"飞机几点起飞？"
Translation:What time does the plane take off?
6 Comments
Although there is no 会 in the sentence, could this still be accurately translated as "When will the plane take off?" since the accepted answer also implies that the action will take place in the future?
1354
By asking that question you are pretty much implying the plane hasn't taken off yet, or at least you believe the plane hasn't taken off yet, so I think it's perfectly fine that they translate it in the future tense in English.
If you were to ask “When did the plane take off", you would probably say ” 飞机几点起飞走的?"
Actually you could ask this question also about the present under specific circumstances and it would still make sense. Say you're stuck in the security check in the airport and not sure if you've already just missed your flight. In any case I totally agree the Chinese should be accepted as present or future / with or without "hui".
I think so. I always want to translate it to "when is the plane taking off". It all depends on the context.
The cadence and aural texture of this sentence, and Chinese in general, is one of the characteristics of this language which appeals to me most.
