May I have a word with you?

當你有重要事要打斷別人的談話或工作，最好先禮貌地問句：May I have a word with you?　(我可以和你談一會嗎?)。雖然是a word，但不是只說一個字而已，而是一段很簡短的對話，或可以說：May I have a quick word with you? / May I have a word in your ear? 通常有這樣的要求，談話內容可能比較私人或秘密，或者也可以用A word if you don't mind.(只是一句話，如你不介意)。

對話

A: Julie, may I have a word with you, please?

B: Sorry, I'm a bit tied up at the moment. Can we talk later?

A: You said that earlier and I've been waiting all afternoon. I only need 5 minutes to go over this.

B: , please take a seat.

甲：茱莉，我可否和你談一會嗎?

乙：對不起，我現(xiàn)在很忙，可否遲些再談?

甲：你較早前已這樣說過，而我已等了整個下午，我只需要5分鐘就足夠了。

乙：好吧，請坐。

May I have a word with you?即‘我可否和你談談嗎?’A word兩字可不可以改作words? 改作words，意思就完全不同了。To have a word with somebody. 是‘和某人談談’，To have words with somebody. 則是‘和某人吵架’，例如：He had words with his wife last night. (他昨晚和妻子吵架)。

又請看以下兩句有什么分別：He had white hair、He had white hairs。 按hair泛指毛發(fā)，是不可數(shù)名詞，例如：I find her shoulder-length hair very beautiful.(我覺得她及肩的頭發(fā)很美麗)。但是，一根毛發(fā)卻是可數(shù)名詞(countable noun)，例如成語to hang by a hair即‘系于一發(fā)’，His life is hanging by a hair. 等于‘他生死懸于一發(fā)’。He had white hair.是說‘他滿頭白發(fā)’，He had white hairs.則是說‘他頭上有些白發(fā)’。