Tactlessness is the noun — the quality of being tactless, or a particular act of being tactless. It works two ways, and students should know both.

Tactlessness is the noun — the quality of being tactless, or a particular act of being tactless tactlessness是名詞——指的是tactless這種特質,或是一次具體的tactless言行. It works two ways, and students should know both它有兩種用法,學生應該兩種都知道.

Uncountable, it names the trait itself: 'His tactlessness has cost him a lot of friends.' 'I was shocked by the tactlessness of the question.' Countable, though rarer, it names one specific clumsy thing that was said: 'another of his famous tactlessnesses' — but honestly, most speakers avoid that plural and say 'another tactless remark' instead, so I would not go looking for chances to use it.

Uncountable, it names the trait itself當不可數名詞用的時候,它指的是這種特質本身: 'His tactlessness has cost him a lot of friends.'像「他的tactlessness讓他失去了很多朋友」. 'I was shocked by the tactlessness of the question.'或「我被這個問題的tactlessness嚇到了」. Countable, though rarer, it names one specific clumsy thing that was said當可數名詞用(雖然比較少見)的時候,指的是一次具體說出口的失禮言論: 'another of his famous tactlessnesses'像「他又一次出名的tactlessnesses」— but honestly, most speakers avoid that plural and say 'another tactless remark' instead不過老實說,大部分人會避開這個複數形式,改說「another tactless remark」, so I would not go looking for chances to use it所以我不會特意去找機會用它.

The word carries the same gentle judgement as the adjective: it points at a lack of skill in handling people, not at bad intentions. Because it is a long, heavy noun, it belongs mostly to writing and to careful, formal speech — a complaint letter, a book review, a manager's report. In ordinary talk, people usually turn it back into the adjective and say 'that was so tactless'. Its opposite is 'tact' itself, which is why the pair is a little lopsided: we have a short simple word for having the skill (tact) and a long clumsy one for lacking it (tactlessness), which is quietly funny given what the word means.

The word carries the same gentle judgement as the adjective這個字帶著跟形容詞一樣的溫和批評意味: it points at a lack of skill in handling people它指的是不擅長應對人的那種缺乏技巧, not at bad intentions而不是心懷惡意. Because it is a long, heavy noun因為它是個又長又沉重的名詞, it belongs mostly to writing and to careful, formal speech它主要用在寫作和字斟句酌的正式場合— a complaint letter, a book review, a manager's report像是一封投訴信、一篇書評,或一份主管的報告. In ordinary talk, people usually turn it back into the adjective and say 'that was so tactless'在一般對話裡,人們通常會把它改回形容詞,說「that was so tactless」. Its opposite is 'tact' itself它的反義詞就是tact本身, which is why the pair is a little lopsided這也是為什麼這一對字有點不對稱: we have a short simple word for having the skill (tact) and a long clumsy one for lacking it (tactlessness)我們有一個簡短的字表示「有這種技巧」(tact),卻有一個又長又笨重的字表示「缺乏這種技巧」(tactlessness), which is quietly funny given what the word means考慮到這個字的意思,這其實有點好笑.