Hello! This week on Ask a Teacher, we finish our answer about the best way to expand your vocabulary .
你好！本周，在“请教老师”节目中，我们完成了关于扩大词汇量的最佳方法的回答。
Many VOA Learning English fans write to us with this question: What is the best way to improve my vocabulary?
许多美国之音英语学习爱好者写信给我们提出这样的问题：提高词汇量的最佳方法是什么？
We have said the best way to improve vocabulary is to really “know a word.” To fully know a word, we have to know its form: how it sounds, how it is written, and what its parts are. We have to know its meanings and the ideas or feelings it suggests. We also have to know how the word is normally used.
我们说过，提高词汇量的最好方法是真正“认识一个单词”。要完全了解一个单词，我们必须知道它的形式：它的发音、书写方式以及它的组成部分。我们必须了解它的含义以及它所暗示的想法或感受。我们还必须知道这个词通常如何使用。
Synonyms are words that have the same or nearly the same meaning. For example, “big” and “large” are used to talk about size. But often, we cannot exchange one for the other. They have different usages.
同义词是具有相同或几乎相同含义的单词。例如，“big”和“large”用于谈论大小。但很多时候，我们无法将其中的一种交换为另一种。它们有不同的用途。
Both “big” and “large” can be used to describe the size of something. “Big” is usually used in conversation. “Large” is more formal.
“big”和“large”都可以用来形容某物的大小。 “大”通常用于对话中。 “大”更正式。
John is standing next to the big tree.
约翰站在那棵大树旁边。
The large tree fell on the house.
那棵大树倒在了房子上。
We use “big” to talk about something or someone that is important.
我们用“big”来谈论重要的事情或人。
This is a big decision.
这是一个重大决定。
We use “large” when talking about an amount of something.
当谈论某物的数量时，我们使用“大”。
The company received a large number of complaints.
该公司收到大量投诉。
“Large” is also a clothing size. It is bigger than a small and a medium.
“大”也是一种衣服尺寸。它比小号和中号大。
The shirt is a size large .
这件衬衫尺码偏大。
Collocations are words that go together. Some words go together with other words, but their synonyms might not. For example, we say “big surprise,” but we would not say “large surprise.”
搭配是指组合在一起的单词。有些单词与其他单词一起使用，但它们的同义词可能不会。例如，我们说“大惊喜”，但我们不会说“大惊喜”。
Another example is “unhappy” and “sad.” They are synonyms, but they cannot always be used with the same words. For example, we would say “unhappy childhood.” Saying “sad childhood” instead does not sound as natural.
另一个例子是“不快乐”和“悲伤”。它们是同义词，但不能总是与相同的词一起使用。例如，我们会说“不幸的童年”。相反，说“悲伤的童年”听起来不太自然。
When we look at English words in this way, we can see that our vocabulary expands by understanding the usage of a word.
当我们以这种方式看待英语单词时，我们可以看到，通过理解单词的用法，我们的词汇量得到了扩展。
VOA fans, the best way to improve your vocabulary is to really know a word: its form, meaning and usage.
美国之音粉丝们，提高词汇量的最佳方法是真正了解一个单词：它的形式、含义和用法。
Do you have a question about American English? Send us an email at learningenglish@voanews.com .
您对美式英语有疑问吗？请发送电子邮件至learningenglish@voanews.com。