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- Topic: Chinese >
- "我只能回答简单的问题。"
"我只能回答简单的问题。"
Translation:I can only answer simple questions.
17 Comments
"I am only able to answer easy questions" should be an acceptable answer is "I am only able to answer the easy questions". As Chinese does not use articles and the article could be used or not in English.
271
The correct English is "I can answer only simple questions." "I can only answer" implies I can not listen, I can not reply, I can not write down, etc...I can ONLY answer. But really what you are trying to say is that you can answer only simple questions, not hard questions, not confusing questions, not convoluted questions, etc. Of course this mistake is made all the time so fine if "I can only answer simple questions." is given as the correct answer. But "I can answer only simple questions" should be marked as correct.
Can someone explain why "I can only reply with simple questions" is not accepted. TIA
Reply with simple questions is grammatically correct in English. However, the meaning is absolutely different from the sentence that should be translated. When you answer simple questions, you are thinking about what the answers of the questions are, and answering them. When you reply with simple questions, you ask questions back at the person instead of giving the answers.
I can only reply with simple questions = 我只能以简单的问题回答。= I can only use simple questions to reply (literal translation)
- 1236
I am not native English speaker. I think we usually reply to a question and reply with an answer.
Indeed. I am a native English speaker. To reply with a question means that the content of your answer is another question.
- 48
The meaning is different. I can only answer the simple questions is correct. Not answering with simple questions
- 48
They say we need "the". I think the translation can be "I can only answer simple questions?"
My understanding is that 简单 means "simple", not complex. 容易 means "easy", not difficult. 简单 has to do with the form of the thing. 容易 has to do with the amount of effort that needs to be appplied.
