An undercoat is a layer of paint you put on first, before the final colour goes on. Its job is not to look good — it is to seal the surface, hide what was there before, and give the top coat something to grip, so the finished wall looks even instead of patchy. Painters treat it as a real step, not an optional one: 'two undercoats and a topcoat' is normal talk on a job.

An undercoat is a layer of paint you put on first, before the final colour goes on是最後上色之前先塗的那層漆。Its job is not to look good它的功用不是好看 — it is to seal the surface, hide what was there before, and give the top coat something to grip而是要封住表面、蓋住原本的顏色,還要讓面漆有東西可以附著, so the finished wall looks even instead of patchy這樣完工的牆才會均勻,不會東一塊西一塊。Painters treat it as a real step, not an optional one油漆師傅把它當成一個正式的步驟,不是可有可無: 'two undercoats and a topcoat' is normal talk on a job工地上常聽到 'two undercoats and a topcoat' 這種說法。

It is close to 'primer', and people often use the two words as if they were the same, though strictly a primer goes on bare wood or metal first and an undercoat goes between primer and topcoat. In American English 'undercoat' is less common for this and people usually say 'primer'. The word is also a verb — 'we undercoated the door yesterday'.

It is close to 'primer'它跟 'primer' 很接近, and people often use the two words as if they were the same大家常常把這兩個字當成同一個東西用, though strictly a primer goes on bare wood or metal first and an undercoat goes between primer and topcoat不過嚴格來說,primer 是先塗在光禿禿的木頭或金屬上,undercoat 則是塗在 primer 和面漆之間。In American English 'undercoat' is less common for this在美式英語裡這個意思比較少用 undercoat, and people usually say 'primer'大家通常會說 'primer'。The word is also a verb這個字也可以當動詞 — 'we undercoated the door yesterday'像 'we undercoated the door yesterday'。

Two other uses are worth knowing. On a car, undercoat (or undercoating, or underseal in Britain) is a thick protective layer sprayed on the underside against rust and stones. And on an animal, the undercoat is the soft short fur underneath the longer outer fur — which is what a dog is shedding in spring when the whole floor turns into hair.

Two other uses are worth knowing還有兩個用法值得知道。On a car在車子上, undercoat (or undercoating, or underseal in Britain) is a thick protective layer sprayed on the underside against rust and stonesundercoat(或 undercoating,英式也叫 underseal)是噴在車底、用來防鏽防石頭撞擊的一層厚厚保護層。And on an animal而在動物身上, the undercoat is the soft short fur underneath the longer outer furundercoat 指的是長毛底下那層柔軟的短毛 — which is what a dog is shedding in spring when the whole floor turns into hair狗春天掉的就是這層毛,掉到滿地都是。