The eaves are the edges of a roof that stick out past the walls. Rain hits the roof, runs down, and falls from the eaves, so the walls stay a little drier, and you can stand in a thin strip of shelter just under them.

The eaves are屋簷指的是 the edges of a roof that stick out past the walls.屋頂突出於牆壁外的邊緣部分。 Rain hits the roof, runs down, and falls from the eaves,雨水打在屋頂上、往下流，從屋簷落下， so the walls stay a little drier,所以牆壁會比較不容易淋濕， and you can stand in a thin strip of shelter just under them.而你也可以站在屋簷下那一小條遮蔽的地方。

The word looks like a plural, and we treat it that way: we say the eaves are…, not is…. Though actually, the -s was already part of the old word (Middle English eves, from Old English efes); later people heard that -s as a plural ending and made a singular eave.

The word looks like a plural,這個字看起來像複數， and we treat it that way:用法上也真的當複數看： we say the eaves are…, not is….會說the eaves are…，不會說is…。 Though actually,不過其實， the -s was already part of the old word (Middle English eves, from Old English efes);這個-s本來就是舊字的一部分（中古英文eves，來自古英文efes）； later people heard that -s as a plural ending後來的人把這個-s誤聽成複數字尾， and made a singular eave.於是造出了單數的eave。

In ordinary talk you still say eaves. It is a house-and-building word, not a metaphor in daily conversation — except that it sits inside eavesdrop.

In ordinary talk在日常說法裡 you still say eaves.還是說eaves。 It is a house-and-building word,這是跟房子、建築有關的字， not a metaphor in daily conversation —平常說話不會拿來比喻什麼—— except that it sits inside eavesdrop.只不過它就藏在eavesdrop（偷聽）這個字裡面。