其實這個字背後藏著很多母語者才知道的「溫柔語感」！「I wonder if…」不但能讓你講話更有禮貌、也更接近美式英語的說話風格。

這集我們幫你一次搞懂：

💡 wonder 當名詞與動詞的不同用法

💡 「I wonder」vs「I think」差在哪？

💡 美式英文常用句型：wonder if、wonder why、wonder who

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M: Welcome to MJ English. Today, we're looking closely at one English word. It's wonder.

M：歡迎收聽 MJ English。今天我們要來好好認識一個英文單字，就是「wonder」。

And you might not use it a ton, but wow, native speakers, especially, you know, here in America, they use it constantly.

你可能平常不太用這個字，但美國人、尤其是母語者超級常講。

J: Absolutely. It's everywhere once you start listening for it.

J：真的，你只要開始注意，就會發現這個字到處都是。

M: So our goal today is to help you really get wonder, understand it so well you can use it naturally.

M：所以我們今天的目標，就是讓你完全搞懂 wonder，用得自然又流暢。

J: Yeah, almost like a little shortcut, right? To sounding more native.

J：對，有點像是讓你更像母語者的小捷徑。

M: Exactly.

M：沒錯。

J: And it adds so much politeness and curiosity, too.

J：而且這個字還能讓你聽起來更有禮貌、更有好奇心。

M: Okay, let's unpack that. Wonder. It can be a noun or a verb, right?

M：好，我們來拆解一下這個字。「wonder」可以是名詞也可以是動詞，對吧？

J: Right. Let's start with the noun.

J：對，那我們先從名詞開始說。

M: Okay.

M：好啊。

J: As a noun, wonder basically means surprise or something, well, amazing. A marvel.

J：當名詞時，wonder 就是指驚奇、驚嘆的事情，也可以說是某種奇蹟或令人驚艷的東西。

M: Can you give an example?

M：可以舉個例子嗎？

J: Sure. You might say, "It's a wonder she gets everything done," meaning it's surprising, it's impressive.

J：當然，比如說：「她居然什麼事都做得完，真是太厲害了！」這裡的 wonder 就是「真神奇欸」那種感覺。

M: Ah, okay.

M：喔～我懂了。

J: Or think bigger, like, the Grand Canyon is one of the natural wonders of the world.

J：或是講大一點，像「大峽谷是世界七大自然奇景之一」，這裡的 wonder 就是「奇觀」的意思。

M: Got it. Amazing things. But what about the verb? I feel like that's the more common one in conversation.

M：了解，就是很令人驚嘆的東西。那如果是動詞呢？我覺得在對話中反而比較常看到動詞用法。

J: Definitely. As a verb, wonder means you're thinking about something, maybe asking yourself a quiet question.

J：沒錯，當動詞的時候，「wonder」就是你在思考某件事，像是在心裡默默問自己一個問題。

M: Like internally.

M：像是在心裡自言自語的那種。

J: Exactly. There's often a bit of curiosity, maybe some doubt. Like, I wonder if it's going to rain later.

J：對，就是帶著一點好奇或不確定感。像「我在想等下會不會下雨」。

M: Okay, so you're not sure, you're just thinking about it.

M：所以你不確定，只是在心裡想一想。

J: Precisely. Or, she wondered why he didn't call back. It's that internal thought process.

J：沒錯，像「她在想為什麼他沒回電」，這就是內心的那種思考。

M: And we also hear wonderful and wonderfully.

M：那我們也常聽到「wonderful」和「wonderfully」。

J: Those are related, yeah.

J：對，這兩個是相關的。

M: Yeah, they're just the adjective and the adverb. Wonderful means amazing or great.

M：對啦，「wonderful」是形容詞，意思是很棒、很驚人。

J: You did a wonderful job.

J：像是說「你做得超棒的！」

M: Exactly. And wonderfully just means doing something in an amazing way. They capture that same positive, surprising feeling.

M：沒錯，「wonderfully」就是副詞，用來形容做事情的方式很棒。兩個字都帶有驚喜跟正面感。

J: Okay, this is where it gets really useful, I think. Using "I wonder if." It seems key for sounding, well, polite.

J：接下來這部分就超實用了，就是「I wonder if」的用法，這感覺是讓你聽起來更有禮貌的關鍵。

M: It really is. Super common. I wonder if is just a fantastic way to ask something or suggest something indirectly.

M：真的，這用法超常見。「I wonder if」就是一個很棒的方式，用來間接問事情或提出建議。

J: Like you're thinking out loud.

J：有點像是你在把心裡的話講出來。

M: Kind of, yeah, softens the whole thing. So, I wonder if he's busy right now feels much gentler than just asking, "Is he busy?"

M：對，這種講法會讓整句話聽起來比較柔和。像「I wonder if he's busy right now」就比直接問「Is he busy?」有禮貌很多。

J: Less demanding. Totally. And there are variations, too, right?

J：聽起來比較不強勢，真的。那是不是也有不同的變化用法？

M: Yeah, I've heard "I'm wondering if" and "I was wondering if." What's the difference there? It feels subtle.

M：對，我有聽過「I'm wondering if」跟「I was wondering if」，這兩個有什麼差別嗎？好像滿細微的。

J: It is subtle, but useful. I'm wondering if suggests you're thinking about it, like, right this second.

J：這個差異雖小但很實用。「I'm wondering if」表示你現在此刻正在思考這件事。

M: Okay, more immediate.

M：喔，聽起來比較即時。

J: Yeah. Yeah. I'm wondering if you could maybe help me with this report. It sounds very friendly, very current.

J：對，像「I'm wondering if you could maybe help me with this report」聽起來就很友善，很像你當下有個想法。

M: And "I was wondering if"?

