Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
'Turn down' means to lower the volume/intensity of something or to politely refuse an offer or invitation.
- Use it for volume or heat: 'Turn down the radio' (max 20 words)
- Use it for rejection: 'She turned down the job offer' (max 20 words)
- It is separable: 'Turn it down' is correct, 'Turn down it' is wrong (max 20 words)
Overview
turn down（调小）音量。或者，你正在刷交友软件。有人给你发了消息，人很不错，但住在 5000 英里外。你不得不 turn down（拒绝）他们喝咖啡的邀请。这个短语动词是你的社交生活和耳膜的生存工具。它有两个主要功能：让声音变小或对某事说“不”。这是那些让你听起来不那么像教科书，而更像真实的人的短语之一。如果你只使用 refuse 这个词，你听起来可能有点像维多利亚时代的恶棍。而在日常生活中，turn down 则显得更加轻松随意。它就像是你整个生活的音量旋钮。How This Grammar Works
turn 这样的简单动词和一个像 down 这样的短单词粘在一起。这就创造了一个“短语动词”（phrasal verb）。意思完全改变了。在过去，收音机上有真实的旋钮，你可以物理地顺时针或逆时针旋转它。为了让声音向零“向下”走，你就转动旋钮。很简单，对吧？即使我们现在使用触摸屏，我们仍然使用同样的逻辑。但是等等，为什么 turn down 也意味着拒绝一个提议呢？这样想：当你接受某事时，你把它“拿上来”或接纳它。当你拒绝它时，你把它放“下去”，让它远离你。这是一种非常形象的表达方式。这个短语动词是“可拆分的”（separable）。这是一种花哨的说法，意思是你把宾语放在中间。你可以说 turn down the music 也可以说 turn the music down。两者都非常完美。如果你使用像 it 这样的代名词，你必须把它放在中间：turn it down。说 turn down it 听起来就像你的大脑出现了 404 错误。
Formation Pattern
turn down 造句遵循一条特定的路径。以下是构建方法：
turn。记得根据时态进行变化（例如：turned, turning, turns）。
down 这个词放在哪里。
down + [名词]。
I turned down the job.
down。
I turned the job down.
down。
The music is loud. Turn it down.
turn down it。连你的猫都会知道那是错的。
When To Use It
- 物理控制：当你的 Spotify 播放列表震动了窗户，或者当 Uber 里的暖气让你感觉像一只烤鸡。
- 社交邀请：当朋友请你去参加派对，但你只想看 Netflix。你会
turn down（拒绝）这个邀请。 - 职业场合：当一家公司给你提供了一份工作，但付给你的是“名气”而不是钱。你肯定会
turn down（拒绝）那个提议。
Common Mistakes
- 代词陷阱：如前所述，永远不要说
turn down it或turn down him。代词就像内向的人；它们喜欢被挤在短语动词的中间。 - 与 “Turn off” 混淆：
turn down意思是变小。turn off意思是归零。如果你要求某人turn down灯光，他们会调暗灯光以营造浪漫气氛。如果他们turn off灯光，你现在就坐在黑暗中，可能会把脚趾撞到椅子上。 - 介词混淆：有时人们尝试说
turn to down。没有to。只有turn+down。 - 忘记时态：短语动词仍然需要遵循常规动词规则。如果是昨天发生的，就是
turned down。如果是现在发生的，你正在调小它（turning it down）。不要让down分散你对语法基础的注意力。
Contrast With Similar Patterns
turn down 与其他短语相比如何？
turn down 与 Refuse：Refuse 非常正式且语气强烈。如果你拒绝（refuse）一件礼物，可能会显得粗鲁。如果你拒绝（turn down）一件礼物，听起来像是你有一个充分的理由。turn down 与 Reject：Reject 常用于信用卡申请或科学实验。turn down 则用于人和社交邀请。你的暗恋对象拒绝了你（turns you down）（难过）；机器拒收了你的硬币（rejects）（烦人）。turn down 与 Lower：你可以压低（lower）声音，但通常调小音量是用 turn down。在物理高度或水平时使用 lower。turn down 与 Turn up：这两个是反义词。如果你想要更多低音，调大音量（turn it up）。如果你想平安度过这一晚，调小音量（turn it down）。Quick FAQ
turn down 吗？turned you down）。虽然很心痛，但语法是正确的。turn down 总是两个单词吗？turndown（一个单词）指的是酒店提供的铺床服务，但对于我们正在学习的语法，它总是两个单词。turn down 空调吗？Conjugating 'Turn Down'
| Tense | Subject | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Present Simple
|
I / You / We / They
|
turn down
|
I turn down the heat.
