Food that is perishable will go bad quickly if you do not keep it cold or use it soon — milk, meat, fish, fresh fruit and vegetables. Shops, kitchens, and customs forms talk about “perishable goods.” The opposite idea is food that lasts, like rice, dried beans, or tins.

Food that is perishable will go bad quickly易腐壞的食物很快就會壞掉 if you do not keep it cold or use it soon如果沒有冷藏或盡快使用——milk, meat, fish, fresh fruit and vegetables像牛奶、肉、魚、新鮮蔬果。Shops, kitchens, and customs forms talk about "perishable goods."商店、廚房和海關表格會講「perishable goods」。The opposite idea is food that lasts相反的概念是耐放的食物, like rice, dried beans, or tins像米、乾豆，或罐頭。

You can also use it as a noun in the plural: “perishables,” meaning those foods.

You can also use it as a noun in the plural它也可以當名詞用複數形式: "perishables," meaning those foods寫成「perishables」，指的就是那些食物。

It is a practical, slightly official word (labels, fridges, shipping rules). At home people just say “it will go off,” “it doesn’t keep,” or “use it soon.” Though actually, perish itself means “to die” or “to be destroyed,” so perishable is “able to perish” — food that can spoil.

It is a practical, slightly official word這是個實用、稍微帶點官方味的字 (labels, fridges, shipping rules)（標籤、冰箱、運送規定都會用）。At home people just say "it will go off," "it doesn't keep," or "use it soon."在家裡大家就直接說「it will go off」「it doesn't keep」，或「use it soon」。Though actually, perish itself means "to die" or "to be destroyed,"不過其實，perish這個字本身的意思是「死亡」或「毀壞」，so perishable is "able to perish"所以perishable就是「會壞掉的」——food that can spoil指可能腐壞的食物。

People almost never use it for things that are not food, even though the pieces of the word would allow that.

People almost never use it for things that are not food大家幾乎不會用這個字來講食物以外的東西，even though the pieces of the word would allow that即使從字的組成來看其實也說得通。