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Suave describes a person — nearly always a man — who is smooth, polished, and completely at ease with people. A suave person says the right thing, dresses well, never looks nervous, and makes conversation feel easy. The word covers manners, voice, and appearance all at once.
Suavesuave describes a person用來形容一個人 — nearly always a man幾乎都是指男性 — who is smooth, polished, and completely at ease with people也就是那種圓滑、有教養、跟人相處起來完全自在的人。A suave personsuave的人 says the right thing總是說對話, dresses well穿著得體, never looks nervous從不顯得緊張, and makes conversation feel easy也讓聊天變得輕鬆自在。The word這個字 covers manners, voice, and appearance all at once同時涵蓋了舉止、說話語氣和外表。
Here is the important part: suave is only half a compliment. Very often the speaker means "too smooth to trust". If you call a man suave, English listeners may hear that his charm is a technique — that he has it, that he wants something. Film villains and salesmen are described as suave far more often than kind people are.
Here is the important part重點來了: suave is only half a compliment「suave」只能算一半的讚美。Very often很多時候 the speaker means說話的人其實是在講 'too smooth to trust'「太過圓滑、讓人不太信任」的意思。If you call a man suave如果你說一個男人suave, English listeners may hear說英文的人聽起來可能會覺得 that his charm is a technique他的魅力是刻意練出來的手段 — that he has practised it, that he wants something是他練習過的,而且他另有所圖。Film villains and salesmen電影裡的反派和推銷員 are described as suave far more often than kind people are被說成suave的頻率,遠比善良的人高得多。
It is common in phrases like "a suave manner", "suave and charming", "suave sophistication". When the word IS meant , it is usually about style rather than character — a suave older actor, a suave host. Tone of voice and context decide which meaning you get.
It is common in phrases like常見的說法像 'a suave manner', 'suave and charming', 'suave sophistication'「a suave manner」(圓滑的舉止)、「suave and charming」(圓滑又有魅力)、「suave sophistication」(世故老練)。When the word IS meant warmly當這個字是真心稱讚時, it is usually about style rather than character通常講的是風格而不是人品 — a suave older actor, a suave host像是一位suave的資深演員、一位suave的主持人。Tone of voice and context語氣和情境 decide which meaning you get會決定你聽到的是哪一種意思。
It is a slightly literary, slightly old-fashioned word; you meet it in writing, film reviews, and novels more than in everyday speech. It is not used for women (people say elegant or poised instead), and it is not used for things — a suave jacket sounds wrong.
It is a slightly literary, slightly old-fashioned word這是個稍微文學、稍微老派的字; you meet it in writing, film reviews, and novels more than in everyday speech你在文章、影評、小說裡遇到它的機會,比日常對話裡多得多。It is not used for women它不會用在女性身上 (people say elegant or poised instead)(大家會改說elegant優雅或poised從容), and it is not used for things也不會用在物品上 — a suave jacket sounds wrong像「a suave jacket」聽起來就很怪。
組成From Latin suāvis, "sweet, pleasant" — the same root that gives us the ordinary English word sweet. It came into English through Middle English around the early 1400s, at first meaning simply "pleasant". The modern flavour of polished social charm grew later. Knowing the root helps: a suave person is socially sweet, and sweetness can be genuine or laid on.
同家族的字
- sweeta doublet — sweet came down through Old English while suave was borrowed from Latin, but both go back to the same ancient root for "pleasant to the senses"
- suavelythe adverb, formed with -ly
- persuadecontains Latin suādēre, "to advise, urge", from the same suāv- family — to persuade is to make something seem sweet to someone
原始詞典資料4 筆記錄
以下是外部詞典記錄的用法,原文照列,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。
suaveadj/swɑːv/
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Of a person, charming, though often in a manner that is insincere or sophisticated.
- a man with a suave demeanor
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Displaying smoothness and sophistication.
- suave excellence
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Gracious, kind.
suavenoun/swɑːv/
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sweet-talk
資料來源:英文維基詞典 English Wiktionary(CC BY-SA 4.0)。 原文照列,未經改寫。