|
|
Present Simple
|
He / She / It
|
turns down
|
She turns down the music.
|
|
Past Simple
|
All subjects
|
turned down
|
They turned down the offer.
|
|
Present Participle
|
All subjects
|
turning down
|
He is turning down the TV.
|
|
Past Participle
|
All subjects
|
turned down
|
The offer was turned down.
|
Contractions with Pronouns
| Full Form | Contraction | Usage |
|---|---|---|
|
I will turn it down
|
I'll turn it down
|
Future promise
|
|
Do not turn it down
|
Don't turn it down
|
Imperative/Command
|
|
He did not turn it down
|
He didn't turn it down
|
Past negative
|
Meanings
To reduce the amount of sound, heat, or light produced by a device, or to reject an offer, request, or application.
Volume/Intensity
To decrease the level of something (sound, heat, light).
“It's getting too hot in here; can you turn the heater down?”
“The lights were too bright, so he turned them down.”
Rejection/Refusal
To decline or refuse an offer, invitation, or proposal.
“He turned down the job because the salary was too low.”
“I had to turn down her invitation to the party.”
Folding (Rare/Specific)
To fold back the covers of a bed or the corner of a page.
“The hotel maid turned down the sheets while we were at dinner.”
“Don't turn down the corners of the book pages; use a bookmark.”
Reference Table
| 含义 | 宾语类型 | 结构 1 | 结构 2 | 例句 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
调低音量
|
名词
|
Turn + 名词 + Down
|
Turn Down + 名词
|
Turn the music down.
|
|
调低音量
|
代词
|
Turn + 代词 + Down
|
不适用
|
Turn it down.
|
|
拒绝提议
|
名词
|
Turn + 名词 + Down
|
Turn Down + 名词
|
Turn the offer down.
|
|
拒绝提议
|
代词
|
Turn + 代词 + Down
|
不适用
|
Turn it down.
|
|
拒绝邀请
|
名词
|
Turn + 名词 + Down
|
Turn Down + 名词
|
Turn the invitation down.
|
|
拒绝邀请
|
代词
|
Turn + 代词 + Down
|
不适用
|
Turn it down.
|
|
拒绝某人
|
代词
|
Turn + 代词 + Down
|
不适用
|
Turn him down.
|
正式程度
I regret to inform you that I must decline the offer. (Professional)
I decided to turn down the job offer. (Professional)
I passed on the job. (Professional)
I swiped left on that gig. (Professional)
Turn Down 的两个核心含义
含义 1：减小
- 音量 Sound intensity
- 暖气/空调 Temperature control
- 灯光 Brightness
- 屏幕亮度 Screen intensity
含义 2：拒绝
- 录用通知 Job/deal proposal
- 邀请 Social invite
- 请求 Formal appeal
- 某人 Refuse advances
Turn Down vs. Turn Up vs. Turn Off
如何使用 'Turn Down'：名词 vs. 代词
宾语是名词吗？（如 'the music'）
宾语是代词吗？（如 'it', 'them'）
你可以 'Turn Down' 的事物
音量/强度
- • 音乐
- • 电视
- • 暖气
- • 灯光
- • 亮度
- • 空调
拒绝的对象
- • 工作机会
- • 邀请
- • 请求
- • 提议
- • 某人
- • 想法
按水平分级的例句
Turn down the TV.
Baja el volumen de la tele.
Please turn it down.
Por favor, bájalo.
I turn down the radio.
Bajo la radio.
Can you turn down the music?
¿Puedes bajar la música?
I turned down the invitation.
Rechacé la invitación.
She didn't turn down the job.
