1
confess to sth / doing sth
后接名词或动名词。
He confessed to the crime.
他承认了罪行。
承认（错误或罪行）
先理解核心含义，再看它在真实句子里的用法。
承认（错误或罪行）
to admit that you have done something wrong or illegal
He confessed to the crime.
他承认了罪行。
承认事实,尤指承认所犯的罪或罪行。
To admit to the truth, particularly in the context of sins or crimes committed.
承认信仰；表明信奉。
To acknowledge faith in; to profess belief in.
向上帝或神父忏悔自己的罪过以获得赦免。
To unburden (oneself) of sins to God or a priest, in order to receive absolution.
聆听或接受(某人)的忏悔。
To hear or receive such a confession of sins from.
confess
Base
原形
confesses
3rd person
第三人称单数
confessing
-ing
现在分词
confessed
Past
过去式
confessed
Past participle
过去分词
I confess my mistake.
我承认我的错误。
He confessed to the crime.
他承认了罪行。
She is confessing her sins.
她正在忏悔她的罪过。
规则动词
He confessed to stealing the money.
他承认偷了钱。
She confessed that she had broken the vase.
她坦白打碎了花瓶。
I must confess my ignorance on this topic.
我必须承认对这个话题的无知。
后接名词或动名词。
He confessed to the crime.
他承认了罪行。
后接that从句。
She confessed that she had stolen the money.
她承认她偷了钱。
用介词to引出对象。
He confessed his sins to the priest.
他向神父忏悔了自己的罪过。
Not this
I confess that I forgot your birthday.
Use this
I admit that I forgot your birthday.
“confess”通常用于承认罪行或严重错误，而忘记生日是一般性疏忽，应使用“admit”表示承认事实。
Not this
He confessed about stealing the money.
Use this
He confessed to stealing the money.
“confess”后接介词“to”而不是“about”，表示承认（做）某事。
Focus on the distinctions below. Other candidates are kept compact until a reliable usage note is available.
承认（罪行或错误）
He confessed to the crime after hours of interrogation.
经过数小时审讯，他承认了罪行。
承认……
She confessed that she had broken the vase.
她承认打碎了花瓶。
忏悔罪过
The penitent went to church to confess his sins.
忏悔者去教堂忏悔罪过。
坦白一切
Under pressure, the suspect finally confessed everything.
在压力下，嫌疑人最终坦白了一切。
向神父告解
Catholics believe in confessing to a priest.
天主教徒相信向神父告解。
忏悔己罪
In many religions, believers are encouraged to confess their sins to a priest.
在许多宗教中，信徒被鼓励向神父忏悔己罪。
坦白一切
After hours of interrogation, the suspect finally confessed all.
经过数小时的审讯，嫌疑人最终坦白了一切。
认罪
He confessed to the crime after seeing the evidence.
他看到证据后认罪了。
Use confess naturally, then get feedback on meaning, tone, grammar, and phrasing.
Revisit a common error or keep this word in your review list.
联想‘con（一起）+ fess（说）’，即一起说出真相，坦白承认。
通常多用于正式场合如法庭或教堂中的坦白或忏悔，日常语境中表示承认错误时也较常见，但语气较重。
常与介词to连用，也可直接跟宾语或that从句
Dictionary facts from ECDICT, WIKTIONARY.