"tell sb. apart"是一个常用的英语短语,核心含义是“区分(两个人/多个人),分辨出(不同的人)”,强调从外貌、特征或其他细节中识别出差异,避免混淆。
"tell"在此处表示“辨别、识别”,"apart"表示“分开、区分”,合起来就是“把某人(通常是两个或多个易混淆的人)区分开”。
该短语的宾语通常是复数代词(如them、us)或并列的人/事物(如A and B、the twins),且需注意代词必须放在"tell"和"apart"中间(名词可放中间或后面)。常见结构有:
代词(如them、us、you)作宾语时,必须置于"tell"和"apart"之间。
The twins are so similar that I can't tell them apart.(这对双胞胎太像了,我分不出他们。)
Can you tell us apart? We're often mistaken for each other.(你能区分我们吗?我们总被认错。)
直接接需要区分的两个人或群体(如A and B、the brothers)。
I still can't tell Lucy and Lily apart—they have the same voice!(我还是分不清露西和莉莉——她们声音一样!)
Do you know how to tell the new students apart?(你知道怎么区分新学生吗?)
若宾语是名词短语(而非代词),也可置于"apart"之后,但不如前两种结构常见。
It's hard to tell apart the two boys in the photo.(很难区分照片里的两个男孩。)
通过"from"引出对比对象,更强调“将A与B区分开”。
Can you tell Tom apart from his cousin? They wear the same jacket.(你能把汤姆和他表弟区分开吗?他们穿一样的夹克。)
I learned to tell the birds apart from their songs.(我学会通过叫声区分这些鸟。)
宾语需是复数或两个个体:因为“区分”需要至少两个对象,不能说"I can't tell him apart"(只有一个人无法区分)。
常见搭配场景:用于描述“外貌相似、特征相近、易混淆的人”,如双胞胎、长相相似的朋友、穿着相同的人等。
1、 The teacher could tell the identical twins apart by their birthmarks.(老师能通过胎记区分这对同卵双胞胎。)
2、 Are the two actors easy to tell apart? I always mix them up.(这两个演员容易区分吗?我总把他们搞混。)
3、 When they were little, even their grandma couldn't tell them apart.(他们小时候,连奶奶都分不清他们。)
综上,"tell sb. apart"是描述“区分易混淆的人”的实用短语,掌握其结构(尤其是代词的位置)和场景即可灵活使用~