An is used instead of 'a', the indefinite article, in front of words that begin with vowel sounds.
2. See also a
English Easy Learning GrammarDeterminersDeterminers are words that make the reference of nouns more specific. If I say ‘thiscar’ it is clear that I mean a particular car which is near me. If ... Read more
English Easy Learning GrammarNoun phrases with several determinersMost noun phrases contain only one determiner or none at all, but if there are more,they follow a definite order. Determiners can be divided into four ... Read more
English Easy Learning GrammarThe indefinite articleThe indefinite article is a or an. The form an is used before a word that starts witha vowel sound. a girl a cat an eight-year-old girl an engineer The ... Read more
-an
(-ən)
Word forms: plural -ans
1. suffix
-an is added to the names of some places in order to form adjectives or nouns that refer to people or things which come from that place.
The Australian foreign minister.
Mitch was a San Franciscan by birth.
2. suffix
-an is added to the names of famous people to form adjectives or nouns that refer to people or things which are connectedwith or typical of that person's work or the time at which they lived.
...a great Shakespearean actor.
...an exhibition of fine Victorian furniture.
...a tradition perfected by the Elizabethans.
an in British English1
(æn, unstressed ən)
determiner
a form of the indefinite article used before an initial vowel sound
an old car
an elf
an honour
▶ USAGE An was formerly often used before words that begin with h and are unstressed on the first syllable: an hotel; an historic meeting. Sometimes the initial h was not pronounced. This usage is now becoming obsolete
Word origin
Old English ānone
an in British English2
or an' (æn, unstressed ən)
conjunction
(subordinating) an obsolete or dialect word for if, and (sense 9)
An in British English1
(ɑːn)
noun
mythology
the Sumerian sky god
Babylonian counterpart: Anu
An in British English2
the chemical symbol for
actinon
AN in British English
abbreviation for
Anglo-Norman
Anglo-Norman in British English
history
adjective
1.
relating to the Norman conquerors of England, their society, or their language
noun
2.
a Norman inhabitant of England after 1066
3.
the Anglo-French language
an- in British English
or before a consonant a-
prefix
not; without
anaphrodisiac
Word origin
from Greek
-an in British English
or -ean or -ian
suffix
1. (forming adjectives and nouns)
belonging to or relating to; a person belonging to or coming from
European
2. (forming adjectives and nouns)
typical of or resembling; a person typical of
Elizabethan
3. (forming adjectives and nouns)
adhering to or following; an adherent of
Christian
4. (forming nouns)
a person who specializes or is expert in
dietitian
phonetician
Word origin
from Latin -ānus, suffix of adjectives
an in American English1
(æn; unstressed, ən; ən)
adjective, indefinite article
1.
one; one sort of
to bake an apple pie
2.
each; any one
pick an apple from the tree
preposition
3.
to each; in each; for each; per
two an hour
a2
Word origin
weakened var. of one < OE an, the numeral one; the older and fuller form of a2
an in American English2
(æn) or an' (æn)
conjunction
1.
and
an informal spelling
2. Archaic
if
Word origin
ME < and, and
an. in American English
in the year
Word origin
L anno
an- in American English1
(æn)
a-2 (sense 3)
used before a vowel
an- in American English2
(æn; ən)
ad-
used before n
-an in American English
(ən; ɪn; ən)
1.
(one) belonging to or having some relation to
diocesan
2.
(one) born in or living in
Mexican
3.
(one) believing in or following
Lutheran
4.
-ician
used to form nouns only
Word origin
Fr -ain, -en < L -anus, of, belonging to; also directly < L
Examples of 'an' in a sentence
an
Opposite the couch was an enormous piece of slate which must have weighed a ton.
Hugo Wilcken THE EXECUTION (2002)
There was a gate near the car that led into an unkempt path through the forest.
Hugo Wilcken THE EXECUTION (2002)
I've no idea of whether it's going to last a minute or half an hour.
Hugo Wilcken THE EXECUTION (2002)
But not before I remembered my bereavement and brushed an ersatz tear from my eye.
Lisa Scottoline RUNNING FROM THE LAW (2001)
Who would think that someone like me could marry an- "A scream slices down the hall like a scythe.
Jack Kerley THE HUNDREDTH MAN (2004)
Word lists with
an
internet
In other languages
an
British English: an /æn/ DETERMINER
An means the same as a, but you use an before words that begin with the sound of a, e, i, o, or u.
He started eating an apple.
American English: an
Arabic: اداة نكرة في الانجليزية ولا يعادلها شئ في العربية
Brazilian Portuguese: um
Chinese: 一个
Croatian: jedan
Czech: jeden
Danish: en
Dutch: een
European Spanish: un vocal
Finnish: NO TRANSLATION
French: un
German: ein
Greek: ένας
Italian: un, uno
Japanese: 一つの
Korean: 어떤 하나의
Norwegian: en
Polish: rodzajnik nieokreślony, nie tłumaczy się na język polski
European Portuguese: um
Romanian: un
Russian: (неопределенный артикль)
Latin American Spanish: un
Swedish: en obestämd artikel
Thai: หนึ่ง
Turkish: bir
Ukrainian: неозначений артикль; вживається перед іменниками на a, e, i, o, or u.
