Why 你在笑什么？, why not 你笑在什么？
up vote
7
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In English, you say
What are you laughing at?
I'm laughing at this situation.
Here, the preposition "at" refers to "this situation" and "what", respectively. In German it's more clear, since the preposition "über" is always before its target:
Über was lachst du?
Ich lache über die Situation.
Same in French:
De quoi ris-tu?
Je ris de la situation.
In Chinese, the same question would be (according to Duolingo and Google Translate):
你在笑什么？
To me, this sounds like
You about laugh what?
Du über lachst was?
Tu de ris quoi?
instead of
You laugh about what?
Du lachst über was?
Tu ris de quoi?
Why is the 在 before the 笑, instead of before the 什么? Is that just "because it is", or am I missing an important point here?
translation grammar mandarin
asked Dec 4 at 11:45
cheeesus
1403
add a comment |
up vote
7
down vote
favorite
In English, you say
What are you laughing at?
I'm laughing at this situation.
Here, the preposition "at" refers to "this situation" and "what", respectively. In German it's more clear, since the preposition "über" is always before its target:
Über was lachst du?
Ich lache über die Situation.
Same in French:
De quoi ris-tu?
Je ris de la situation.
In Chinese, the same question would be (according to Duolingo and Google Translate):
你在笑什么？
To me, this sounds like
You about laugh what?
Du über lachst was?
Tu de ris quoi?
instead of
You laugh about what?
Du lachst über was?
Tu ris de quoi?
Why is the 在 before the 笑, instead of before the 什么? Is that just "because it is", or am I missing an important point here?
translation grammar mandarin
asked Dec 4 at 11:45
cheeesus
1403
Because Chinese doesn't need European grammar.
– 神秘德里克
Dec 5 at 0:01
1
@神秘德里克 So you're saying that my first suggested answer is correct: "It is so because it is." But as you can see from the accepted answer, it was my misunderstanding of the meaning of 在 that was the problem. Not really a grammar issue.
– cheeesus
Dec 5 at 8:42
为什么英语里要说What are you laughing at?而不是What you're laughing at?
– 马化腾
Dec 6 at 8:30
1
"在" is not "at" here. "在" is "ing" here.
– 马化腾
Dec 6 at 8:33
add a comment |
up vote
7
down vote
favorite
up vote
7
down vote
favorite
In English, you say
What are you laughing at?
I'm laughing at this situation.
Here, the preposition "at" refers to "this situation" and "what", respectively. In German it's more clear, since the preposition "über" is always before its target:
Über was lachst du?
Ich lache über die Situation.
Same in French:
De quoi ris-tu?
Je ris de la situation.
In Chinese, the same question would be (according to Duolingo and Google Translate):
你在笑什么？
To me, this sounds like
You about laugh what?
Du über lachst was?
Tu de ris quoi?
instead of
You laugh about what?
Du lachst über was?
Tu ris de quoi?
Why is the 在 before the 笑, instead of before the 什么? Is that just "because it is", or am I missing an important point here?
translation grammar mandarin
asked Dec 4 at 11:45
cheeesus
1403
In English, you say
What are you laughing at?
I'm laughing at this situation.
Here, the preposition "at" refers to "this situation" and "what", respectively. In German it's more clear, since the preposition "über" is always before its target:
Über was lachst du?
Ich lache über die Situation.
Same in French:
De quoi ris-tu?
Je ris de la situation.
In Chinese, the same question would be (according to Duolingo and Google Translate):
你在笑什么？
To me, this sounds like
You about laugh what?
Du über lachst was?
Tu de ris quoi?
instead of
You laugh about what?
Du lachst über was?
Tu ris de quoi?
Why is the 在 before the 笑, instead of before the 什么? Is that just "because it is", or am I missing an important point here?
translation grammar mandarin
translation grammar mandarin
asked Dec 4 at 11:45
cheeesus
1403
asked Dec 4 at 11:45
cheeesus
1403
asked Dec 4 at 11:45
cheeesus
1403
asked Dec 4 at 11:45
cheeesus
1403
asked Dec 4 at 11:45
cheeesus
1403
1403
Because Chinese doesn't need European grammar.
– 神秘德里克
Dec 5 at 0:01
1
@神秘德里克 So you're saying that my first suggested answer is correct: "It is so because it is." But as you can see from the accepted answer, it was my misunderstanding of the meaning of 在 that was the problem. Not really a grammar issue.
