If something is water-repellent, water does not soak into it. The water sits on the surface in little round drops and rolls off, so the thing under it stays dry — or mostly dry. This is usually not a natural property of the material; a coating or spray has been put on it. We say it about coats, jackets, shoes, backpacks, tents, phone cases, and sometimes about paint or wood treatment.

If something is water-repellent如果某個東西是water-repellent water does not soak into it水不會滲進去 The water sits on the surface in little round drops and rolls off水會在表面聚成一顆顆圓圓的水珠滾掉 so the thing under it stays dry — or mostly dry所以底下的東西保持乾燥——或至少大部分乾燥 This is usually not a natural property of the material這通常不是材質天生的特性 a coating or spray has been put on it而是塗了一層塗層或噴劑上去 We say it about coats, jackets, shoes, backpacks, tents, phone cases我們會用這個字講外套、夾克、鞋子、背包、帳篷、手機殼 and sometimes about paint or wood treatment有時候也用在油漆或木材處理上

The important thing is that water-repellent is NOT the same as waterproof, and shops use the difference carefully. Waterproof means water cannot get through at all — you can stand in heavy rain and stay dry. Water-repellent means water is pushed away, but if the rain is hard enough, or long enough, or if you sit down in a puddle, water will eventually get in. So water-repellent is the weaker promise. Think of it as 'good for a short walk in light rain', not 'good for a typhoon'.

The important thing is that water-repellent is NOT the same as waterproof重點是water-repellent跟waterproof不是同一件事 and shops use the difference carefully店家對這個區別用得很小心 Waterproof means water cannot get through at allWaterproof的意思是水完全穿不過去： you can stand in heavy rain and stay dry你可以站在大雨裡還保持乾燥 Water-repellent means water is pushed awayWater-repellent的意思是水被推開 if the rain is hard enough, or long enough, or if you sit down in a puddle但如果雨夠大、下得夠久，或者你坐進水坑裡 water will eventually get in水最後還是會滲進來 So water-repellent is the weaker promise所以water-repellent是比較弱的承諾 Think of it as 'good for a short walk in light rain'把它想成'適合小雨走一小段路' not 'good for a typhoon'而不是'適合颱風天'

There is also a slow, quiet problem that catches people out: the coating wears off. A jacket that repelled water beautifully when it was new can stop doing it after a year of washing and rubbing. The jacket has not broken; the surface treatment has just worn away, and you can buy sprays to put it back.

There is also a slow, quiet problem that catches people out還有一個緩慢又不容易注意到的問題常讓人措手不及： the coating wears off塗層會磨掉 A jacket that repelled water beautifully when it was new一件新的時候防潑水效果很好的外套 can stop doing it after a year of washing and rubbing洗過、磨過一年之後可能就失效了 The jacket has not broken外套並沒有壞掉 the surface treatment has just worn away只是表面的處理磨損掉了 you can buy sprays to put it back你可以買噴劑把它補回來

Shops often write 'water-repellent' as one word pair with a hyphen before a noun (a water-repellent jacket), and it is a fairly technical, product-label kind of word — you see it printed on a tag much more often than you hear a friend say it. In everyday speech most people just say 'it doesn't get wet' or 'rain rolls off it'.

Shops often write 'water-repellent' as one word pair with a hyphen before a noun (a water-repellent jacket)店家常把'water-repellent'寫成加連字號的一個詞組放在名詞前面（a water-repellent jacket） it is a fairly technical, product-label kind of word這是個相當技術性、產品標籤式的字 you see it printed on a tag much more often than you hear a friend say it你在吊牌上看到它的機會，遠比聽朋友講出口的機會多 In everyday speech most people just say 'it doesn't get wet' or 'rain rolls off it'日常說話大部分人只會說'it doesn't get wet'或'rain rolls off it'