☕ 日常英文English version
what's the catch 是甚麼意思？
the catch
/wɒts ðə kætʃ/
＝ 隱藏的問題、附加條件
聽到太好的優惠或條件時最常用，帶一點懷疑但不算無禮。對朋友、同事、銷售員都可以說。
簡單解釋
把 catch 想像成魚鈎：魚餌看起來很吸引，但裡面藏著一個鈎。
What's the catch? 就是「這麼好的事，背後的鈎在哪裡？」——例如價錢特別低，可能要綁約兩年，或者有很多隱藏收費。
答案可以是 There's a catch（真的有附加條件），也可以是 There's no catch（沒有陷阱，真的這麼好）。
catch 的 7 個意思
- the catch隱藏的問題、附加條件日常常用
The price is so low. What's the catch?
價錢這麼低，背後有甚麼條件？
- catch (a ball / sb)接住；捉住一般
He caught the ball with one hand.
他單手接住了球。
- catch a bus / train / flight趕上（交通工具）日常常用
I need to leave now to catch the last train.
我要現在走，才趕得上尾班車。
- catch a cold / the flu染上（傷風、感冒）日常常用
I think I caught a cold from the air-con.
我想我吹冷氣吹到傷風了。
- catch you later / catch up遲些再談；敘舊、追上進度口語
Let's catch up over lunch next week.
下星期一起吃午飯敘敘舊吧。
- catch (what sb said)聽清楚職場常用
Sorry, I didn't catch your name.
抱歉，我沒聽清楚你的名字。
- a good catch發現得好（錯處）；值得嫁／娶的對象口語
The date in the contract was wrong? Good catch!
合約上的日期錯了？好在你發現！
句式和用法
| 句式 | 例句 |
|---|---|
| What's the catch? | Free flights for a year? OK, what's the catch? 一年免費機票？好吧，有甚麼條件？ |
| There's a catch: + clause | There's a catch: you have to sign a two-year contract. 有個條件：你要簽兩年合約。 |
| The catch is (that) + clause | The catch is that the offer is only for new customers. 問題是這個優惠只適用於新客戶。 |
| There's no catch. | It really is free. There's no catch. 真的免費，沒有附加條件。 |
真實場景例句
📱 上台優惠
Customer: Unlimited data for $98 a month? What's the catch?
每月 98 元任用數據？有甚麼條件？
Salesperson: The catch is it's a 24-month contract, and the price goes up after the first year.
條件是要簽 24 個月合約，第二年起月費會加。
💼 新工作邀請
Ken: They offered me 30% more and a bigger title.
他們給我加薪三成，職銜也更高。
Mandy: Sounds great. What's the catch? Long hours?
聽起來很好。有甚麼代價？要長時間工作嗎？
Ken: Yes — I would have to travel to Shenzhen three days a week.
對，我每星期要去深圳三天。
🔍 同事檢查文件
Alice: The deadline on page 2 says 2025, not 2026.
第二頁的截止日期寫了 2025，不是 2026。
Raymond: Oh no. Good catch — thanks! I'll fix it before I send it.
糟糕，好在你發現，謝謝！我寄出前會改好。
常見錯誤
✗ What is the trap of this offer?
✓ What's the catch?
把「陷阱」直譯成 trap 太重，好像指控對方騙人。日常懷疑優惠時，英文母語者會說 What's the catch?
✗ What's the catch point?
✓ What's the catch?
這裡的 catch 本身已是名詞，意思就是「隱藏條件」，不用再加 point。
✗ Is there any hidden condition behind?
✓ Is there a catch?
behind 後面沒有名詞，句子不完整；Is there a catch? 短而自然。
✗ I need to catch up the last bus.
✓ I need to catch the last bus.
趕上交通工具是 catch the bus；catch up 是「追上進度」或「敘舊」，不用於坐車。
✗ Sorry, I can't catch you.
✓ Sorry, I didn't catch that.
can't catch you 聽起來像「捉不到你」。聽不清楚對方說話，要說 I didn't catch that / what you said。
改寫示範 ✨
回覆供應商報價的電郵：用 Dictionify 的 Polish 把整段改得自然又專業，刪去的字劃走，新加的字標示出來。
Dear Sir, your quotation is much cheaper than other company. Is there any trap or hidden charge behind? Please clarify with me ASAP.
Dear Sir, your quotation is Hi Vincent, thanks for the quote. It's much cheaper lower than other company. Is the others we've received, so I want to check: is there any trap or hidden charge behind? Please clarify with a catch? For example, are delivery and installation included? Could you let me ASAP. know by Thursday?
- Is there any trap … behind? → is there a catch?：trap 聽起來像指控對方；catch 語氣較輕，只是想了解清楚。
- other company 要用複數 the others（其他報價），比較時用 much lower than。
- 加一個具體問題（are delivery and installation included?）和期限（by Thursday），對方更容易回覆；clarify with me 是常見中式英文。
近義和相反說法
| 說法 | 意思 | 分別 |
|---|---|---|
| Is there a catch? | 有沒有附加條件？ | 同一個意思，以是非題問，語氣稍為柔和。 |
| strings attached | 附帶條件 | 常用 no strings attached（不附帶任何條件），多用於金錢或幫忙。 |
| the fine print | 細則 | 指合約或廣告裡的小字條款，較具體、正式。 |
| too good to be true | 好得難以置信 | 表達懷疑的感覺，但不是直接問條件。 |
相反：no strings attached (不附帶任何條件)、a genuine deal (真正划算、沒有陷阱的交易)
小測驗
選一個答案，立即看結果。
"The flat is huge and the rent is cheap. The catch is it's a 20-minute walk from the MTR." 這句的 catch 是……
答案：B。the catch = 隱藏的問題，這裡指離港鐵站遠。
你想趕尾班車，應該說……
答案：A。趕上交通工具用 catch the train，不加 up 或 on。
同事發現了你報告裡的錯處，你可以回應……
答案：C。good catch = 「好在你發現」，用來感謝別人找出錯處。
常見問題
對銷售員說 what's the catch 會不會不禮貌？
一般不會。這句話帶點懷疑，但語氣輕鬆，很多人都會這樣問。想更客氣可以說 "Is there a catch?" 或 "Are there any conditions I should know about?"
別人問我 what's the catch，我應該怎樣回答？
如果真的沒有條件，可以說 "There's no catch — it's really free."；如果有，就直接說出來："The only catch is you have to sign up by Friday." 坦白說明會令人更信任你。
catch up、catch up with 和 catch up on 有甚麼分別？
catch up 可以單獨用，例如 "Let's catch up soon."（遲些敘舊）。catch up with sb 是追上某人或和某人敘舊；catch up on sth 是追回某事的進度，例如 I need to catch up on my emails.（我要追回電郵進度）。
catch 還有甚麼常見的職場用法？
最常見的有三個：I didn't catch that（我聽不清楚）、Good catch（好在你發現錯處）、Catch you later（遲些再談）。三個都很口語，適合同事之間用。
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