Verb + Noun Collocations: 30 Natural Pairs Taiwan Pros Need (2026) | 動詞名詞搭配詞
本文重點: 本文為台灣上班族整理30個最常用的英文動詞名詞搭配詞 (verb + noun collocations)，涵蓋商業英文、多益考試、和日常職場英文。學會這些搭配詞，讓你的英文聽起來更自然、更專業。適合準備多益、英文面試、或想提升職場英文 (英文學習) 的學習者。
At work in Taipei, you’ve probably said “I will open the TV” or “I want to do a decision before the meeting” and seen a foreign colleague pause for half a second. The grammar is technically correct, but the words don’t pair the way native speakers expect. That’s a collocation problem — and once you fix it, your English instantly sounds more natural to your boss, your client, and your TOEIC examiner.
This guide focuses on the most useful category for working professionals: verb + noun collocations. These are the building blocks of almost every business email, every meeting opener, and every small-talk exchange you’ll have in English. Master the 30 pairs below and you’ll fix more Chinglish (中式英文) than any grammar drill can.
What Are Verb + Noun Collocations? | 什麼是動詞名詞搭配詞？
A collocation is a pair of words that English speakers habitually use together. “Heavy rain” sounds right; “strong rain” sounds wrong, even though both adjectives mean “a lot.” Verb + noun collocations are the most common subtype — the verb-and-noun combinations native speakers reach for without thinking.
The problem for Taiwan learners (台灣上班族) is that Chinese often uses one verb where English needs several. In Mandarin, “做” covers 做決定, 做作業, and 做生意. In English, these split into three different verbs: make a decision, do homework, and do business. A direct translation gets you “do a decision” — grammatically clean, but instantly marked as non-native.
Why Verb + Noun Pairs Matter | 為什麼動詞搭配很重要
Strong collocations are how recruiters, examiners, and clients judge your fluency. The TOEIC (多益) speaking section, the IELTS writing band descriptors, your job interview (英文面試) — all reward natural word pairing over fancy vocabulary. A learner who says “make a quick decision” sounds more capable than one who says “execute a rapid determination,” even though the second sentence has bigger words.
The good news: there are only a few hundred high-frequency verb + noun collocations in everyday business English. You don’t need to memorize a dictionary. You need the right 30 — the ones that come up in meetings, emails, and small talk every single week.
30 Essential Verb + Noun Collocations | 30個必學動詞名詞搭配詞
Make vs Do — The Classic Confusion | Make 與 Do 的差別
Quick rule: make creates something new (a decision, a plan, a meal); do performs an action that already exists as a category (homework, the laundry, business).
- Make a decision (做決定) — not “do a decision”
- Make a mistake (犯錯) — not “do a mistake”
- Make progress (有進展)
- Make an appointment (約時間)
- Make money (賺錢) — common in casual speech
- Do business (做生意) — not “make business”
- Do homework (做作業) — for school or research
- Do the dishes / laundry (洗碗 / 洗衣服)
- Do your best (盡力)
Take vs Have — Action vs Experience | Take 與 Have 的搭配
Take suggests an active grabbing or moving; have suggests experiencing or owning. American English usually says “take a shower”; British English often says “have a shower.” Both are correct — pick one dialect and be consistent.
- Take a break (休息一下)
- Take a shower (洗澡)
- Take a photo (拍照)
- Take notes (做筆記) — preferred in meetings
- Take medicine (吃藥) — never “eat medicine”
- Have a meeting (開會) — not “open a meeting”
- Have lunch / dinner (吃午餐 / 吃晚餐)
- Have a chat (聊天)
Get and Give — Receive and Hand Over | Get 與 Give 的搭配
Get means receive or become; give means hand over or offer. These two verbs replace dozens of stiffer alternatives in spoken English — “get a job” sounds natural where “obtain employment” sounds robotic.
- Get a job (找到工作) — after the offer
- Get married (結婚) — not just “marry” without an object
- Get permission (得到許可)
- Get the chance (有機會)
- Give a presentation (做簡報) — not “do a presentation”
- Give someone a call (打電話給某人)
- Give advice (給建議) — never “say advice”
- Give a discount (打折)
Pay, Catch, Save, and Spend | 付、搭、省、花
These four verbs cover money, transport, illness, and time — the daily mechanics of working life in Taipei.
- Pay attention (注意) — not “give attention”
- Pay a visit (拜訪)
- Pay the bill (付帳)
- Catch a cold (感冒) — not “get a cold sickness”
- Catch a bus / train (搭公車 / 搭火車)
- Save time (節省時間)
- Save money (存錢)
- Spend time (花時間)
- Spend money (花錢)
Common Mistakes Taiwan Learners Make | 台灣學習者常犯的錯誤
After teaching adult learners in Taipei for over two decades, the same five collocation errors appear in almost every classroom. Fix these and your written English will improve overnight.
