喜樂美語
  1. 1rB2/pəˈtenʃəli/潛在地；可能會

    used before an adjective or adverb to say that something is not dangerous, useful, serious, etc. now, but could become so later.

    示範例句 · Example

    A wet floor is potentially dangerous, so the school puts up a yellow sign.

    逐字一個濕的地板是潛在地危險的，所以學校放上一個黃色的牌子。

    「potentially」幾乎都放在形容詞前面，意思是「現在還不是這樣，但將來可能會變成這樣」。例如 potentially dangerous 是「現在還沒出事，但可能會變危險」；potentially useful 是「現在還用不到，但以後可能有用」。可以想成 potential（潛力）那個畫面：東西還沒長出來，可是那個可能性已經在裡面了。跟 possibly 容易搞混——possibly 說的是「這件事有可能發生」（Possibly it will rain.），potentially 說的是「這個東西或情況帶著變成那樣的可能」（a potentially wet floor 這種說法就很怪，要說 potentially dangerous）。

    常見搭配

    • potentially dangerous

      可能會有危險的

      not dangerous now, but able to become dangerous

      The old rope on the swing is potentially dangerous.

    • potentially useful

      以後可能有用的

      not useful yet, but able to be useful later

      Sam keeps a box of potentially useful cardboard for art class.

    • potentially serious

      可能會變嚴重的

      small now, but able to become a big problem

      A cough that lasts for weeks is potentially serious, so Ren went to see a doctor.

    • potentially difficult

      可能會有點難的

      could turn out to be hard

      Aisha planned ahead for the potentially difficult parts of the trip.

    • potentially available

      可能可以取得的

      able to be used or obtained, even if not yet

      Two more classrooms are potentially available for the science fair.

core核心畫面

One way to hold it: the thing is not that way yet, but the door to becoming that way is open. Saying a leak is potentially dangerous does not say anyone has been hurt — it says the harm is sitting there, waiting for the right conditions.

可以想成：現在還不是那樣，但通往那樣的門是開著的。說一個漏水處 potentially dangerous，並不是說已經出事了，而是說危險就擺在那裡，等條件湊齊。它總是放在形容詞或副詞前面（potentially serious、potentially useful），作用是把那個形容詞從「事實」往後退一步，變成「有機會走到那一步」。

同家族的字

原始詞典資料2 筆記錄

以下是外部詞典記錄的用法，摘錄並精簡格式，我們還沒有寫成教學內容。上面的說明才是我們自己寫的；有些用法可能上面已經講過了。

potentiallyadv/pəˈtɛnʃ(ə)li/

  • 1

    In a manner showing much potential; with the possibility of happening in a given way.

    • Nevertheless, it is clear that the global energy demand for air-conditioning will grow substantially as nations become more affluent, with the consequences of climate change potentially accelerating the demand.
    • Its impending end has rung alarm bells across social media, with a baseline tariff as high as 145% depending on the carrier set to take effect on Chinese imports, potentially more than doubling the cost for all those cheap products deal-hungry Americans scooped up.
  • 2

    obsoletePowerfully, strongly.

    • I freely assert, that the cosmopolite philosopher cannot, for his life, point out one single peaceful influence, which within the last sixty years has operated more potentially upon the whole broad world, taken in one aggregate, than the high and mighty business of whaling.

摘錄自 英文維基詞典 English Wiktionary，已精簡格式；依 CC BY-SA 4.0 授權使用，改動後的內容同樣以此授權提供。