Ella no rechazó el trabajo.
Turn the heater down, please.
Baja la calefacción, por favor.
Why did you turn it down?
¿Por qué lo rechazaste?
He had to turn down the offer because of the commute.
Tuvo que rechazar la oferta por el trayecto al trabajo.
If the music is too loud, just turn it down.
Si la música está muy alta, simplemente bájala.
The bank turned down my loan application.
El banco rechazó mi solicitud de préstamo.
I'm surprised she turned him down.
Me sorprende que ella lo rechazara.
The proposal was turned down by the board of directors.
La propuesta fue rechazada por la junta directiva.
I'm going to turn the volume down a notch.
Voy a bajar el volumen un poco.
They turned down our request for more time.
Rechazaron nuestra petición de más tiempo.
She turned down the chance to study abroad.
Ella rechazó la oportunidad de estudiar en el extranjero.
It is unwise to turn down such a lucrative opportunity.
No es prudente rechazar una oportunidad tan lucrativa.
The hotel provides a turn-down service every evening.
El hotel ofrece un servicio de cobertura todas las noches.
He turned down the intensity of his workout after the injury.
Redujo la intensidad de su entrenamiento tras la lesión.
The editor turned down the manuscript for being too derivative.
El editor rechazó el manuscrito por ser demasiado poco original.
The sheer volume of applications meant many had to be turned down.
El gran volumen de solicitudes significó que muchas tuvieron que ser rechazadas.
She flatly turned down any suggestion of a compromise.
Rechazó de plano cualquier sugerencia de compromiso.
The thermostat automatically turns down the heat at midnight.
El termostato baja automáticamente la calefacción a medianoche.
I couldn't possibly turn down a request from an old friend.
No podría rechazar una petición de un viejo amigo.
容易混淆
Learners think 'turn down' means to stop the device entirely.
Learners use 'reject' for volume or in casual conversation where it sounds too harsh.
'Refuse' is often followed by an infinitive (to do), while 'turn down' is followed by a noun.
常见错误
Turn down it.
Turn it down.
Turn down the music off.
Turn down the music.
I turn down.
I turn it down.
Turn down the light off.
Turn down the light.
He turned down to the job.
He turned down the job.
I turned down her.
I turned her down.
Can you turn down the volume more quiet?
Can you turn down the volume?
The bank turned down to me.
The bank turned me down.
I turned down the offer because it was too loud.
I turned down the offer because the salary was low.
I'm turning down the radio off.
I'm turning the radio down.
The hotel turned down my bed sheets.
The hotel turned down the bed.
句型
Could you please turn down the ___?
I had to turn down the ___ because ___.
If you don't turn that ___ down, I'm going to ___.
The ___ was turned down by ___.
Real World Usage
Hey, sorry I had to turn down your invite! I'm swamped.
Thank you for the offer, but I have decided to turn it down.
Could you turn the AC down? It's freezing in here.
I can't believe he turned down that collab!
My credit card application was turned down.
Can you turn your music down? I'm trying to sleep!
记住代词规则
Always turn it down.
别和 'Turn Off' 搞混
If you turn down the TV, you can still see the picture.
语气要委婉
Can you please turn down the music?
职场中的拒绝
It is okay to turn down a job offer professionally.
Smart Tips
Think of the pronoun as a magnet that is attracted to the verb 'turn'. It must stick to it before 'down' can be added.
Use 'decided to' before 'turn down' to make the rejection sound like a thoughtful process rather than a snap judgment.
Use 'dim' as a synonym for 'turn down' to expand your vocabulary.
Listen for the stress. Usually, the singer will emphasize 'DOWN' to make the rhythm work.
发音
Stress on the Particle
In phrasal verbs like 'turn down', the stress usually falls on the particle ('down') rather than the verb, especially at the end of a sentence.
Linking
When 'turn' is followed by a pronoun starting with a vowel (like 'it'), the 'n' in 'turn' links to the 'i'.
Rising-Falling on 'Down'
Can you turn it ⤴down⤵?
A polite request.
记住它
记忆技巧
Think of a thumb pointing DOWN: you are lowering the sound or saying 'No' (thumbs down) to an offer.