- “Open the TV / light” → Use turn on the TV / the lights. Open is for doors, eyes, and boxes only.
- “Eat medicine” → Use take medicine. You only “eat” food.
- “Say me the answer” → Use tell me the answer. Say doesn’t take an indirect object directly.
- “Do a decision / mistake” → Use make a decision / mistake. The 做 in Chinese splits into make そして do in English.
- “Borrow your phone to me” → Use lend me your phone. Borrow means take; lend means give.
How to Practice Verb + Noun Collocations | 如何練習動詞名詞搭配詞
Memorizing isolated word lists is the slowest way to learn collocations. The pattern only sticks when you see the verb and noun together in real context — a sentence, an email, a podcast clip.
1. Keep a Collocation Notebook | 搭配詞筆記
When you read or hear a new pair, write the full phrase (not just the noun). Instead of writing “decision,” write “make a difficult decision.” Add one example sentence from your real work life. After three months you’ll have a 200-pair notebook of vocabulary that actually applies to your job.
2. Use the Right Dictionary | 使用搭配詞詞典
Standard bilingual dictionaries give you the meaning of “decision,” but not which verbs partner with it. A collocation dictionary (the Oxford Collocations Dictionary is the gold standard) lists make, reach, come to, arrive at all under “decision.” Bookmark a free version on your phone and check before sending any important email.
3. Listen for the Pairs | 透過聽力學搭配
Podcasts like BBC Learning English’s 6 Minute English, The Business English Podcast, and NPR’s Marketplace use these collocations in every episode. Don’t try to understand every word — instead, pause every time you hear a verb + noun pair you don’t usually use, and write it down. Two pairs per episode adds up fast over a year of commutes.
4. Drill With Sentence Flashcards | 句子型字卡
Skip single-word flashcards. Use Anki or a paper card with a full sentence on the front, blanking out the verb: “I need to ____ a decision by Friday.” Test yourself daily. Sentence-context recall builds the same memory pathways you use when speaking, while single-word recall stays trapped in the translation layer of your brain.
Quick Reference: 30-Pair Cheat Sheet | 30個搭配詞速查表
Save this list as a phone screenshot. Review one section per day for a week and you’ll cover the entire 30 by Sunday.
- Make: a decision, a mistake, progress, an appointment, money, an effort, a phone call, a difference
- Do: homework, business, the dishes, the laundry, your best, research, a favor, exercise
- Take: a break, a shower, a photo, notes, medicine, a risk, your time, responsibility
- Have: a meeting, lunch, a chat, a problem, fun, an idea, a baby, a look
- Get: a job, married, permission, the chance, an email, ready, lost, used to
- Give: a presentation, a call, advice, a discount, a hand, a speech, a chance, an example
- Pay / Catch / Save / Spend: pay attention, pay a visit, catch a cold, catch a bus, save time, save money, spend time, spend money
FAQs | 常見問題
How many collocations do I need for TOEIC 800+? | 多益800分需要學多少搭配詞？
Roughly 500 to 800 high-frequency collocations cover the vast majority of TOEIC reading and listening items. Start with the 30 in this guide, then add 5–10 new pairs per week from your study materials. Six months of consistent input gets you there.
Are collocations the same in American and British English? | 美式英文跟英式英文的搭配詞一樣嗎？
Most are identical. A handful differ — Americans “take a shower,” Brits “have a shower”; Americans “do the dishes,” Brits often “wash up.” Pick the dialect that matches your audience (business clients in Taipei usually expect American English) and stay consistent.
Is it worth hiring an English tutor just for collocations? | 為了學搭配詞值得請英文家教嗎？
A tutor (英文家教) accelerates the process because they correct your wrong pairs in real time — something a textbook can’t do. If you’re spending NT$3,000 a month on English study, two private sessions per month focused on your own emails and presentations beats four group classes on generic vocabulary.
Should I learn collocations or phrasal verbs first? | 應該先學搭配詞還是片語動詞？
Verb + noun collocations come first. They unlock natural-sounding emails and meeting language at every level. Phrasal verbs (look up, put off, run into) layer on top once your collocations are stable — they add casual register and idiomatic color, but they’re not the foundation.
Final Word | 結語
Verb + noun collocations are the fastest single upgrade you can make to your business English. Bigger vocabulary doesn’t fix awkward pairings — only the pairings themselves do. Print the 30-pair cheat sheet, use one new pair in tomorrow’s email, and notice how much more naturally your colleagues respond. Fluency is built one pair at a time.
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