– cheeesus
Dec 5 at 8:42
为什么英语里要说What are you laughing at?而不是What you're laughing at?
– 马化腾
Dec 6 at 8:30
1
"在" is not "at" here. "在" is "ing" here.
– 马化腾
Dec 6 at 8:33
add a comment |
Because Chinese doesn't need European grammar.
– 神秘德里克
Dec 5 at 0:01
1
@神秘德里克 So you're saying that my first suggested answer is correct: "It is so because it is." But as you can see from the accepted answer, it was my misunderstanding of the meaning of 在 that was the problem. Not really a grammar issue.
– cheeesus
Dec 5 at 8:42
为什么英语里要说What are you laughing at?而不是What you're laughing at?
– 马化腾
Dec 6 at 8:30
1
"在" is not "at" here. "在" is "ing" here.
– 马化腾
Dec 6 at 8:33
Because Chinese doesn't need European grammar.
– 神秘德里克
Dec 5 at 0:01
Because Chinese doesn't need European grammar.
– 神秘德里克
Dec 5 at 0:01
1
1
@神秘德里克 So you're saying that my first suggested answer is correct: "It is so because it is." But as you can see from the accepted answer, it was my misunderstanding of the meaning of 在 that was the problem. Not really a grammar issue.
– cheeesus
Dec 5 at 8:42
@神秘德里克 So you're saying that my first suggested answer is correct: "It is so because it is." But as you can see from the accepted answer, it was my misunderstanding of the meaning of 在 that was the problem. Not really a grammar issue.
– cheeesus
Dec 5 at 8:42
为什么英语里要说What are you laughing at?而不是What you're laughing at?
– 马化腾
Dec 6 at 8:30
为什么英语里要说What are you laughing at?而不是What you're laughing at?
– 马化腾
Dec 6 at 8:30
1
1
"在" is not "at" here. "在" is "ing" here.
– 马化腾
Dec 6 at 8:33
"在" is not "at" here. "在" is "ing" here.
– 马化腾
Dec 6 at 8:33
add a comment |
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
up vote
14
down vote
accepted
「在」in「你在笑什麽」is not equivalent to English at in what are you laughing at?. To demonstrate by analogy:
- 你在吃什麽 - what are you eating?
- 你在做什麽 - what are you doing?
「在」is actually equivalent to the suffix -ing in laughing, eating, doing. It is English which grammatically requires something as a target for the verb laughing; this requirement is redundant in Chinese.
你在笑什麽
Literally: You (你) [action in progress / -ing] (在) laugh (笑) what (什麽)?
Perhaps it is easier to see what's being omitted in English.
- 你在笑什麽 - about/at what are you laughing?
- 你在吃什麽 - what [food] are you eating?
- 你在做什麽 - what [action] are you doing?
answered Dec 4 at 12:00
droooze
6,3611618
add a comment |
up vote
3
down vote
他 在笑: He is laughing.
他 在笑 你: He is laughing at you.
你 在笑 谁: You are laughing at who? (Who are you laughing at?)
你 在笑 什么: You are laughing at what? (What are you laughing at?)
The word at is needed in English but not in Chinese.
answered Dec 6 at 10:40
賈可 Jacky
64316
add a comment |
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
up vote
14
down vote
accepted
「在」in「你在笑什麽」is not equivalent to English at in what are you laughing at?. To demonstrate by analogy:
- 你在吃什麽 - what are you eating?
- 你在做什麽 - what are you doing?
「在」is actually equivalent to the suffix -ing in laughing, eating, doing. It is English which grammatically requires something as a target for the verb laughing; this requirement is redundant in Chinese.
你在笑什麽
Literally: You (你) [action in progress / -ing] (在) laugh (笑) what (什麽)?
Perhaps it is easier to see what's being omitted in English.
- 你在笑什麽 - about/at what are you laughing?
- 你在吃什麽 - what [food] are you eating?
- 你在做什麽 - what [action] are you doing?
answered Dec 4 at 12:00
droooze
6,3611618
add a comment |
up vote
14
down vote
accepted
「在」in「你在笑什麽」is not equivalent to English at in what are you laughing at?. To demonstrate by analogy:
- 你在吃什麽 - what are you eating?
- 你在做什麽 - what are you doing?
「在」is actually equivalent to the suffix -ing in laughing, eating, doing. It is English which grammatically requires something as a target for the verb laughing; this requirement is redundant in Chinese.
