问答 | fix 和 repair 有什么区别？

This week on Ask a Teacher , we answer a question from Quang in Vietnam, who says:

Question :

It would be a big help if you could teach me the difference between “fix” and “repair.” Thank you so much.

Answer:

Hello Quang,

My cell phone was not working yesterday. I tried to fix it but I was unable to. So, I took it to a shop to have it repaired.

The words “fix” and “repair” can be verbs or nouns. Today, I will focus mainly on the verbs. Both verbs mean to put something that is broken or damaged back into good condition. Often, we use “fix” and “repair” interchangeably, which means either word can be used.

But the verb “fix” is much more common in everyday speech. Generally, we use “repair” when we want to sound more formal . We can also use “repair” when someone with expertise is doing the work.

For example, you can take your clothing, phone, computer, car or musical instrument to a shop to have it repaired. Or a person might come to your home to repair your air conditioner, refrigerator or something else. In each of these cases, the person doing the work is an expert at it.