由来与发展
ain't,它原本是美国南部一帮文盲、粗人(但非原住民)说的话,现在趋于普遍,并且已经收入到了各类词典当中。最开始它是am not的缩写,最初写作amn't,后由于发音连读问题(省去前一个辅音m,只发后一个辅音n),以讹传讹地变成了ain't,显然,这是由一个be动词am和一个否定词not组成的,所以原则上只适用于任何am not的缩写情况。
在英国,ain't一般只用工人阶级,比如那些说伦敦方言,通常被认为是不正当的。中产阶级和上流社会,与19世纪的英国,乐意使用在熟悉的演讲和中上层阶级的教育。
很少被发现在正式写作中,它经常被使用在更多的非正式书面文字,例如流行歌曲的歌词。
文学作品
查尔斯·狄更斯(Charles Dickens)在作品中使用ain't,如他1838年的小说《雾都孤儿》中写道:"...see what a pride they take in their profession, my dear. Ain't it beautiful?"
例句
I ain't gonna watch the show later tonight. (I am not gonna watch the show later tonight.)
She ain't my friend. (She is not my friend.)
you ain't to make it with anyone anyhow.
Ain't it funny? (Isn't it funny?)
Ain't I a Woman?
We figure in lively paint: Our attitude's queer and quaint—You're wrong if you think it ain't, Oh!
Say it ain't so, Joe!
You ain't heard nothing yet!
It Ain't Necessarily So.
Ain't even grey, but she burise her baby.
Life ain't always what you think it ought to be生活并非总如你所预期
例文
It's my life
Bon Jovi
This ain't a song for the broken-hearted
No silent prayer for the faith-departed
I ain't gonna be just a face in the crowd
You're gonna hear my voice
When I shout it out loud
It's my life
It's now or never
I ain't gonna live forever
I just want to live while I'm alive