A man who wants to marry a particular woman, and who is openly trying to win her — visiting her, courting her, asking her family. The word carries its own century with it: it belongs to a world where marrying was a public, arranged, competitive business, so you meet it in Jane Austen, in fairy tales, in history books, in a princess's court where several suitors compete.

A man who wants to marry a particular woman一個想娶某個特定女人的男人, and who is openly trying to win her而且公開地努力想贏得她的芳心 — visiting her, courting her, asking her family拜訪她、追求她、向她的家人提親。The word carries its own century with it這個字自帶著它的時代感: it belongs to a world where marrying was a public, arranged, competitive business屬於一個結婚是公開、由人安排、要競爭的世界, so you meet it in Jane Austen, in fairy tales, in history books所以你會在珍・奧斯汀的小說、童話故事、歷史書裡看到它, in a princess's court where several suitors compete或是公主的宮廷裡有好幾位追求者互相競爭的場景。

Nobody today says 'my suitor' about a boyfriend without joking. When modern speakers do use it straight, it is usually with a wink — 'she had no shortage of suitors' — a slightly grand, amused way of saying admirers.

Nobody today says 'my suitor' about a boyfriend without joking現在沒有人會一本正經地說「我的 suitor」來指男朋友。When modern speakers do use it straight當現代人真的正經使用這個字時, it is usually with a wink通常也帶著一點眨眼的意味 — 'she had no shortage of suitors'像「she had no shortage of suitors」（她從不缺追求者） — a slightly grand, amused way of saying admirers是一種略帶誇張、好玩地說「仰慕者」的方式。

There is a second, very much alive sense that has nothing to do with romance: in business news, a suitor is a company that wants to buy another company. 'The board rejected the German suitor' means a German firm tried to buy them and was turned down. That sense is entirely normal in today's newspapers, and it is honestly the one a student is more likely to meet in real English.

There is a second, very much alive sense that has nothing to do with romance還有第二個和愛情完全無關、而且非常活躍的意思: in business news, a suitor is a company that wants to buy another company在商業新聞裡，suitor 是指想收購另一家公司的公司。'The board rejected the German suitor'「The board rejected the German suitor」 means a German firm tried to buy them and was turned down意思是有一家德國公司想收購他們，但被拒絕了。That sense is entirely normal in today's newspapers這個意思在今天的報紙裡完全是正常用法, and it is honestly the one a student is more likely to meet in real English老實說，這也是學生在真實英文裡比較有可能碰到的意思。

Note that the old sense is one-directional: traditionally the man is the suitor and the woman is the one courted, which is part of why the word feels dated.

Note that the old sense is one-directional要注意舊的意思是單向的: traditionally the man is the suitor and the woman is the one courted傳統上男人才是 suitor（追求者），女人是被追求的一方, which is part of why the word feels dated這也是這個字讓人覺得過時的部分原因。