M：那「I was wondering if」呢？

J: That one's even softer, often a bit more formal, or just extra polite.

J：這個語氣更柔和一點，也比較正式、特別有禮貌。

M: Right.

M：了解。

J: I was wondering if you might be free for a meeting tomorrow. Using the past tense "was" creates a little distance.

J：像「I was wondering if you might be free for a meeting tomorrow」這句，用過去式的「was」會讓語氣更委婉一點。

M: Ah, distance makes it feel less pressured.

M：喔～那個語氣的距離感，會讓人比較沒有壓力。

J: Exactly. It implies you've considered it, it's not a sudden demand. Very common in American politeness norms, actually.

J：沒錯，這表示你是想過才提，不是突然開口要求。這種講法在美式禮貌文化中超常見的。

M: That makes perfect sense. It's about creating comfort. Okay, so what about using I wonder with question words? You know, who, what, where?

M：這樣就說得通了，是為了讓對方更自在。那如果「I wonder」後面接問句單字呢？像 who、what、where 這種？

J: Yeah, that's another big one. It works perfectly.

J：對，這也是很重要的一種用法，而且超自然。

M: How so?

M：怎麼說？

J: Well, it's like thinking aloud again. You're expressing curiosity, but not necessarily expecting an immediate answer from the person you're talking to.

J：一樣是把你心裡的想法說出來，但你不是在問對方要馬上回答，而是表達一種好奇心。

M: So, less direct than asking the question straight out.

M：所以比直接問問題的方式含蓄很多。

J: Right. If you say, "I wonder who left this bag here," it's different from "Who left this bag?" More speculative.

J：對，像說「I wonder who left this bag here」就跟「Who left this bag?」不一樣，前者比較像是在猜、在想。

J: Exactly. Or, I wonder what she's thinking. You're musing.

J：對啊，像「I wonder what she's thinking」就是你在猜她在想什麼。

M: Or maybe, "I wonder where I put my keys." Happens to me all the time.

M：或者「我在想我把鑰匙放哪了」，我超常這樣。

J: Doesn't it? Yeah. Or, I wonder when they'll get here. I wonder why she hasn't called.

J：是不是！還有像「我在想他們什麼時候會到」或「她怎麼還沒打來」。

M: And how?

M：那還可以接 how 嗎？

J: I wonder how they finished that project so fast. It just shows you're curious, maybe a little impressed or puzzled. It's not accusatory.

J：當然可以，像「我在想他們怎麼這麼快就做完這個案子」，就是你有點好奇，也許有點佩服或疑惑，但完全不是在指責誰。

M: It really is all about that gentle curiosity. Okay, so one last crucial point. Wonder versus think. People mix these up, right?

M：真的就是一種溫柔的好奇。好，最後一個很重要的重點：「wonder」跟「think」的差別。大家很容易搞混對吧？

J: Yeah, they do.

J：對，很多人會搞錯。

M: Yeah.

M：真的。

J: And it's an important difference for sounding natural.

J：但這個差別很重要，會影響你講話聽起來自然不自然。

M: So what's the core difference we need to remember?

M：那我們應該記住的重點差別是什麼？

J: Okay, so wonder is all about that curiosity, that doubt. It's an open question in your mind. If you're saying, "I wonder if he'll like this gift," you're genuinely not sure. You're curious about his reaction.

J：OK，wonder 重點在於好奇、懷疑，是一個開放式的問題。像你說「我在想他會不會喜歡這個禮物」，表示你真的不確定，只是好奇。

M: Okay, the uncertainty is key.

M：原來如此，「不確定感」才是重點。

J: Yes. Whereas think is about your opinion, your belief. It implies you've sort of reached a conclusion, even if it's just tentative.

J：對，而「think」是你的想法或信念，表示你已經有一個初步結論了，就算不太確定也還是有答案。

M: So "I think he'll like this gift" means you believe he will.

M：所以「I think he'll like this gift」就是你覺得他會喜歡。

J: Exactly. You're stating what you believe to be true or likely true. You're not posing that open question in the same way.

J：沒錯，你是在陳述你相信的事情，不像 wonder 那樣在腦中開放式地發問。

M: That's a really clear way to put it. Wonder is the question mark, think is more like a statement.

M：這樣解釋超清楚的。wonder 就像問號，think 就是句號。

J: You got it.

J：沒錯啦！

M: Wow, okay. So, you've really armed yourself now with a way to sound much more natural when you're showing doubt or curiosity, or just being polite.

M：哇，這樣一來你就多了一個能讓你講英文更自然、更有禮貌、更能表達好奇的方法了！

J: Absolutely. Putting wonder into your English toolbox, it just gives you that softer, more nuanced, very native-like way to ask things, suggest things, express your thoughts.

J：沒錯，把「wonder」這個字放進你的英語工具箱裡，可以讓你提問、建議、表達想法時，語氣聽起來更柔和、更細緻、更像母語者。

M: It really does smooth things out. Makes conversations feel more comfortable.

M：這真的會讓對話更順、更舒服。

M: So think about it as you go through your week. Notice when you hear wonder, and maybe what's one spot where you could try using "I wonder if."

M：這禮拜可以觀察一下，看看別人什麼時候用「wonder」，然後想想看你自己有哪個情境可以試著說「I wonder if」。

J: Yeah, give it a try.

J：對啊，試看看！

M: We really hope exploring wonder today gave you some useful insights, maybe a few aha moments. Thanks so much for listening to MJ English.

M：希望今天的 wonder 深入解析有幫助到你，也許讓你有幾個「原來如此！」的時刻，感謝收聽 MJ English！

J: See you next time.

J：我們下次見～

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