在美式英文裡,in the hospital通常是指「住院」
而at the hospital則是指在醫院裡做其他的事,如工作
比如:
Janet is in the hospital.
(珍娜生病住院中。)
Frank visited Janet in the hospital.
(法蘭克去醫院探望珍娜。) (註:珍娜住院)
I saw Eric at the hospital yesterday. I wonder what he was doing there.
(我昨天在醫院看到艾瑞克。不知道他在那裡做什麼。) (註:艾瑞克沒有住院)
My sister works at a/the hospital.
(我妹在醫院工作。)
(註:如果當地只有一間醫院,用冠詞the;反之則用a)
A: Where is your mom?
B: She’s in the hospital.
A: Is she alright?
B: She had a heart attack the other day. She’s still in ICU.
(她前幾天心臟病發作,現在還在加護病房。)
不過go to the hospital則和當地有幾間醫院無關,只是一種表達方式
表示去醫院看醫生
比如:
She had a bad stomachache and had to go to the hospital.
(她肚子痛到必須去醫院看醫生。)
不過在英式英文裡,「住院」會說in hospital,不加冠詞
在醫院工作則會用in/at a/the hospital
加冠詞a或the,兩者的差別同前述
比如:
Jacob has been in hospital for two weeks.
(雅各已經住院兩周了。)
Working in/at a hospital is usually tiring.
(在醫院工作通常很累人。)