Pearly describes something that is pale and softly shining, like a pearl — not bright and hard like metal, but with a gentle glow that seems to come from inside the surface.

Pearly這個字 describes是用來形容 something that is pale and softly shining, like a pearl某樣東西淡淡地、柔和地發亮、像珍珠一樣的東西， not不是 bright and hard like metal像金屬那樣又亮又硬， but而是 with a gentle glow帶著一種柔光， that seems to come from inside the surface好像從表面裡面透出來的。

It is used most about teeth ('pearly white teeth'), about skin, about the light in the sky just before or after sunrise, and about shells, buttons and paint that shift colour a little as you turn them.

It is used most about teeth最常用在牙齒 ('pearly white teeth')（'pearly white teeth'珍珠般潔白的牙齒）、 about skin皮膚、 about the light in the sky just before or after sunrise日出前後天空的光線， and about shells, buttons and paint還有貝殼、鈕扣和油漆 that shift colour a little as you turn them這類轉動時顏色會微微變化的東西上。

The feeling of the word is admiring and slightly poetic; you would meet it in a novel, a song, or an advertisement for toothpaste far more often than in ordinary conversation.

The feeling of the word這個字給人的感覺 is admiring and slightly poetic是讚賞而略帶詩意的； you would meet it你會遇到它 in a novel, a song, or an advertisement for toothpaste在小說、歌曲，或牙膏廣告裡， far more often than in ordinary conversation遠比在日常對話裡多得多。

Two fixed uses worth knowing. 'Pearly whites' is a joking, friendly way to say 'teeth' — 'show us your pearly whites'. And 'the pearly gates' means the gates of heaven in Christian tradition, so 'he's at the pearly gates' is a soft way of saying someone has died; that phrase turns up in jokes constantly.

Two fixed uses兩個固定用法 worth knowing值得知道的。 'Pearly whites''Pearly whites' is a joking, friendly way是一種開玩笑又親切的說法 to say 'teeth'用來說'teeth'（牙齒）— 'show us your pearly whites'就像'show us your pearly whites'這樣說。 And而 'the pearly gates''the pearly gates' means the gates of heaven in Christian tradition指的是基督教傳統裡天堂的大門， so所以 'he's at the pearly gates''he's at the pearly gates' is a soft way of saying someone has died是一種委婉說某人過世的方式； that phrase turns up in jokes constantly這個說法在笑話裡常常出現。

Careful writers keep a difference between pearly (pale, glowing) and pearl-like in shape, and the word is rarely used for a dark or bright colour — pearly grey and pearly white are natural, pearly red is not.

Careful writers謹慎的作者 keep a difference between會區分 pearly (pale, glowing)pearly（淡淡發亮） and pearl-like in shape和形狀像珍珠的pearl-like， and而且 the word is rarely used for a dark or bright colour這個字很少用在深色或鮮豔的顏色上—— pearly grey and pearly white are natural像pearly grey（珠灰）和pearly white（珠白）就很自然， pearly red is notpearly red（珠紅）就不自然。