rather
의미: Somewhat; to a certain degree; preferably
Rather has several uses: to indicate preference ('I'd rather stay home'), to mean 'quite' or 'somewhat' ('rather expensive'), or to correct/clarify ('or rather...'). Very British! 'Rather!' as an exclamation means emphatic agreement. 'Would rather' expresses preference.
예문
- The weather is rather cold today, isn't it? 今天天气相当冷,不是吗?El tiempo está bastante frío hoy, ¿no?今日はかなり寒いですね。오늘 날씨가 꽤 춥지 않나요?
- I'd rather have tea than coffee, please. 我宁愿喝茶而不是咖啡,谢谢。Preferiría té en lugar de café, por favor.コーヒーよりも紅茶の方がいいです。커피보다 홍차가 좋겠습니다.
- She's not my colleague—or rather, she used to be. 她不是我的同事——更确切地说,她曾经是。Ella no es mi colega—o mejor dicho, solía serlo.彼女は私の同僚ではありません—というか、以前はそうでした。그녀는 제 동료가 아닙니다—아니, 정확히 말하면 예전에는 그랬습니다.
발음
사용 가이드
맥락: general
어조: neutral
기원과 역사
From Old English 'hraþor', the comparative form of 'hraþe' meaning 'quickly, soon'. The original sense was 'sooner' (as in preference) — 'I'd rather' literally meant 'I'd sooner'. The weakened sense of 'somewhat' developed later in British English, becoming a hallmark of British understatement.
문화적 배경
Era: Modern
Generation: All ages
Social background: Universal
이야기와 상식
'Rather!' as an enthusiastic exclamation of agreement is quintessentially British and somewhat old-fashioned. It was popular in early 20th century upper-class speech and appears frequently in P.G. Wodehouse novels.
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