A wetland is land that is soaked with water — either covered by shallow water or wet mud most of the year. Marshes, swamps, bogs, tidal flats, and the muddy edges of rivers and lakes are all wetlands. It is the in-between kind of place: not dry ground you can build on, not deep water you can sail on.

A wetlandwetlandis land that is soaked with water是被水浸濕的土地——either covered by shallow water or wet mud most of the year一年大部分時間不是被淺水淹著、就是濕泥巴。Marshes, swamps, bogs, tidal flats沼澤、泥沼、濕原、潮間灘地，and the muddy edges of rivers and lakes還有河流和湖泊邊的泥濘地帶are all wetlands全都算是wetland。It is the in-between kind of place它是介於中間的那種地方：not dry ground you can build on不是你可以蓋房子的乾地，not deep water you can sail on也不是你可以行船的深水。

You will very often see it in the plural, wetlands, even for a single area: "the wetlands near the river". It is a slightly technical word — the everyday words are marsh, swamp, or in Taiwan often just 濕地 — and it belongs to science, conservation, and government writing.

You will very often see it in the plural你很常會看到它用複數，wetlandswetlands，even for a single area即使指的是單一一塊區域："the wetlands near the river"河邊的濕地。It is a slightly technical word它算是稍微專業一點的字——the everyday words are marsh, swamp日常用字是marsh、swamp，or in Taiwan often just 濕地或台灣常常就直接說「濕地」——and it belongs to science, conservation, and government writing它比較屬於科學、保育和政府公文的用字。

That is because wetlands matter: they hold birds and fish, soak up floodwater like a sponge, and clean water as it passes through, so they are protected by law in many countries and by an international agreement called the Ramsar Convention. Taiwan has famous ones, such as Guandu and the Gaomei wetlands.

That is because wetlands matter這是因為濕地很重要：they hold birds and fish它們養育鳥類和魚類，soak up floodwater like a sponge像海綿一樣吸收洪水，and clean water as it passes through還會在水流經過時把水淨化，so they are protected by law in many countries所以在很多國家受到法律保護and by an international agreement called the Ramsar Convention也受一個叫做《拉姆薩公約》的國際協定保護。Taiwan has famous ones台灣也有知名的濕地，such as Guandu and the Gaomei wetlands像是關渡和高美濕地。

The word is also used as an adjective before a noun: wetland birds, wetland conservation, a wetland park.

The word is also used as an adjective before a noun這個字也可以當形容詞放在名詞前面：wetland birds濕地鳥類、wetland conservation濕地保育、a wetland park濕地公園。