Vietnamese: một
Chinese translation of 'an'
an
(æn; ən)
def art
seea
a
(eɪ; ə)
Word forms:before vowel or silent h:an
indef art
(= article) 一个(個) (yī gè)
a man一个(個)男人 (yī gè nánrén)
a girl一个(個)女孩 (yī gè nǚhái)
a mirror一面镜(鏡)子 (yī miàn jìngzi)
an elephant一只(隻)大象 (yī zhī dàxiàng)
she's a doctor她是一名医(醫)生 (tā shì yī míng yīshēng)
what a beautiful baby!多么(麼)漂亮的一个(個)小宝(寶)宝(寶)啊！ (duōme piàoliang de yī gè xiǎo bǎobao a!)
have you got a dishwasher?你有洗碗机(機)吗(嗎)？ (nǐ yǒu xǐwǎnjī ma?)
they haven't got a television他们(們)没(沒)有电(電)视(視) (tāmen méiyǒu diànshì)
( inf ) 很长(長)时(時)间(間) hěn cháng shíjiān ⇒ I haven't seen you for ages! → 我很长时间没见到你了！ Wǒ hěn cháng shíjiān méi jiàndào nǐ le!
an excess of
过(過)多 guòduō ⇒ Inflation results from an excess of demand over supply. → 通货膨胀是供过于求的结果。 Tōnghuò péngzhàng shì gōng guò yú qiú de jiéguǒ.
an old flame
( inf ) 老情人 lǎoqíngrén
an only child
独(獨)生子女 dúshēng zǐnǚ
an open fire
未封上的炉(爐)火 wèi fēngshàng de lúhuǒ
half an hour
半小时(時) bàn xiǎoshí
I'm (an) Aries
我是白羊座的 wǒ shì Báiyáng Zuò de
in an instant
立即 lìjí
it's (just or all) an act
( pretence ) 这(這)(只)是做做样(樣)子 zhè (zhǐ) shì zuòzùo yàngzi ⇒ His anger was real. It wasn't an act. → 他真的生气了，并不是做做样子。 Tā zhēnde shēngqì le, bìng bùshì zuòzuò yàngzi.
an abundance of
大量的 dàliàng de
an alloy of ...
... 的合金 ... de héjīn
an analogue of
... 的模拟(擬) ... de mónǐ
an open secret
公开(開)的秘(祕)密 gōngkāi de mìmì
for an instant
一瞬间(間) yī shùnjiān
I'm (an) Aquarius
我是宝(寶)瓶座的 wǒ shì Bǎopíng Zuò de
in an emergency
在紧(緊)急情况(況)下 zài jǐnjí qíngkuàng xià
with an effort
费(費)力地 fèilì de
100 km an hour
每小时(時)100公里 měi xiǎoshí yībǎi gōnglǐ
an abysmal failure
彻(徹)底的失败(敗) chèdǐ de shībài
an army of sth
一大群某物 yī dà qún mǒuwù ⇒ an army of volunteers → 一大群志愿者 yī dà qún zhìyuànzhě
an attack on sb
( assault ) 袭(襲)击(擊)某人 xíjī mǒurén
an aura of sth
某物的一种(種)氛围(圍) mǒuwù de yī zhǒng fēnwéi
an English speaker
一个(個)讲(講)英语(語)的人 yī gè jiǎng yīngyǔ de rén
an excursion into
( fig : venture ) 涉猎(獵)于(於) shèliè yú
an expert on sth
某事的专(專)家 mǒushì de zhuānjiā
an open question
容许(許)争(爭)论(論)的问(問)题(題) róngxǔ zhēnglùn de wèntí
an outside chance
微乎其微的机(機)会(會) wēi hū qí wēi de jīhuì ⇒ He's got an outside chance of winning. → 他赢的机会微乎其微。 Tā yíng de jīhuì wēi hū qí wēi.
an overgrown child
思想言行幼稚的成年人 sīxiǎng yánxíng yòuzhì de chéngniánrén
as an experiment
作为(為)实(實)验(驗) zuòwéi shíyàn
to make an error
犯错(錯)误(誤) fàn cuòwù
to swear an oath
起誓 qǐshì
an act of aggression
侵犯行为(為) qīnfàn xíngwéi
an act of heroism
英雄行为(為) yīngxióng xíngwéi
an act of sabotage
破坏(壞)行为(為) pòhuài xíngwéi
an antidote to sth
( unpleasant situation ) 解决(決)某事的良方 jiějué mǒushì de liángfāng
( of shapes, colours ) 一批花色齐(齊)全的某物 yīpī huāsè qíquán de mǒuwù
an attempt at humour
试(試)图(圖)表示幽默 shìtú biǎoshì yōumò
an authority on sth
( expert ) 某方面的权(權)威 mǒu fāngmiàn de quánwēi ⇒ She's a world authority on heart disease. → 她是位心脏病方面的世界级权威。 Tā shì wèi xīnzàngbìng fāngmiàn de shìjiè jí quánwēi.