"in between" 是英语中常用的短语,核心含义是“在(两者)之间”“介于……之间”,可用于描述位置、时间、状态、数量或两种事物的中间地带。它的用法灵活,可作副词短语或介词短语,有时也会转化为形容词(如 "in-between")。
强调“处于两个明确对象的中间位置/状态”,既可以指具体的“空间/时间中间”,也可以指抽象的“两种状态之间的过渡”。
表示“在中间(时段/位置)”,常回答“when/where”的问题。
When did he arrive? — He arrived in between (my morning meeting and lunch).
(他什么时候到的?——在我上午会议和午餐之间到的。)
The cat was hiding in between; I couldn’t see it at first.
(猫藏在中间;我一开始没看见。)
明确指出“介于哪两者之间”,或描述“中间的事物”。
The coffee shop is in between the bank and the library.
(咖啡店在银行和图书馆之间。)
I don’t want a hot or cold drink—something in between, like iced tea.
(我不想要热饮或冷饮——要介于两者之间的,比如冰茶。)
She’s in between jobs right now(= 失业中,在两份工作之间).
(她现在处于待业状态。)
表示“中间的;过渡的”,修饰名词。
The in-between stages of the project are often the most challenging.
(项目的中间阶段往往最具挑战性。)
Kids in their teens are in an in-between phase—no longer children, not yet adults.
(十几岁的孩子处于过渡阶段——不再是孩子,还没成年。)
in between times/moments:在间隔期间;趁空闲时
I’ll finish the report in between times(= 趁有空的时候).
(我会在空闲时完成报告。)
fall in between:介于两者之间(无法归为某一类)
This style falls in between casual and formal.
(这种风格介于休闲和正式之间。)
"in between" 强调“两者之间”,如果是三者或以上,通常用 "among";
口语中常用 "in between" 省略上文提到的“两者”(如第一个例句中的“会议和午餐”),避免重复;
"in-between" 作形容词时,中间有连字符,而短语本身没有。
总结:"in between" 是描述“中间状态/位置”的万能短语,无论是具体的空间时间,还是抽象的状态过渡,都能准确表达“介于两者之间”的含义。