1
be in jail
jail前通常不加冠词，表示被监禁的状态。
He was in jail for two years.
他坐牢两年。
监狱；看守所；拘留所
先理解核心含义，再看它在真实句子里的用法。
监狱；看守所；拘留所
A place or institution where people are kept in lawful custody, especially while awaiting trial or serving a short sentence.
He was in jail for two years.
他坐牢两年。
关押被依法拘留或羁押者的场所或机构,尤指(美式用法)关押轻罪犯或等待司法程序者之处。
A place or institution for the confinement of persons held against their will in lawful custody or detention, especially (in US usage) a place where people are held for minor offenses or with reference to some future judicial proceeding.
政府合法拘留人员(包括候审被告或服刑罪犯)的矫正机构
a correctional institution used to detain persons who are in the lawful custody of the government (either accused persons awaiting trial or convicted persons serving a sentence)
监禁于监狱。
Confinement in a jail.
赛马术语,指在让赛中被认领的马匹须在一定期限内(通常 30 天)不得在其他赛道参赛的规定所形成的状态。
The condition created by the requirement that a horse claimed in a claiming race not be run at another track for some period of time (usually 30 days).
The thief was sent to jail for six months.
那个小偷被送进监狱关了六个月。
Our city built a new jail last year.
我们城市去年建了一座新监狱。
The jail has strict security measures.
这座监狱有严格的安全措施。
jail前通常不加冠词，表示被监禁的状态。
He was in jail for two years.
他坐牢两年。
固定搭配，jail前不加冠词。
If you commit a crime, you may go to jail.
如果你犯罪，可能会坐牢。
send后接人，to jail为固定短语。
The judge sent him to jail for robbery.
法官因抢劫把他送进监狱。
release from jail，jail前不加冠词。
She was released from jail last week.
她上周被从监狱释放。
Not this
He was sentenced to go to the jail for five years.
Use this
He was sentenced to go to jail for five years.
中文学习者常受母语影响，在表示“入狱”这一抽象概念时误加定冠词“the”。英语中，“go to jail”作为固定搭配，表示被监禁，无需冠词；而“go to the jail”则指前往某个具体的监狱建筑，语义不符。
Not this
There are several jail in this state.
Use this
There are several jails in this state.
“jail”作为可数名词指具体的监狱建筑时，应用复数形式“jails”。中文中“监狱”一词可表泛指，但英语中“several”后需接可数名词复数，且语义强调多个建筑，故必须加-s。
Focus on the distinctions below. Other candidates are kept compact until a reliable usage note is available.
在监狱里
He spent three years in jail for robbery.
他因抢劫在监狱里待了三年。
进监狱
If you commit a crime, you could go to jail.
如果你犯罪，你可能进监狱。
关进监狱
The judge put the criminal in jail for ten years.
法官把罪犯关进监狱十年。
监禁刑期
He received a five-year jail sentence.
他被判了五年监禁刑期。
坐牢时间
She did six months of jail time for fraud.
她因欺诈坐了六个月牢。
越狱
The prisoners planned to escape from jail.
囚犯们计划越狱。
监禁刑期
He faces up to ten years of jail time for his crimes.
他因罪行面临最高十年的监禁刑期。
惯犯，坐牢者
That old jailbird has been in and out of prison for decades.
那个老惯犯几十年来进出监狱多次。
狱中法律顾问
The jailhouse lawyer helped other inmates file appeals.
这位狱中法律顾问帮助其他囚犯提交上诉。
监狱长在县监狱里举办了一场派对。
The warden threw a party in the county jail.
监狱长在县监狱里举办了一场派对。
发长 /eɪ/ 音 (如 rain, wait)
Use jail naturally, then get feedback on meaning, tone, grammar, and phrasing.
Revisit a common error or keep this word in your review list.
字母J形如监狱铁栏，ail联想到‘被困’，牢记jail是监狱。
Register: mixed. Typical contexts: legal proceedings, news reporting, everyday conversation. Note: 通常指地方性或临时性的拘留所，在正式法律文件中多使用“prison”，但日常用语中“jail”很常见。
作名词时，通常与介词in连用表示服刑状态。
Dictionary facts from ECDICT, WIKTIONARY.