How to say 'work' in Chinese?
xiaophil
January 15, 2010, 01:50 AM posted in I Have a Question
I sometimes stumble when I try to translate the word ‘work' into Chinese. Most of us know that the most basic translation of ‘work' is 工作. In English however, the usage of ‘work' hardly stops there. I'm hoping that we can translate these sentences.
1. My computer isn't working. 我的电脑坏了wǒde diànnǎo huàile
2. My computer works.
3. I don't know how to make my cell phone work. (yes, similar to 2, but I think subtly different; regardless, a useful sentence construction)
4. Look, this relationship/cooperation isn't working.
5. That singer really can work a crowd. (i.e. he/she can get the crowd excited.)
6. Let's work together to solve this problem.
7. We need to work towards a solution.
谢谢 in advance!
Bonus question: Do Chinese people ever say anything like "Thanks in advance"?
xiaophil
Yes, you are right :)
bababardwan
sorry,just added an edit while you were posting
zhenlijiang
Sometimes we have a hard time looking at English objectively; it's the language we don't think much about before using. So I really like this exercise. It's good training (to be an interpreter, you always have to be thinking like this) and a lot of fun.
bodawei
January 15, 2010, 05:13 PMI like Changye's advice about choosing one that is easy to say. Also, I like expressions that are fun to say, 比如说不行了！
xiaophil
January 15, 2010, 02:13 AMYes, you are right :)
bababardwan
January 15, 2010, 02:19 AMsorry,just added an edit while you were posting
xiaophil
January 15, 2010, 02:22 AMThank you. I'm glad you said that because it seems to me I have heard 工作 used this way, but nciku doesn't mention it, and furthermore, I also remember quite specifically asking a Chinese guy the same question awhile back and his solution lacked 工作 (and sadly I forgot what that solution was).
I can't help wondering, though, if 工作 is the best choice.
xyngift
January 15, 2010, 02:52 AMthepost may be helpful.
5.work a crowd. 挤过人群ji3guo4ren2qun2
6. Let's work together to solve this problem. 合作he2zuo4
7. We need to work towards a solution.努力解决nu3li4jie3jue2.
“thank in advance” is accepted by chinese.首先谢谢你们。
xiaophil
Thanks! Very useful!
xiaophil
January 15, 2010, 02:57 AMThanks! Very useful!
bodawei
January 15, 2010, 02:08 AM1. 我的电脑不工作 is also okay. '我的电脑怀了'和'我的电脑不工作'都可以说。 (My computer is not working.)
工作 is a versatile word, much like 'work' in English.
这个墨盒不工作。 (This printer cartridge doesn't work.)
墨盒 mòhé (ink cartridge)
xiaophil
Thank you. I'm glad you said that because it seems to me I have heard 工作 used this way, but nciku doesn't mention it, and furthermore, I also remember quite specifically asking a Chinese guy the same question awhile back and his solution lacked 工作 (and sadly I forgot what that solution was).
I can't help wondering, though, if 工作 is the best choice.
bodawei
I was with a native speaker just recently who used this construction. Actually, I also asked for clarification because they used 不工作 where I used 怀了 in the conversation. It seems that you would use 怀了 in a situation where everyone can clearly see that something is broken. In the case of a computer or ink cartridge the problem may not be evident; in this situation my native speaking friend used 不工作 by choice.
There are other possibilities of course - you can use 失灵 shi1ling2 not working). But I would use this where the thing not working is a machine of some kind (eg. a lift, cable car.) 电梯失灵了。 电缆车失灵了。
zhenlijiang
How about the expression 我的电脑有毛病。 for #1?
changye
How about“我的电脑不行了”？
changye
Hi zhenlijiang
I feel "有毛病" sounds like "have a small glitch" or something like that. I think "我的电脑出了毛病" might be better for No.1.
zhenlijiang
Ah OK. Which would be your first choice for "My computer isn't working"? It has to be general, so 我的电脑不行了 seems good.
changye
I would say "电脑坏了/不行了" since they are easy to say, hehe.
zhenlijiang
So "My computer works." would be (I guess the implication here is that someone else's doesn't but yours does, or other things in the room don't work but your computer does, some background like that) 我的电脑正常动作. Is that OK (is it general enough)?
changye
I would say 我的电脑正常工作 or 我的电脑没问题.
zhenlijiang
Ah--"没问题"! Thanks Changye.
bodawei
I like Changye's advice about choosing one that is easy to say. Also, I like expressions that are fun to say, 比如说不行了！
changye
January 15, 2010, 06:33 AMThis Chinese medecine really works. 这个中药很管事儿。
changye
"This medecine works" can also be translated as "(吃)这个药起作用".
zhenlijiang
January 15, 2010, 07:13 AMHow about the expression 我的电脑有毛病。 for #1?
changye
January 15, 2010, 08:17 AMHow about“我的电脑不行了”？
changye
January 15, 2010, 08:24 AMHi zhenlijiang
I feel "有毛病" sounds like "have a small glitch" or something like that. I think "我的电脑出了毛病" might be better for No.1.
changye
January 15, 2010, 08:36 AM"This medecine works" can also be translated as "(吃)这个药起作用".
changye
January 15, 2010, 08:51 AMI would say "电脑坏了/不行了" since they are easy to say, hehe.
zhenlijiang
January 15, 2010, 06:21 AMSometimes we have a hard time looking at English objectively; it's the language we don't think much about before using. So I really like this exercise. It's good training (to be an interpreter, you always have to be thinking like this) and a lot of fun.
bababardwan
January 15, 2010, 02:06 AMxiaophil,
You know this better than I,but I think this is a good example of where we need to move away from our English way of expressing things.Ok,stating the obvious.I think for some of these there would be an entirely different approach.Let me take a stab at one:
for 4,could you say something like?:
women de guanxi buxing
..which doesn't really have a "work" meaning in there but still is essentially expressing the same idea.Dunno mate,just sharing some thoughts. :)
ps I think 5 is likely another one where "working" a crowd is a very English expression and you're example in brackets is likely much closer to how they'd express it [I've course I'm just taking wild guesses here,let's hope you do get some authoritative answers..but this is fun so I hope you don't mind fellow poddies having a stab.I know what you mean..I think about this stuff a lot..how would they go about saying that..of course often its just my lack of vocab etc that forces a workaround].Ok for 5 ,yaobu?:
nage geshou zhende hui rang dajia hen jidong
[or instead of dajia could you use that word qun I think it is for crowd...or is that just a measure word? ...could you have qun fanse?]