承諾或決定
a formal and serious promise, made to yourself, another person, a group, or a god, that you will definitely do something or live in a certain way.
The monk made a vow of silence for the next thirty days.
那位僧侶立下未來三十天保持沉默的誓言。
collocation: vow of silence
Tuan broke his vow to keep the secret when he saw the children in danger.
Tuan 在看到孩子們身處危險後，打破了他保守秘密的誓言。
Vinícius and Élise exchanged wedding vows in a garden by the river.
Vinícius 和 Élise 在河邊的花園交換了結婚誓詞。
Amani kept her vow to visit her grandmother every Sunday without fail.
Amani 堅守每週日去探望祖母的誓言，從未失約。
The dancer's vow to never give up became the guiding star of her career.
那位舞者永不放棄的誓言成為她職涯的指引之星。
- breach
a formal term for breaking a promise or agreement
文法句型
make a vow
keep a vow
break a vow
vow + to-infinitive
vow + of + noun
用法筆記
Often used with the verbs 'make', 'keep', 'break', and 'take'. Marriage vows and monastic vows are the most culturally recognised types. Unlike 'promise', a 'vow' implies a deeply serious, often life-long commitment.