·01. out of tune·
tune UK /tjuːn/, US /tuːn/ 名词，表示“曲子，曲调”，out of tune可以形容人唱歌或者演奏乐器时走调，不在调上，也可以形容乐器音调不准。反义词是in tune。
I'm not very good at singing, and I often sing out of tune when I'm nervous.
我不太会唱歌，紧张的时候经常唱跑调。
That's a beautiful song, but you were a bit out of tune.
这首歌很好听，但你有点跑调。
His bass guitar was out of tune during the show.
他的贝斯在演出时走音了。
·02. tone-deaf·
tone /təʊn/ 名词，表示人说话的语气，音调，声调，普通话四个声调就叫four tones。
deaf /def/ 形容词，“耳聋的”。tone-deaf表示unable to hear the difference between musical notes，听不出、分辨不了音调的区别，没办法准确模仿一个音调。
我有朋友唱歌跑调很严重但她对着原曲都听不出来区别，那就是tone-deaf。和这个单词结构很像的是colour blind，色盲。
Our manager sang a song at the team-building party, but he's so tone-deaf, it was super awkward for everyone.
我们经理在团建聚会时唱了首歌，但他跑调很严重，大家都觉得很尴尬。
The boss is tone-deaf and doesn't even realize it. No one wants to tell him.
老板五音不全，但他自己不知道。没人愿意告诉他。
·03. off-key·
key作名词除了表示“钥匙”，还可以表示电脑键盘的按键、钢琴等乐器上的键，以及音乐的调。我们看音乐综艺可能听过评委或者嘉宾说“升高了几个key”这种话，大概就是升调的意思。
off-key表示和原曲不是一个调，不是我们通常理解的跑调。比方说女生唱男歌手的歌可能会升调唱，男生唱女歌手的歌可能会降调唱，或者几个人合唱，里边有一个人的调唱得比其他人高或者低，听起来不和谐，这些情况都是off-key。
专业的人比如音乐老师或者歌手可能不会用off-key来形容跑调，不过非专业的人有不少把off-key和out of tune当作同义词来用，也用它来表示“跑调”。
My brother sings very well; he almost never sings off-key.
我哥哥唱歌很厉害，几乎从不跑调。
He was singing off-key, and it was painful to hear.
他跑调了，我们听得很难受。
·04. can't carry a tune·
carry a tune表示to be able to sing the correct musical sounds of a tune，唱歌调很准，不会跑调，不单指某一次唱歌不跑调，而是一种能力。用否定的话就表示唱歌调不准，会跑调。
My wife and I can't carry a tune, but our daughter is a good singer.
我和妻子唱歌调都不准，但女儿唱歌很厉害。
I can't carry a tune, but I love singing in the shower.
我唱歌会跑调，但是我很喜欢洗澡的时候唱歌。
We were in the car and she started humming along with the radio. I could immediately tell she could carry a tune.
我们当时在车里，她开始跟着电台哼歌，我一听就知道她音准很好。
补充单词，首字母已给出：
I'm not very good at singing, and I often sing o___ o___ t______ when I'm nervous.
我不太会唱歌，紧张的时候经常唱跑调。
Our manager sang a song at the team-building party, but he's so t______-d______, it was super awkward for everyone.
我们经理在团建聚会上唱了首歌，但他跑调很严重，大家都觉得很尴尬。
He was singing o___-k___, and it was painful to hear.
他跑调了，我们听得很难受。
I can't c______ a t______, but I love singing in the shower.
我唱歌会跑调，但是我很喜欢洗澡的时候唱歌。
往期推荐：
“旋律很洗脑”用英语怎么说？
“你还好意思说我”用英语怎么说？
推文说明：
这系列推文主要分享那些中文里常说、换成英语就不太会讲的话。每天早晨8点更新。
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