The rudiments of a subject are the first, simplest pieces you learn — the bits you need before anything else will make sense. If you are learning the piano, the rudiments are things like the names of the notes and how to sit at the keys.

a subject一個學科的 rudiments基礎 are the first, simplest pieces you learn是你最先學到、最簡單的部分 the bits you need before anything else will make sense也就是在別的東西能懂之前你得先懂的底子。If you are learning the piano如果你在學鋼琴， the rudiments are things like基礎就是像 the names of the notes音符的名稱 and how to sit at the keys還有怎麼坐在琴鍵前這類東西。

People also speak of the rudiments of cooking, of grammar, of a sport. The word is a little bookish; a teacher or a textbook is more likely to use it than a teenager on the bus.

People also speak of人們也會說 the rudiments of cooking, of grammar, of a sport烹飪、文法、某項運動的基礎。The word is a little bookish這個字有點書面； a teacher or a textbook老師或教科書 than a teenager on the bus比公車上的青少年 is more likely to use it更可能用它。

It almost always comes in the plural: we say the rudiments of chemistry, not a rudiment.

It almost always comes in the plural它幾乎總是用複數： we say the rudiments of chemistry我們會說化學的rudiments， not a rudiment而不會說a rudiment（單數）。

Though actually, it is not a rude word, and it has nothing to do with being impolite. Long ago both ideas sat near raw and not yet trained.

Though actually不過其實， it is not a rude word它不是一個rude（粗魯）的字， and it has nothing to do with being impolite跟沒禮貌一點關係也沒有。Long ago很久以前， both ideas sat near raw and not yet trained這兩個意思（rude和rudiment）都跟「生的、還沒訓練過」這個概念很接近。

A close adjective, rudimentary, means very basic, not developed yet — a rudimentary shelter is only just a shelter.

A close adjective一個相近的形容詞， rudimentary就是rudimentary， means very basic, not developed yet意思是非常基本、還沒發展完全 — a rudimentary shelter is only just a shelter像a rudimentary shelter（簡陋的避難所）就只是勉強算是個避難所而已。