- Forum >
- Topic: Chinese >
- "我们到哪儿吃晚饭？"
"我们到哪儿吃晚饭？"
Translation:Where do we go for dinner?
62 Comments
I think the reason that this translation wasn't acceptible is because firstly, the sentence in your translation should be "我们应该到哪儿吃饭“. But what your sentence implies to me as an English speaker is that you're asking the other person the equivalent of "where do you want to eat?" When this sentence is asking, "where do we go to eat". It's more literally asking for a physical location to eat at like a cafeteria or restaurant.
12
Also, "Where should we go to dinner?" should be accepted. I'm a native speaker of English and that's what I'd say.
Also, "Where shall we go to for dinner?" should be accepted. I think that while the focus is on the Chinese, it's still useful to point out other, equally valid, English translations. That way, learners are less frequently frustrated by having to conform to an overly rigid correct answer.
It distracts from learning Chinese when it marks you wrong for correct alternate translations. If you want the focus to be on the Chinese, then you need to address these other wordings because otherwise it is an encumbrance and a waste of time.
Jairo, you missed the point. The point is that correct translations are being declined.
Yes but if we are focusing on the Mandarin it should sound natural and not like a texbook. Which is how they are teeaching us. Also, if you are translating it to English it should be in English there are multiple ways to say things in each language.
Is there an article or something about all the different ways to say go in Chinese? Like 去走到 etc.
去 means to go. 走 means to walk. 到 means to arrive.
It seems that a lot of times you can translate all of them as to go in English but from what I got so far, 到 is always strongly related to the destination place like the sentence "到你的学校怎么走", while 走 is closely related to the path or the actual movement, like in "走吧" (let's go, let's walk, let's move)! On the other hand, 去 seems to be the actual "leave the current position", the actual "to go". "今晚我去上海".
Wow, really helpful for understanding that, especially since I was having quite a bit of trouble distinguishing them too--thanks a lot!
Cagprado explained it pretty well. 到 can be used by itself, but you'll often see it used w/ 去 to form a grammar pattern, like "到 location 去 do an action", for example: "我们到电影院去看电影," "we go to the movie theater to see a movie." You can also use 到 to say that you did something, for example: "我看到，听得到， 来到美国, etc." "I saw, I hear/heard, I arrived in America". As for 走, cagprado did the best at explaining this. It's the physical action of walking or used when asking someone how to walk to a place from where you are, like when asking for directions, for example " 从这儿到银行怎么走" "How do I get/walk to the bank from here" or "你去哪儿怎么走" "How do I walk there". Both examples used 到 and 去 in conjunction w/ 走.
Why does this translation include "should" at all? "Where are we going to eat dinner?" would seem to be the most natural translation.
- 182
"Should", "shall", "will", and the present continuous as you suggest are all natural. The current preferred English infinitive/simple present "where do we go" is unnatural.
Would "where are we going for dinner" work? And a related question: 他们到哪儿吃晚饭？ Would that sentence be translated as "where should they go for dinner?" Or "where are they going for dinner?" Or both, or neither, or it depends on context?
That is how I would translate this sentence. As for your sentence, it would mean "Where are they going for dinner". If it were "Where should they go for dinner, then ericspanner's example is the way to say that.
- 218
I also had "Where do we eat dinner" because in English it is quite natural to use the present tense for an immediate future.
- 182
Generally yes but not in cases like this one where it rather gives the impression of asking about our habitual dinner destination.
It should be accepted but it should not be the preferred answer.
I don't think any of them do. It is just a loose translation into English asking about where to go for dinner. It is not asking about an obligation or condition as often implied by the use of "should", just a way of asking for suggestions.
I think many of the posters are trying to justify their misunderstanding of the Chinese and the subtle difference in meaning between 到 and 去in the context of this sentence. "Where shall we go for dinner" might be understood in the context of the situation, but if being properly accurate the program has provided the accurate English translation. This sentence is enquiring as to where the location is for dinner in terms of a routine location. E.g. a newly arrived student in a hostel, or newly arrived guests in a hotel would be asking "Where do we go for dinner?" seeking clarification of where guests would routinely have their dinner while resident at that hostel, hotel, or wherever. In terms of "Where shall we go for dinner" if asking specifically about where they might go for dinner tonight, or tomorrow night, or any other time in the future the sentence would be "我们去哪儿吃晚饭". This would imply, for example, that last night we wnt to Wang's Restaurant for dinner, so where will we go for dinner tonight.
- 182
You have come up with a good context in which the current default English with "do" is acceptable. But I doubt it's what the people who added the question to course had in mind given how much hokey English is still in the course. (And hokey Chinese from what I read in the comments from native Chinese speakers.)
I think it is refers to the action of going there rather than just the location where the dinner will take place, so more like where are we going to.. rather than just where are we eating..., although there is probably very little difference.
Your first sentence is also correct although it puts less emphasis on arriving (which is the literal meaning of 到) at a new place. Your second sentence is not correct.哪里 needs 在 in this case, and needs to go before the verb.
I am confused by the subtly different English translations! "Where do we go for dinner?" is context specific; it's a phrase used by people new to a place (eg school, workplace) to ask where they must go for dinner. "Where should we go for dinner?" more often indicates a choice. Both seem to be acceptable answers here. Is that really the case in the Chinese?
- 182
I'm with you. Both are acceptable. I don't get the people complaining about "should" and wonder if it's a US English vs everywhere-else English thing?
"Where shall we go for dinner?" should be accepted. More so than "should," that's for sure.
In the app, the only possible translation given is 'where do we go for dinner.' This is a slightly weird construction in English, as it implies that going for dinner is a repeated action and the location is the same place every day, but the speaker doesn't know where that is. Would 'where are we going for dinner?' (which means that dinner at the particular unknown location could be a one-off action) also work?
- 182
I agree. It used to be "should" and many people complained so they changed it, but made it unnatural in the process.
It might be understood in context, but accurately "Where are we going for dinner would be 我们去哪儿吃晚饭.
This discussion thread is exactly why Duolingo is the best. Thank you for the explanations. This really helped me understand the use if 到，去，走
Women Dao Na'er Chi Wanfan : I-Plural-All-Where-Location-Eat-Evening-Food, We-All-Where-Eat-Dinner, -> Where do we all eat dinner? Why is "Where do we all eat dinner" not accepted?
- 443
They only gave zai4 not dao4 in the choices but required dao4 in the answer. Ah. Duo is human.
Why is "where are we going to have dinner" wrong, is it because of the -ing? "Where do we go for dinner"... as in "guess what we usually do"?
I think your translation is one of many correct possibilities. You should report options like this and choose the "I think my answer is correct" option. If there is no reason your translation can't be accurate they can add it to their options so it provides a benefit to other users.
N'arRRR. Haha. I'm living in the south and it sounds so strange and harsh.
Can it also be 我们去哪吃饭? As in where to 'go' rather than where to 'arrive'? Just curious!
- 292
Go VS arrive
Take from A to B as example. I go to B, and I arrive at B. I go to B is en route, and arrive at B is the journey has been completed.
I think 去哪吃飯is also OK.
I think it's because the sentence itself indicates that "we" still don't have dinner yet so where "will" we go for the dinner today. Like this. Just my opinion, not a native speaker here.
- 182
Neither Chinese nor English have obligatory marked future tense. In both cases the words associated with future also have other meanings.
Because that's not something you would ever say in English. At least, not if it's your first language.
