A whim is a sudden wish to do something or have something, when there is no real reason behind it. You are walking home, you pass a shop, and you suddenly want a cake — that wanting is a whim. The key idea is two things together: it comes fast, and it does not come from thinking. A plan has reasons. A whim has none, and often it is gone an hour later.

A whim is a sudden wish to do something or have something, when there is no real reason behind itwhim指的是突然想做某件事或想要某樣東西的念頭，背後沒有真正的理由。You are walking home, you pass a shop, and you suddenly want a cake你正走路回家，經過一家店，突然很想要一個蛋糕——that wanting is a whim那股想要的感覺就是whim。The key idea is two things together重點是兩件事加在一起：it comes fast它來得很快，and it does not come from thinking而且不是想過才有的。A plan has reasons計畫是有理由的。A whim has noneWhim則什麼理由都沒有，and often it is gone an hour later而且常常一小時後就消失了。

The most common way you will meet this word is in the phrase 'on a whim': 'She bought the ticket on a whim.' That means she did not plan it, did not think about it, just did it. You will also hear 'act on a whim' and, less often, 'a passing whim' (one that does not last).

The most common way you will meet this word is in the phrase 'on a whim'你最常會在'on a whim'這個片語裡遇到這個字：'She bought the ticket on a whim.''She bought the ticket on a whim.'她一時興起就買了票。That means she did not plan it, did not think about it, just did it意思是她沒有計畫、沒有多想，就這麼做了。You will also hear 'act on a whim' and, less often, 'a passing whim' (one that does not last)你也會聽到'act on a whim'一時興起去做，還有比較少見的'a passing whim'，指不會持久的一時念頭。

There is a second use that feels different and is less friendly. When someone has power over you, their whims are their sudden wishes that you must follow. 'The workers were at the whim of the manager' means the manager could change his mind any time, and they had no choice. Here the word carries a small complaint: it says the wishes are not reasonable.

There is a second use that feels different and is less friendly還有第二種用法，感覺不太一樣，也比較不友善。When someone has power over you當一個人對你有權力的時候，their whims are their sudden wishes that you must follow他們的whims就是你不得不聽從的、突然冒出來的念頭。'The workers were at the whim of the manager' means the manager could change his mind any time, and they had no choice'The workers were at the whim of the manager'意思是經理隨時可以改變心意，員工沒有選擇的餘地。Here the word carries a small complaint這裡這個字帶著一點小小的抱怨：it says the wishes are not reasonable意思是這些念頭並不合理。

You will also see 'every whim' — 'He gives that child her every whim' — meaning someone gets whatever they suddenly want, and the speaker thinks that is too much. So the same word can be light and sweet (a small happy surprise in your own life) or a little bitter (someone else's power over you). The feeling comes from who owns the whim: yours is charming, your boss's is not.

You will also see 'every whim'你也會看到'every whim'這個說法——'He gives that child her every whim''He gives that child her every whim'——meaning someone gets whatever they suddenly want, and the speaker thinks that is too much意思是這個人想要什麼就有什麼，而說話者覺得這樣太過頭了。So the same word can be light and sweet所以同一個字可以是輕鬆可愛的 a small happy surprise in your own life自己生活裡一個小小的開心驚喜，or a little bitter也可以帶點苦澀 someone else's power over you也就是別人對你的權力。The feeling comes from who owns the whim感覺取決於這個whim是誰的：yours is charming, your boss's is not自己的很迷人，老闆的就不是了。

It is a normal word, not formal, and it is countable — one whim, two whims.

It is a normal word, not formal這是一個普通的字，不是正式用語，and it is countable而且是可數名詞——one whim, two whims一個whim、兩個whims。