a navvy
navvy 是可数名词，指做重体力劳动的人。
A navvy was shoveling gravel.
一个苦工正在铲砾石。
苦工
非熟练工人,粗工。；挖土机
a laborer who has to do menial work
非熟练工人,粗工。
an unskilled laborer
The navvy swung his pickaxe all day under the hot sun.
那个苦工在烈日下挥了一整天镐。
用法提示：navvy 是名词，指做体力活的苦工。
A team of navvies built the railway embankment in just three months.
一队苦工仅用了三个月就建好了铁路路基。
用法提示：navvies 是 navvy 的复数形式，指一组体力劳动者。
My great-grandfather worked as a navvy on the canal project.
我的曾祖父曾在运河工程中当苦工。
用法提示：navvy 作名词，表示从事体力劳动的人。
navvy 是可数名词，指做重体力劳动的人。
A navvy was shoveling gravel.
一个苦工正在铲砾石。
复数形式是 navvies，把 y 变为 ies。
The navvies worked on the railway all day.
那些苦工整天在铁路上干活。
He worked as a navvy on the docks.
他在码头当苦工。
泛指体力劳动者，语气中性，比 navvy 更常用；不强调“被迫”或“低微”，可覆盖各种体力行业。
强调枯燥、繁重且低微的工作，常含贬义；不限于建筑工地，也可指家务等杂役。
作名词时多指仆人、杂工，侧重卑微的杂役工作，常用于家政等场景；在建筑工地替换 navvy 时略显不自然。
grammar · medium
易错句子He worked as navvy on the railway.
正确表达He worked as a navvy on the railway.
navvy 是可数名词，表示“工人”时，单数形式前面需要冠词。汉语没有冠词，所以学习者容易漏掉 a/an；此处应加 a 表示“一名苦工”。
grammar · medium
易错句子There were many navvys on the construction site.
正确表达There were many navvies on the construction site.
以辅音字母加 y 结尾的名词变复数时，要把 y 改为 i 再加 es，所以 navvy 的复数是 navvies，不能直接在末尾加 s。
这里 navvy 指做苦力的体力劳动者；作为雇佣或管理方，boss 是常见对立面。
与 navvy（干体力活的劳工）相对，指从事管理、指挥工作的人。
navvy 是被监督的劳工，supervisor 是监督劳工的管理者，二者在劳动岗位上相对。
navvy 指干粗活的劳工，读 /ˈnævi/；navy 是海军，读 /ˈneɪvi/。拼写相近，注意短 a 与长 a 的区别以及词义完全不同。
navvy 特指挖土、修路等重体力劳动的工人，带有“苦工”的意味；laborer 泛指任何体力劳动者，不限定具体工种。
像苦工一样拼命干活
He worked like a navvy all day to dig the foundation.
他像苦工一样拼命干了一整天来挖地基。
破口大骂，满口脏话
The angry driver swore like a navvy when he was cut off.
被别车时，那个生气的司机破口大骂。
一群苦工
A gang of navvies was repairing the road.
一群苦工在修路。
铁路苦工（旧时修建铁路的工人）
The railway navvies laid the tracks across the moors.
铁路苦工们在旷野上铺设铁轨。
无技能苦工
He started as an unskilled navvy on the construction site.
他最初在工地当无技能苦工。
苦工的工资
The navvy's wages were barely enough to live on.
苦工的工资几乎难以糊口。
挖土工人的常用工具。
用于挖掘坚硬地面的工具。
用来搬运泥土和建材。
挖土工通常在建筑工地干活。
navvy 一词源自挖运河的劳工。
像苦力一样拼命干活
They worked like navvies to finish the fence before winter.
他们像苦力一样拼命干活，赶在冬天前把栅栏修好。
满口脏话，破口大骂
He swears like a navvy whenever he loses at cards.
他打牌一输就满口脏话。
狂饮，像苦力一样海量喝酒
She drank like a navvy at the party and regretted it the next morning.
她在聚会上狂饮，第二天早上后悔不已。
Dictionary facts from ECDICT, WIKTIONARY.