Do-it-yourself, often shortened to DIY, is the idea that you make or mend something with your own hands instead of paying a worker. It covers painting a room, putting up a shelf, sewing a dress, fixing a tap, even building a small shelf from a kit at the kitchen table. Shops sell do-it-yourself kits; weekends fill with do-it-yourself jobs.

Do-it-yourself，often shortened to常縮寫成 DIY，is the idea講的是這個想法：you你 with your own hands用自己的雙手 make or mend something做東西或修東西，instead of paying a worker而不是花錢請師傅。It covers它涵蓋 painting a room粉刷房間、putting up a shelf裝層架、sewing a dress縫衣服、fixing a tap修水龍頭，even甚至 at the kitchen table在餐桌上 from a kit用材料包 building a small shelf組一個小架子。Shops sell店裡賣 do-it-yourself kits DIY 材料包；weekends週末 with do-it-yourself jobs被自己動手的活兒 fill填滿。

In Britain especially, DIY is a whole culture and a kind of shop. The phrase can describe a person (a do-it-yourself type), a job, or the activity. It feels practical and proud, not high or academic.

especially尤其 In Britain在英國，DIY is是 a whole culture一整個文化，and a kind of shop也是一種店。The phrase can describe這個片語可以形容 a person人（a do-it-yourself type愛自己動手的類型）、a job工作，or the activity或這項活動本身。It feels它給人的感覺 practical and proud實在又帶點自豪，not high or academic不高雅也不學術。

You will see the short letters DIY far more often than the full hyphenated phrase, but they mean the same thing. Though actually, companies also sell DIY in a box, so you are not always as alone as the words suggest — you may still follow printed steps.

You will see你會看到 the short letters DIY 這三個字母 than the full hyphenated phrase比完整加連字號的寫法 far more often頻繁得多，but they mean the same thing但意思一樣。Though actually不過其實，companies also sell廠商也在賣 DIY in a box盒裝的 DIY，so所以 you are not always你不一定 as alone as the words suggest像字面說的那麼孤軍奮戰——you may still你可能還是 follow printed steps照著印好的步驟做。