way

Compared meaning: the method or way of doing something (noun).

比较义项：做某事的方法、方式（名词）。

• way 本词

  The most common, everyday, general-purpose word for a method; used loosely for almost any action and combines freely with 'to + verb' or 'of + doing'.

  最常见、最口语化的通用词，几乎可以用来指任何行为的方法，可自由搭配“to + 动词”或“of + 动名词”。

  She found a clever way to fix the leaking pipe.

  她想出了一个巧妙的方法来修理漏水的管子。

• mode

  More formal and technical; typically describes a system, machine, or state that has distinct settings, rather than describing how a person personally acts.

  更正式、更偏技术性，通常用来描述系统、机器或状态所具有的某种设定，而不是描述一个人自身的行为方式。

  Please switch your phone to silent mode during the meeting.

  开会时请把手机切换到静音模式。

• manner

  Formal in tone; describes how a person behaves or performs an action, usually paired with an adjective showing attitude or style, common in written or careful speech.

  语气较正式，用来描述一个人做某事时表现出来的样子，通常与表示态度或风格的形容词搭配，多见于书面语或正式场合。

  She answered the teacher's question in a polite manner.

  她以礼貌的方式回答了老师的问题。

Way, mode, and manner can mean a method. Way is common, used for almost any action. Manner is formal, describing how a person acts, with an adjective. Mode is technical, describing a system's setting. 'Way' as direction and 'manners' as politeness are not compared.

这三个词在“做事的方法”这一义项上意思相近，但语体和用法不同：way最常用、最口语化，几乎可以搭配任何行为；manner较正式，常用来描述一个人做事或表现出来的样子，多与表示态度的形容词搭配；mode更偏技术、正式，常指机器、系统或状态所具有的某种模式，而不是个人行为的方式。此处不比较way的其他义项，如“方向、路线”（如“Which way did he go?”），也不比较manner的复数形式manners（表示“礼貌、礼仪”）。