An undergarment is a piece of clothing you wear next to your skin, under your other clothes — underpants, a bra, a vest, a slip. The meaning is simple; the interesting part is who says it.

an undergarment undergarment is a piece of clothing you wear next to your skin是貼身穿的衣物, under your other clothes穿在其他衣服裡面 — underpants, a bra, a vest, a slip像內褲、胸罩、背心、襯裙。the meaning意思 is simple很簡單; the interesting part有趣的地方 is who says it是誰會用這個字。

This is a formal, slightly old-fashioned word. Real people getting dressed say 'underwear' (which covers all of it at once) or the specific word — 'my socks', 'a bra'.

this這個字 is a formal, slightly old-fashioned word算是正式、有點老派的字。real people getting dressed一般人穿衣服時 say 'underwear'會說'underwear' (which covers all of it at once一次涵蓋全部) or the specific word或直接說具體的字 — 'my socks', 'a bra'像'my socks'、'a bra'。

'Undergarment' shows up on clothing labels, in shop categories, in museum captions about historical dress, in laundry instructions, and in writing that wants to be polite about a slightly private subject. A doctor or an official form might use it to avoid sounding too casual. Because of that formality, it can sound funny if you use it in ordinary talk — like saying 'I must purchase an undergarment' when you mean 'I need to buy some underwear'.

'undergarment''undergarment' shows up出現在 on clothing labels, in shop categories, in museum captions about historical dress, in laundry instructions衣服標籤、店家分類、講歷史服裝的博物館說明、洗滌標示裡, and而且 in writing that wants to be polite about a slightly private subject也出現在想對稍微私密的話題保持禮貌的文章裡。a doctor or an official form醫生或正式表格 might use it可能會用這個字 to avoid sounding too casual來避免聽起來太隨便。because of that formality正因為這種正式感, it這個字 can sound funny如果用在日常對話裡聽起來會很好笑 if you use it in ordinary talk, like saying就像說 'I must purchase an undergarment''I must purchase an undergarment' when you mean而你其實只是想說 'I need to buy some underwear''I need to buy some underwear'。

Note the countability difference, which is the real reason the word survives: 'underwear' is uncountable (you cannot say 'an underwear' or 'two underwears'), so when you need to count individual pieces, 'undergarment' or 'a piece of underwear' is what English gives you. In historical writing you meet it a lot, because past centuries had many layered undergarments with their own names — corsets, petticoats, chemises.

note the countability difference要注意可數性的差別, which is the real reason the word survives這才是這個字還存在的真正原因: 'underwear' is uncountable'underwear'是不可數名詞 (you cannot say 'an underwear' or 'two underwears'不能說'an underwear'或'two underwears'), so所以 when you need to count individual pieces當你需要數一件一件時, 'undergarment' or 'a piece of underwear''undergarment'或'a piece of underwear' is what English gives you就是英文給你的說法。in historical writing在講歷史的文章裡, you meet it a lot你會常常遇到這個字, because因為 past centuries had many layered undergarments with their own names過去幾世紀有很多層層疊疊、各有名字的內衣 — corsets, petticoats, chemises像corset、petticoat、chemise。