Meaning & use
a mechanic
Last updated
Meanings
phrasecountable
a phrase meaning one person whose job is to repair machines, especially cars and engines.
Grammar: The article 'a' makes it singular; use 'mechanics' for more than one person.
Patterns
- a car mechanic
- take a car to a mechanic
- a mechanic repairs something
A mechanic fixed the brakes on my car.
She trained as a mechanic and now works in a garage.
phrasecountable
a phrase meaning one person who works with machines in a particular industry, such as aircraft or elevators.
Grammar: Often used with a type word before it: 'an aircraft mechanic'.
Patterns
- an aircraft mechanic
- an elevator mechanic
- a diesel mechanic
An aircraft mechanic must inspect the engines before every flight.
The elevator mechanic came to check the cables.
Word forms
| plural | mechanics |
|---|
Common combinations
- car mechanic
- The car mechanic replaced the battery in ten minutes.
- garage mechanic
- A garage mechanic can usually diagnose the problem quickly.
- skilled mechanic
- A skilled mechanic is hard to find during the holiday season.
- take a car to a mechanic
- You should take the car to a mechanic if the engine light stays on.
Synonyms and how they differ
- technician
- Technician is often used for someone who works with more complex or electronic equipment; mechanic is the everyday word for engines and machines.
- repairman
- Repairman is an older, gender-specific word for someone who fixes things at your home; mechanic is more neutral and specific to machines.
Word family
- mechanic noun
- the base noun without the article; a person who repairs machines.
- mechanical adjective
- relating to machines or done by a machine.
- mechanics noun
- the science of movement and forces, or the way something works.
Commonly confused: a mechanic or mechanics?
a mechanic vs mechanics
Mechanics is the plural of mechanic when it means people, but it is also a singular noun meaning the science of forces or the way something works. 'A mechanic' is always one person.
Practice
The engine is making a strange noise, so I will take the car to ___.
Choose one answer.
'A mechanic' fits because the sentence needs a singular countable noun phrase with an article. 'Mechanic' alone would need a determiner; 'mechanics' is plural or a science, and 'mechanical' is an adjective, neither of which fits after 'to' here.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “a mechanic”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.