If you are impulsive, you do the thing first and think later. A feeling arrives, and you move — you buy the ticket, send the message, say yes — before you have looked at the trouble that might follow.

If you are impulsive如果你很impulsive（衝動）, you do the thing first and think later你會先做了再想。A feeling arrives, and you move一個念頭一來，你就行動了 — you buy the ticket, send the message, say yes你買了票、傳了訊息、答應了 — before you have looked at the trouble that might follow在你還沒看清楚後面可能有的麻煩之前。

We use it of people (an impulsive friend) and of acts (an impulsive purchase, an impulsive decision). It is a common word, not fancy.

We use it of people我們可以用在人身上 (an impulsive friend)（an impulsive friend一個衝動的朋友） and of acts也可以用在行為上 (an impulsive purchase, an impulsive decision)（an impulsive purchase衝動的購物、an impulsive decision衝動的決定）。It is a common word, not fancy這是一個常見的字，不花俏。

It is not always a scolding. People sometimes say it with a smile: impulsive can sound alive and warm, not only foolish. But in careful advice it is a warning: you did not weigh the danger.

It is not always a scolding它不一定是責備。People sometimes say it with a smile人們有時候會帶著笑意說這個字: impulsive can sound alive and warm, not only foolishimpulsive聽起來可以是有活力、溫暖的，不只是愚蠢。But in careful advice it is a warning但在謹慎的建議裡，它是一種警告: you did not weigh the danger你沒有衡量過危險。

It is different from imprudent, though they sit near each other. Impulsive points at speed and feeling; imprudent points at poor judgment. You can be slow and still imprudent. You can be impulsive and lucky.

It is different from imprudent它跟imprudent不一樣, though they sit near each other雖然兩者很靠近。Impulsive points at speed and feelingimpulsive指向的是速度和感覺; imprudent points at poor judgmentimprudent指向的是判斷不佳。You can be slow and still imprudent你可以動作很慢，卻還是imprudent。You can be impulsive and lucky你也可以很impulsive，卻很幸運。

In more technical English, impulsive can also describe a force that hits for a very short time, then is gone. That is a different, narrower use.

In more technical English在比較專業的英文裡, impulsive can also describe a force that hits for a very short timeimpulsive也可以形容一股力量，撞擊的時間非常短, then is gone然後就消失了。That is a different, narrower use那是另一種比較狹窄的用法。

Though actually, after a bad result, people often call the same act both impulsive and imprudent.

Though actually不過其實, after a bad result等到結果不好之後, people often call the same act both impulsive and imprudent人們常常會把同一個行為，同時叫做impulsive又叫做imprudent。