smatter sth
及物用法，宾语通常是某种语言，含“只会皮毛”之意。
He smatters French well enough to order dinner, but not to hold a real conversation.
他粗通法语，点菜够用，但还无法进行真正的交谈。
只会皮毛地说（某种语言）；肤浅地接触或学习(如某个学科)；浅尝辄止。；用肤浅的知识说(某种语言或词语)。；对某事物有一点肤浅的了解；浅尝辄止。；略知
To study or know a subject only on the surface; to dabble in it.
指对某学科、技能等仅作肤浅的了解或尝试，可带宾语也可不带。
肤浅地接触或学习(如某个学科)；浅尝辄止。
To approach or study (something, such as a subject) superficially; to dabble in.
用肤浅的知识说(某种语言或词语)。
To speak (a language or words) with only a superficial knowledge of it.
对某事物有一点肤浅的了解；浅尝辄止。
To have a slight, superficial knowledge of something; to dabble.
一般现在时
He smatters a few words of French.
他略懂几句法语。
past
She smattered Spanish during her trip to Madrid.
她在马德里旅行期间对西班牙语略知一二。
present progressive
They are smattering Japanese before the business meeting.
他们正在商业会议前略学日语。
规则动词，表示一知半解。
She smatters a little Japanese, so she can only greet people and ask simple questions.
她只粗通一点日语，所以只能和人打招呼、问简单的问题。
用法提示：smatter 是动词，表示对某种语言只有肤浅的了解；此处用第三人称单数形式。
He smattered some German in college, but now he remembers only a few words.
他大学时粗略学过一点德语，但现在只记得几个词。
用法提示：smattered 是过去式，说明过去只是浅尝辄止地学过。
I can smatter a few phrases of Arabic, but I cannot hold a real conversation.
我能说几句皮毛阿拉伯语，但没法进行真正的对话。
用法提示：can 后接动词原形 smatter，表示能略通某种语言。
及物用法，宾语通常是某种语言，含“只会皮毛”之意。
He smatters French well enough to order dinner, but not to hold a real conversation.
他粗通法语，点菜够用，但还无法进行真正的交谈。
in 后接学科或领域，强调只停留在表面、不深入。
She smatters in art history but has never studied it seriously.
她对艺术史只是浅尝辄止，从未认真研习过。
grammar · medium
易错句子I only have a smatter of Japanese.
正确表达I only have a smattering of Japanese.
表示“一点点、皮毛”的名词形式是 smattering，不是 smatter。smatter 只作动词（如 smatter French），要表达“只懂一点”须用 a smattering of + 名词这一结构。
grammar · medium
易错句子The dry leaves smattered across the road in the wind.
正确表达The dry leaves scattered across the road in the wind.
smatter 意为“浅尝、略知皮毛”，与表示“四散、撒落”的 scatter 只差一个字母却意义完全不同；描述物体被风吹散应用不及物动词 scatter。
shatter 指把物体打得粉碎，也可指希望、信心等破灭；smatter 与“打碎”无关，只表示对某学科或语言浅尝辄止、只懂皮毛。
stammer 指因紧张或口吃而说话断续，描述的是说话动作；smatter 描述的是知识或语言掌握得浅，不涉及说话是否流畅。
dabble 强调以玩票的方式参与某项活动，常与 in 连用；smatter 侧重对某学科或语言仅有肤浅知识，宾语多为学科或语言本身。
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