“put in words”是一个常用的英语短语,核心含义是“用语言表达;将(想法、感受、概念等)转化为具体的话语”,强调把抽象的内容“具象化”为可理解的文字/言语。
指将内心的感受、模糊的想法、复杂的情绪等用明确的语言表述出来,常隐含“难以表达”或“需要刻意组织语言”的意味(尤其是用否定句时,如“can’t put...in words”)。
短语的核心结构是 “put + 宾语(想法/感受等) + in words”,有时可根据语境省略宾语或调整句式。以下是具体场景:
常用否定形式“can’t / couldn’t put...in words”,强调情感/体验的强烈或抽象,难以用言语捕捉。
I can’t put my gratitude to you in words.(我无法用语言表达对你的感激。)
The joy of becoming a parent is something you can’t put in words until you experience it.(成为父母的喜悦,直到你经历过才知道无法用语言形容。)
用于让对方将模糊的想法、意图转化为明确的语言。
Could you put your plan in words so we can discuss it?(你能把你的计划说清楚吗?我们好讨论。)
She asked me to put my complaints in words instead of just being angry.(她让我把不满说出来,而不是只发脾气。)
强调最终用语言传达了某内容(较少见,多为肯定句)。
After thinking for hours, he finally put his theory in words.(想了几个小时后,他终于把自己的理论用语言表述了出来。)
“put in words”和“put into words”几乎完全同义,可互换使用(“into”更强调“转化的过程”,但日常中差异极小)。
The beauty of the mountains is hard to put into words.(山的美难以用语言形容。)= The beauty of the mountains is hard to put in words.
注意与“put in a good word for sb.”区分——后者意为“为某人说好话;替某人美言”,完全不同:
Can you put in a good word for me with the manager?(你能在经理面前替我美言几句吗?)
“put in words”本质是“将抽象内容落地为语言”,核心是“表达”,尤其用于描述“难以言传”或“需要组织语言”的场景。记住常用结构“can’t put sth. in words”(无法表达)和“put sth. in words”(把…说清楚),就能轻松掌握啦!