A ballerina is a woman who dances ballet — the stage dance with pointed shoes, turns, and long, clean lines of the body. In a dance company she may have a rank, and the lead woman is sometimes called the prima ballerina.

A ballerina「ballerina芭蕾舞者」 is a woman who dances ballet是跳芭蕾舞的女性 — the stage dance with pointed shoes就是那種穿著足尖鞋的舞台舞蹈, turns有旋轉動作, and long, clean lines of the body身體線條修長俐落。 In a dance company在一個舞團裡 she may have a rank她可能會有等級之分, and the lead woman is sometimes called首席女舞者有時候被稱作 the prima ballerina「prima ballerina首席芭蕾女伶」。

In ordinary talk, though, people also call a girl a ballerina if she goes to ballet class, even if she has never danced on a big stage. The word is almost always for a woman or a girl. A man who does the same work is a ballet dancer.

In ordinary talk不過在日常說法裡, though, people also call a girl a ballerina大家也會叫一個女孩芭蕾舞者 if she goes to ballet class只要她有去上芭蕾課, even if she has never danced on a big stage就算她從來沒有在大舞台上表演過。 The word is almost always這個詞幾乎都是用在 for a woman or a girl女性或女孩身上。 A man who does the same work做同樣工作的男性 is a ballet dancer叫做「ballet dancer芭蕾舞者(男)」。

It is not rude or jokey by itself. People do use it lightly: a small child in a tutu at a school show gets called a little ballerina, with warmth.

It is not rude or jokey by itself這個詞本身並不是粗魯或開玩笑的意思。 People do use it lightly大家確實也會輕鬆地使用它: a small child in a tutu at a school show學校表演上穿著芭蕾裙的小孩 gets called會被叫作 a little ballerina「a little ballerina小芭蕾舞者」, with warmth語氣是親切的。

English borrowed it from Italian, where it already meant a female dancer. It belongs with ballet, not with basketball, even though baller sits next to it on the page.

English borrowed it英文是借來這個詞的 from Italian從義大利文, where it already meant a female dancer而在義大利文裡它本來就是指女性舞者。 It belongs with ballet它跟「ballet芭蕾」是一家人, not with basketball跟「basketball籃球」沒關係, even though baller sits next to it on the page雖然「baller籃球高手」這個字在字典頁面上剛好排在它旁邊。