com·mu·ni·cate

verb

OPAL W

/kəˈmjuːnɪkeɪt/

Verb Forms

present simple I / you / we / they communicate	/kəˈmjuːnɪkeɪt/ /kəˈmjuːnɪkeɪt/
he / she / it communicates	/kəˈmjuːnɪkeɪts/ /kəˈmjuːnɪkeɪts/
past simple communicated	/kəˈmjuːnɪkeɪtɪd/ /kəˈmjuːnɪkeɪtɪd/
past participle communicated	/kəˈmjuːnɪkeɪtɪd/ /kəˈmjuːnɪkeɪtɪd/
-ing form communicating	/kəˈmjuːnɪkeɪtɪŋ/ /kəˈmjuːnɪkeɪtɪŋ/

exchange information

[intransitive, transitive] to share or exchange information, news, ideas, feelings, etc.交流（信息、消息、意见、情感等）

We only communicate by email.我们只是互通电邮。
They communicated in sign language.他们用手语沟通。
Candidates must be able to communicate effectively.候选人必须能够有效地沟通。
communicate with somebody/something Dolphins use sound to communicate with each other.海豚用声音相互沟通。
Direct marketing allows a firm to communicate directly with its customers.直接营销允许公司直接与其客户沟通。
communicate something In times of uncertainty, a leader must be able to communicate a message of hope.在前景不明朗的时候，领导者必须能够传递希望的信息。
Language evolved as a means of communicating information between individuals.语言是作为个体之间交流信息的手段而发展起来的。
communicate something to somebody He was eager to communicate his ideas to the group.他急于把他的想法传达给小组。
Her nervousness was communicating itself to the children.她紧张不安的情绪传递给了孩子们。
communicate how/what, etc… They failed to communicate what was happening and why.他们没说清楚当时发生了什么以及起因是什么。

Synonyms talktalkdiscuss ▪ speak ▪ communicate ▪ debate ▪ consultThese words all mean to share news, information, ideas or feelings with another person or other people, especially by talking with them.talk to speak in order to give information, express feelings or share ideas:

We talked on the phone for over an hour.我们在电话里谈了一个多小时。

discuss (rather formal) to talk and share ideas on a subject or problem with other people, especially in order to decide something:

Have you discussed the problem with anyone? 你与谁商量过这个问题吗？

You cannot say ‘discuss about something’: I’m not prepared to discuss about this on the phone. speak to talk to somebody about something; to have a conversation with somebody:

I’ve spoken to the manager about it.那件事我已经和经理谈过了。
‘Can I speak to Susan?’ ‘Speaking.’ (= at the beginning of a phone conversation)“请让苏珊接电话好吗？”“我就是。”

talk or speak?Speak can suggest a more formal level of communication than talk. You speak to somebody about something to try to achieve a particular goal or to tell them to do something. You talk to somebody in order to be friendly or to ask their advice: Have you talked to your parents about the problems you’re having? • I’ve spoken to Ed about it and he’s promised not to let it happen again. communicate (rather formal) to exchange information or ideas with somebody:

We only communicate by email.我们只是互通电邮。
Dolphins use sound to communicate with each other.海豚用声音相互沟通。

Communicate is often used when the speaker wants to draw attention to the means of communication used.debate to discuss something, especially formally, before making a decision or finding a solution:

Politicians will be debating the bill later this week.政界将在本周晚些时候讨论这个议案。

consult (rather formal) to discuss something with somebody in order to get their permission for something, or to help you make a decision:

You shouldn’t have done it without consulting me.你不该不和我商量就做。

Patterns

to talk/discuss something/speak/communicate/debate/consult with somebody
to talk/speak to somebody
to talk/speak to somebody/consult somebody about something
to talk/speak of something

Extra Examples

By this age most children have begun to communicate verbally.到这个年龄，大多数孩子就开始通过语言进行交流了。
Newspapers are an important way of communicating information.报纸是传播信息的重要方式。
She is unable to communicate her ideas to other people.她无法把自己的想法传达给其他人。
We communicated through an interpreter.我们通过传译员交流。
We usually communicate by letter.我们通常书信联络。
Nobody had communicated the information to us.没有人把这个信息告诉我们。

Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb

clearly
effectively
successfully
…

preposition

by
through
to
…

in a relationship

[intransitive] to have a good relationship because you are able to understand and talk about your own and other people’s thoughts, feelings, etc.沟通（想法、情感等）

His inability to communicate has damaged their relationship beyond repair.他欠缺沟通能力，使他们的关系受到无法修复的伤害。
communicate with somebody The novel is about a family who can't communicate with each other.这部小说写的是一个成员间彼此无法沟通的家庭。
couples who communicate well with one another相互间沟通良好的夫妇

disease

[transitive, usually passive] communicate something to pass a disease from one person, animal, etc. to another传染；传播

The disease is communicated through dirty drinking water.这种疾病通过不干净的饮用水传播。

of two rooms

[intransitive] if two rooms communicate, they are next to each other and you can get from one to the other相通；相连

a communicating door (= one that connects two rooms)连通门

Word Originearly 16th cent.: from Latin communicat- ‘shared’, from the verb communicare ‘to share’, from communis ‘common’.