'Summertime' means the season of summer, the time of year when it is summer. So why have it at all, when 'summer' already exists? Because 'summertime' feels warmer and more spread out. 'Summer' points at a block on the calendar; 'summertime' points at a whole feeling of a period — long evenings, holidays, heat.

'Summertime'這個字 means的意思是 the season of summer夏天這個季節， the time of year when it is summer也就是屬於夏天的那段時間。 when 'summer' already exists既然已經有'summer'這個字了， So why have it at all那為什麼還需要這個字呢？ Because因為 'summertime' feels給人的感覺 warmer and more spread out比較溫暖、比較悠長。 'Summer' points at指的是 a block on the calendar日曆上的一段時間； 'summertime' points at指的則是 a whole feeling of a period整段時光的感覺， long evenings, holidays, heat漫長的夜晚、假期、還有暑熱。

That is why it turns up in songs and in memory: 'in the summertime', 'summertime and the living is easy'. It is very common after 'in the': 'In the summertime we eat outside.' You would not usually say 'last summertime' or 'three summertimes ago' — with numbers and with 'last/next', people say 'summer'.

That is why那就是為什麼 it turns up in songs and in memory它常出現在歌曲和回憶裡： 'in the summertime''in the summertime'、 'summertime and the living is easy''summertime and the living is easy' 這樣的說法。 It is very common常見的是 after 'in the'接在'in the'後面， 'In the summertime we eat outside.''In the summertime we eat outside.'這樣的句子。 You would not usually say你通常不會說 'last summertime' or 'three summertimes ago''last summertime'或'three summertimes ago'， with numbers and with 'last/next'碰到數字或用'last/next'時 people say都是說 'summer''summer'。

There is one more use to know in Britain: British Summer Time (usually capitalised, often shortened to BST) is the clock setting from spring to autumn when the clocks go forward one hour. So a British person saying 'the clocks change for summertime' is talking about daylight saving, not the weather. Americans call that 'daylight saving time' instead.

There is one more use to know in Britain在英國還有一個要知道的用法： British Summer TimeBritish Summer Time (usually capitalised, often shortened to BST)（通常大寫，常縮寫成BST） is指的是 the clock setting from spring to autumn從春天到秋天的那套時制， when the clocks go forward one hour也就是時鐘撥快一小時的時候。 So a British person saying所以英國人說 'the clocks change for summertime''the clocks change for summertime'， is talking about daylight saving, not the weather指的是日光節約時間，不是天氣。 Americans call that美國人則把那個叫做 'daylight saving time' instead'daylight saving time'。

The word is slightly poetic or slightly old-fashioned in ordinary conversation; plain 'summer' is the safe everyday choice.

The word is slightly poetic or slightly old-fashioned這個字帶點詩意、有點老派 in ordinary conversation在日常對話裡； plain 'summer'單純用'summer' is the safe everyday choice是比較保險的日常選擇。