Suffrage is the right to vote. Not the act of voting, and not the vote you put in the box — the right itself, whether the law lets you vote at all. So you read about 'women's suffrage' (women winning the right to vote), 'universal suffrage' (every adult has it), 'universal male suffrage' (all men but not women, which is what many countries had first).

Suffrage is the right to voteSuffrage就是投票權。Not the act of voting不是投票這個動作，and not the vote you put in the box也不是你投進票箱的那一票——the right itself而是這項權利本身，whether the law lets you vote at all也就是法律讓不讓你投票。So you read about 'women's suffrage'所以你會讀到「women's suffrage（婦女選舉權）」(women winning the right to vote女性爭取到投票權)，'universal suffrage'「universal suffrage（普選）」(every adult has it每個成年人都有這個權利)，'universal male suffrage'「universal male suffrage（男性普選）」(all men but not women, which is what many countries had first所有男性都有，女性沒有，這是很多國家最早的樣子)。

The word is formal and mostly historical. When people today talk about voting they say 'the right to vote' or 'voting rights'.

The word is formal and mostly historical這個詞很正式，多半用在講歷史。When people today talk about voting現在的人講到投票的時候，they say 'the right to vote' or 'voting rights'會說「the right to vote」或「voting rights」。

'Suffrage' shows up in history class, in constitutions, in writing about democracy — and above all in the story of women fighting for the vote in Britain and the US around 1900. That is why the word carries a feeling of struggle: for most of history most people did not have suffrage, and getting it took decades of pushing.

'Suffrage' shows up in history class, in constitutions, in writing about democracy「Suffrage」會出現在歷史課、憲法，還有講民主的文章裡——and above all in the story of women fighting for the vote in Britain and the US around 1900尤其是1900年前後英美婦女爭取投票權的那段歷史裡。That is why the word carries a feeling of struggle這就是為什麼這個詞帶著一種抗爭的味道：for most of history most people did not have suffrage大部分歷史裡，大多數人根本沒有suffrage，and getting it took decades of pushing而爭取到它花了好幾十年的努力。

Hong Kong's arguments over '雙普選' are usually translated with this word too, which is a good reminder that it is still live political vocabulary, not only a museum piece.

Hong Kong's arguments over '雙普選'香港對「雙普選」的爭論 are usually translated with this word too通常也是用這個詞翻譯，which is a good reminder這也提醒我們 that it is still live political vocabulary這個詞仍然是活生生的政治詞彙，not only a museum piece不只是博物館裡的舊詞。

One curiosity: in old church English, 'suffrages' also meant short prayers said together. You will only meet that in old prayer books.

One curiosity有個有趣的小知識：in old church English在古老的教會英文裡，'suffrages' also meant short prayers said together「suffrages」也曾指一起唸的簡短禱詞。You will only meet that in old prayer books你只會在古老的禱告書裡遇到這個用法。