- 1n/ˈpɑːkətbʊk/ · /ˈpɒkɪtbʊk/spending power荷包 / 財力
The amount of money a person or family has, and how much they are able to spend. Often used when talking about how prices, taxes, or decisions affect ordinary people's money.
「pocketbook」在美式英文裡常拿來代表「口袋裡的錢」，也就是你負擔得起多少。它比 money 更聚焦在「這筆錢從誰身上出、痛不痛」，所以新聞講 pocketbook issues，指的是物價、房租、油錢這種直接打到民眾荷包的事。中文的「荷包」幾乎是同一個畫面。
示範例句 · Example
The new bus fare hits every family's pocketbook.
中文翻譯新的公車票價打中每個家庭的荷包。
常見搭配
pocketbook issues
民生荷包議題
questions about money that affect ordinary people directly
Older voters are most concerned about pocketbook issues.
hit somebody's pocketbook
打到某人的荷包
to cost someone money in a way they feel
Rising rice prices hit every household's pocketbook.
for every pocketbook
各種預算都適合
at prices that suit people with different amounts of money
The shop has bikes for every pocketbook.
stretch your pocketbook
把荷包拉得太緊
to spend more than is comfortable
Buying a new laptop would really stretch my pocketbook.
用法接近
incomesavingsspending powercost of living
- 2n/ˈpɑːkətbʊk/ · /ˈpɒkɪtbʊk/handbag女用手提包
A small bag that a woman carries, holding money, keys, and other personal things.
這個 pocketbook 是美式英文裡「女生的手提包」，屬於上一輩的說法，現在多半講 purse（美）或 handbag（英）。在小說、老電影或長輩口中還會遇到，讀到時要知道它指的是包包本身，不是裡面的錢。同一個字的另一層意思講的才是「財力」，靠上下文分：能打開、能放東西的是包。
常見搭配
in her pocketbook
在她的手提包裡
inside the bag she carries
The keys were at the bottom of her pocketbook.
open a pocketbook
打開手提包
to open the bag
She opened her pocketbook and found the ticket.
a leather pocketbook
皮製手提包
a bag of this kind made of leather
He gave his mother a leather pocketbook for her birthday.
- 3n/ˈpɑːkətbʊk/ · /ˈpɒkɪtbʊk/wallet皮夾
A small flat folding case for carrying paper money and cards, kept in a pocket.
這個 pocketbook 是舊式美語裡的「皮夾」，也就是今天說的 wallet。它跟手提包那一層的差別在大小和位置：皮夾是扁的、放口袋，包包是有空間的、用提的。現在日常幾乎都說 wallet，讀到 pocketbook 這個用法時，多半是在舊小說或長輩的話裡。
常見搭配
a worn pocketbook
磨舊的皮夾
a wallet that has been used for a long time
His worn pocketbook was held together with tape.
take out your pocketbook
拿出皮夾
to take your wallet out in order to pay
He took out his pocketbook to pay for the tea.
in his pocketbook
在他的皮夾裡
inside the wallet
There were three bus tickets in his pocketbook.
- 4n/ˈpɑːkətbʊk/ · /ˈpɒkɪtbʊk/pocket notebook袖珍筆記本
A small notebook that fits in a pocket, used for writing notes while you are out.
這是 pocketbook 最早的一層，也是英式英文裡的舊說法：一本小到放得進口袋的筆記本。今天幾乎只在舊書、日記、探險紀錄裡看得到，日常會說 notebook 或 pocket notebook。認得這一層很划算——它讓你看懂其他幾個意思是怎麼長出來的：先是口袋裡的小本子，再變成裝錢的本子，最後變成「你的財力」。
常見搭配
write something in a pocketbook
寫在袖珍筆記本裡
to make a note in a small carried notebook
She wrote the address in her pocketbook.
a pocketbook and pencil
小本子和鉛筆
the small notebook and pencil someone carries to take notes
He never went out without a pocketbook and pencil.
fill a pocketbook
寫滿一本小本子
to use up all the pages of such a notebook
He filled a pocketbook every summer.
原始詞典資料5 筆記錄
以下是外部詞典記錄的用法，摘錄並精簡格式，我們還沒有寫成教學內容。上面的說明才是我們自己寫的；有些用法可能上面已經講過了。
pocketbooknoun/ˈpɒ.kɪt.bʊk/
- 1
A purse or handbag.
- 2
datedA wallet for paper money.
- 3
One's personal budget or financial capacity; the amount one can afford.
- 4
A small book, particularly (US) a paperback or (UK) notebook able to fit into a pocket (of any genre, from reference work to fine art).
- The publishers brought out small format pocketbooks of the whole of their nature series.
- The pocket books are in trouble. A creeping extralegal censorship threatens to bowdlerize the product[…]
- 5
A small book, particularly (US) a paperback or (UK) notebook able to fit into a pocket (of any genre, from reference work to fine art).
摘錄自 英文維基詞典 English Wiktionary，已精簡格式；依 CC BY-SA 4.0 授權使用，改動後的內容同樣以此授權提供。