视觉联想
Imagine a giant volume knob on a stereo. You turn it to the left (down) to make it quiet. Now imagine that same knob on a 'Job Offer'—you turn it down to say no.
Rhyme
When the music's a frown, turn it down. When the job's not for you, turn it down too!
Story
Little Timmy had a loud drum. His mom said, 'Turn it down!' Timmy was sad, so he offered his mom a cookie. His mom was on a diet, so she had to turn down the cookie. Timmy then turned down the covers on his bed and went to sleep.
Word Web
挑战
Go to your kitchen or living room. Find three things with a volume or heat setting. Say out loud: 'I am turning down the [object].' Then, think of one thing you said 'no' to this week and say: 'I turned down the [thing].'
文化笔记
British speakers often use 'turn down' with 'a bit' to sound more polite and less demanding. 'Could you turn it down a bit?'
In the US, 'turn down' is very common in business. Turning down an offer is seen as a standard part of negotiation.
The 'turn-down service' is a specific luxury hotel tradition where staff prepare the bed for sleep.
The verb 'turn' comes from the Old French 'torner', meaning to rotate. 'Down' indicates the direction of the rotation on early mechanical dials.
对话开场白
Have you ever turned down a job offer? Why?
What do you do when your neighbors' music is too loud?
If someone turned you down for a date, how would you feel?
Can you think of a time you turned down a great opportunity?
日记主题
常见错误
Test Yourself
The music is too loud, can you ___?
Find and fix the mistake:
She decided to turn down it, even though it was a good offer.
Choose the correct sentence:
翻译：'我不得不拒绝那份工作。'
Answer starts with: ["I...
Score: /4
练习题
8 exercisesThe music is too loud. Please ___ it ___.
Select the correct option:
Find and fix the mistake:
He turned down to the job offer.
She rejected the invitation.
1. Radio is loud, 2. Job offer is bad, 3. Room is cold
A: Did you get the job? B: Yes, but I ___.
'Turn down the volume' vs 'Turn down it'
down / turned / she / him
Score: /8
Practice Bank
12 exercisesThe barista asked if I wanted to ___ the music in the cafe.
My boss asked me to turn down him politely.
选择正确句子：
翻译：'你能把游戏音量调小吗？'
将单词排序：
匹配句子开头和结尾：
My phone battery was low, so I had to ___ the screen brightness.
They couldn't accept the invitation, so they turn it down.
选择正确句子：
翻译：'为了专注，拒绝干扰很重要。'
将单词排序：
匹配动作与对象：
Score: /12
常见问题 (8)
No, you cannot. When the object is a pronoun like `it`, `them`, `him`, or `her`, it must go between `turn` and `down`. Always say `turn it down`.
Yes, it is a neutral and polite way to refuse something. However, adding 'I'm sorry' or 'I'm afraid' makes it even more polite in social situations.
`Turn down` means to lower the level (like volume 5 to volume 2). `Turn off` means to stop the device completely (volume 0).
Yes, but it means you are rejecting their romantic interest or their request/offer. It doesn't mean you are physically lowering them!
Absolutely. It is the standard way to describe declining a job offer, a contract proposal, or a business request.
Yes. You can `turn down the heater` or `turn down the oven` if it is too hot.
It is a luxury service where hotel staff enter your room in the evening to fold back the bed covers and prepare the room for sleep.
It is neutral. It is perfectly acceptable in both a casual conversation with a friend and a formal email to a recruiter.
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
Bajar / Rechazar
Spanish lacks the 'verb + particle' structure.
Baisser / Refuser
French verbs are not separable like English phrasal verbs.
Leiser machen / Ablehnen
The prefix goes to the very end of the sentence in German.
Sageru (下げ) / Kotowaru (断る)
Japanese relies on particles like 'o' and 'ni' rather than phrasal particles like 'down'.
خفض (khafada) / رفض (rafada)
Arabic verbs conjugate internally and do not use separate particles for these meanings.
Tiáo dī (调低) / Jùjué (拒绝)
Chinese uses resultative verb compounds rather than phrasal verbs.
Learning Path
Prerequisites
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