你在笑什麽
Literally: You (你) [action in progress / -ing] (在) laugh (笑) what (什麽)?
Perhaps it is easier to see what's being omitted in English.
- 你在笑什麽 - about/at what are you laughing?
- 你在吃什麽 - what [food] are you eating?
- 你在做什麽 - what [action] are you doing?
answered Dec 4 at 12:00
droooze
6,3611618
add a comment |
up vote
14
down vote
accepted
up vote
14
down vote
accepted
「在」in「你在笑什麽」is not equivalent to English at in what are you laughing at?. To demonstrate by analogy:
- 你在吃什麽 - what are you eating?
- 你在做什麽 - what are you doing?
「在」is actually equivalent to the suffix -ing in laughing, eating, doing. It is English which grammatically requires something as a target for the verb laughing; this requirement is redundant in Chinese.
你在笑什麽
Literally: You (你) [action in progress / -ing] (在) laugh (笑) what (什麽)?
Perhaps it is easier to see what's being omitted in English.
- 你在笑什麽 - about/at what are you laughing?
- 你在吃什麽 - what [food] are you eating?
- 你在做什麽 - what [action] are you doing?
answered Dec 4 at 12:00
droooze
6,3611618
「在」in「你在笑什麽」is not equivalent to English at in what are you laughing at?. To demonstrate by analogy:
- 你在吃什麽 - what are you eating?
- 你在做什麽 - what are you doing?
「在」is actually equivalent to the suffix -ing in laughing, eating, doing. It is English which grammatically requires something as a target for the verb laughing; this requirement is redundant in Chinese.
你在笑什麽
Literally: You (你) [action in progress / -ing] (在) laugh (笑) what (什麽)?
Perhaps it is easier to see what's being omitted in English.
- 你在笑什麽 - about/at what are you laughing?
- 你在吃什麽 - what [food] are you eating?
- 你在做什麽 - what [action] are you doing?
answered Dec 4 at 12:00
droooze
6,3611618
answered Dec 4 at 12:00
droooze
6,3611618
answered Dec 4 at 12:00
droooze
6,3611618
answered Dec 4 at 12:00
droooze
6,3611618
6,3611618
add a comment |
add a comment |
up vote
3
down vote
他 在笑: He is laughing.
他 在笑 你: He is laughing at you.
你 在笑 谁: You are laughing at who? (Who are you laughing at?)
你 在笑 什么: You are laughing at what? (What are you laughing at?)
The word at is needed in English but not in Chinese.
answered Dec 6 at 10:40
賈可 Jacky
64316
add a comment |
up vote
3
down vote
他 在笑: He is laughing.
他 在笑 你: He is laughing at you.
你 在笑 谁: You are laughing at who? (Who are you laughing at?)
你 在笑 什么: You are laughing at what? (What are you laughing at?)
The word at is needed in English but not in Chinese.
answered Dec 6 at 10:40
賈可 Jacky
64316
add a comment |
up vote
3
down vote
up vote
3
down vote
他 在笑: He is laughing.
他 在笑 你: He is laughing at you.
你 在笑 谁: You are laughing at who? (Who are you laughing at?)
你 在笑 什么: You are laughing at what? (What are you laughing at?)
The word at is needed in English but not in Chinese.
answered Dec 6 at 10:40
賈可 Jacky
64316
他 在笑: He is laughing.
他 在笑 你: He is laughing at you.
你 在笑 谁: You are laughing at who? (Who are you laughing at?)
你 在笑 什么: You are laughing at what? (What are you laughing at?)
The word at is needed in English but not in Chinese.
answered Dec 6 at 10:40
賈可 Jacky
64316
answered Dec 6 at 10:40
賈可 Jacky
64316
answered Dec 6 at 10:40
賈可 Jacky
64316
answered Dec 6 at 10:40
賈可 Jacky
64316
64316
add a comment |
add a comment |
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Because Chinese doesn't need European grammar.
– 神秘德里克
Dec 5 at 0:01
1
@神秘德里克 So you're saying that my first suggested answer is correct: "It is so because it is." But as you can see from the accepted answer, it was my misunderstanding of the meaning of 在 that was the problem. Not really a grammar issue.
– cheeesus
Dec 5 at 8:42
为什么英语里要说What are you laughing at?而不是What you're laughing at?
– 马化腾
Dec 6 at 8:30
1
"在" is not "at" here. "在" is "ing" here.
– 马化腾
Dec 6 at 8:33