英语短语 "sink in" 是一个常用的 不及物动词短语,核心含义围绕“逐渐渗透、被充分理解”,可分为比喻义(最常用)和字面义(较少用)两类。以下是详细解释和用法说明:
表示消息、事实、道理等“被充分领悟/意识到”,强调“从‘没反应过来’到‘真正明白’的缓慢过程”(不是立刻理解)。
主语:通常是抽象名词(如 news, reality, truth, meaning, seriousness 等),或用 it 作形式主语 指代具体内容。
常见搭配:
slowly/begin to/finally sink in(慢慢/开始/终于明白)
haven’t/hasn’t sunk in yet(还没缓过来/还没真正接受)
表示液体、气体等“渗入、渗透”(物理上的“下沉、渗入”)。
The reality of losing his job didn’t sink in until he couldn’t pay the rent.
(直到交不起房租,他才真正意识到自己失业的现实。)
Her words slowly sank in—I realized she was right all along.
(她的话慢慢让我明白——我意识到她一直是对的。)
It hasn’t sunk in yet that we’re moving to another country.
(我们要搬到另一个国家的事,我还没缓过来。)
The teacher kept explaining until the math formula sank in for everyone.
(老师反复讲解,直到所有人都懂了这个数学公式。)
The rain sank in quickly because the soil was dry.
(因为土壤干燥,雨水很快渗进去了。)
The coffee stain sank in so deep that I couldn’t get it out of the shirt.
(咖啡渍渗得太深,我没法从衬衫上洗掉。)
注意不要和 "sink into" 混淆:
sink in:强调“被理解/渗透的过程”(不及物,后面不接宾语);
sink into:表示“陷入(状态/地方)”(及物,后面接名词/代词)。
例:
She sank into a chair after a long day.(她劳累一天后瘫坐在椅子上。)
He sank into depression after his dog died.(狗去世后,他陷入抑郁。)