Difference between revisions of "Expressing "it depends" with "kan""

 
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Although there are a number of ways to express "it depends" in Chinese, the most common ones all involve the verb 看 (kàn). Some common expressions include:
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Although there are a number of ways to express "it depends" in Chinese, the most common ones in informal spoken Chinese involve the verb 看 (kàn). Some common expressions include 要看 (yào kàn) and 得看 (děi kàn). Both mean "(it) depends (on)." Literally, they would translate as "have to look at," so the logic is not hard to understand.
  
* 要看 (yào kàn)
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== Basic Pattern ==
* 那要看 (nà yào kàn)
 
* 得看 (děi kàn)
 
* 那得看 (nà děi kàn)
 
{{Grammar Box}}
 
  
得看(děikàn)or 要看(yàokàn)means "depend on" while literally 得看 means "have to see" and 要看 means need to see。Both of them are 很口语。比”得看“和”要看“更正式的说法是“取决于”。
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If you're answering a question with "it depends on..." then this is the pattern you want.
  
===Structure===
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=== Structure ===
  
 
<div class="jiegou">
 
<div class="jiegou">
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这 / 那 + 要看 / 得看 + [Unclear Situation]
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</div>
  
Verb./Adj.+不+Verb./Adj.+得看/要看+a related situation(the sentence often goes with a question word)
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=== Examples ===
  
Question word+得看+Verb./Adj.+不(没)+Verb./Adj.
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Keep in mind that the "answers" below are meant to be an answer to some imaginary question that we don't include.
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<div class="liju">
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*这 <em>得 看</em> 你 的 时间 。<span class="pinyin">Zhè <em>děi kàn</em> nǐ de shíjiān.</span><span class="trans">This depends on when you are available.</span>
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*那 <em>要 看</em> 他 愿 不 愿意 。<span class="pinyin">Nà <em>yào kàn</em> tā yuàn bu yuànyì.</span><span class="trans">That depends on whether he is willing or not.</span>
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*这 <em>得 看</em> 天气 怎么样 。<span class="pinyin">Zhè <em>děi kàn</em> tiānqì zěnmeyàng.</span><span class="trans">It depends on how the weather is.</span>
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*那 <em>要 看</em> 老板 怎么 想 。<span class="pinyin">Nà <em>yào kàn</em> lǎobǎn zěnme xiǎng.</span><span class="trans">It depends on what the boss thinks.</span>
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*那 <em>得 看</em> 考试  结果 。<span class="pinyin">Nà <em>děi kàn</em> kǎoshì jiéguǒ.</span><span class="trans">That depends on the result of the test.</span>
  
 
</div>
 
</div>
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== Advanced Pattern ==
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=== Structure ===
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If you're going to write a full sentence explaining what "it" depends on, then you're going to need to lead off with some kind of explanation of the "unknown outcome" of what "it depends" on. So you'll start with the "unknown outcome" in the first part of the sentence (''before'' 要看 / 得看) and then end up with what "it depends on" (''after'' 要看 / 得看).
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<div class="jiegou">
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[Unknown Outcome] + 要看 / 得看 + [Unclear Situation]
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</div>
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The "unknown outcome" normally includes some kind of [[question word]], meaning something like "''whether or not'' x happens" or "''what'' x does," etc.
  
 
=== Examples ===
 
=== Examples ===
  
 
<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
* 今晚能不能回家吃饭<em>要看</em>公司加不加班。<span class="trans">Whether I can go home for dinner tonight depends on whether we needs to work some extra time or not.</span>
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* 大学毕业后怎么办<em>得看</em>我接下来找工作的情况。<span class="trans">What I'm going to do depends on how the job hunting goes.</span>
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*<strong>去不去</strong> <em>得 看</em> 我 的 心情 。<span class="pinyin"><strong>Qù bu qù</strong> <em>děi kàn</em> wǒ de xīnqíng.</span><span class="trans">Whether or not I go depends on my mood.</span>
* 这个周末去不去黄山<em>要看</em> 天气怎么样。<span class="trans">Whether we're going to Yellow Mountain or not depends on how the weather is gonna be.</span>
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*<strong>什么时候</strong> 去 <em>要 看</em> 公司 的 安排 。<span class="pinyin"><strong>Shénme shíhou</strong> <em>yào kàn</em> gōngsī de ānpái.</span><span class="trans">When we go depends on the company's arrangements.</span>
* 今年公司发不发奖金<em>得看</em> 我们的业绩和利润。<span class="trans">Whether our boss is giving bonus or not depends on our performance.</span>
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*学 音乐 <strong>还是</strong> 学 画画 <em>要 看</em> 孩子 的 兴趣 。<span class="pinyin">Xué yīnyuè <strong>háishì</strong> xué huàhuà <em>yào kàn</em> háizi de xìngqù.</span><span class="trans">Whether to study music or drawing depends on your child's interest.</span>
* 去哪儿度蜜月<em>要看</em>我老公有多少银行存款。<span class="trans">Where we're going to spend our honeymoon depends on how much money my husband's got in his bank account.</span>
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*<strong>能不能</strong> 留在 中国 <em>要 看</em> 我 能 不 能 拿到 签证 。<span class="pinyin"><strong>Néng bu néng</strong> liú zài Zhōngguó <em>yào kàn</em> wǒ néng bu néng nádào qiānzhèng.</span><span class="trans">Whether or not I can stay in China depends on whether or not I can get a visa.</span>
* 谁能当选总统<em>得看</em> 那个候选人的综合实力。<span class="trans">Who will win the presidential election depends on the candidate's comprehensive strength.</span>
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*<strong>谁</strong> 当 总统 <em>得 看</em> 大选 的 结果 。<span class="pinyin"><strong>Shéi</strong> dāng zǒngtǒng <em>děi kàn</em> dàxuǎn de jiéguǒ.</span><span class="trans">Who the next president will be depends on the result of the election.</span>
* 老板参加不参加这个月例会<em>要看</em> 下个星期忙不忙。<span class="trans">Whether the boss will be able to attend this monthly meeting depends on whether he's busy or not next week.</span>
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* 你最终能不能得到这份工作还<em>得看</em>你的面试顺利不顺利。<span class="trans">Whether you can get the job eventually still depends on how the job interview goes.</span>
 
*苹果的产品会不会一直这么受欢迎<em>要看</em>他们能不能满足未来用户的需求。<span class="trans">Whether Apple products will be able to be popular all the time or not depends on whether they'll be able to satisfy their user's needs or not.</span>
 
*中日关系会不会得到进一步的改善<em>得看</em>两国政府的态度。<span class="trans">Whether the relationship between China and Japan would get further improved depends on their attitude of both sides.</span>
 
 
</div>
 
</div>
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If you're looking for more formal language, consider 取决于 (qǔjué yú), "to be determined by."
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== Sources  and further reading ==
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=== Books ===
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{{Source|Common Chinese Patterns 330 (汉语常用格式330例)|168}}
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[[Category:B1 grammar points]]
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{{HSK|HSK4}}
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{{Basic Grammar|看|B1|这 / 那 + 要看 / 得看 + Unclear Situation|这 <em>得 看</em> 你 的 时间 。|grammar point|ASG765HD}}
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{{Rel char|要看}}
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{{Rel char|得看}}
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{{Used for|Indicating cause and effect}}
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{{Used for|Adding more explanation}}
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{{Used for|Indicating conditions}}
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{{POS|Verbs}}
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{{Translation|depend}}
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{{Translation|depends}}

Latest revision as of 07:56, 14 May 2019

Chinese-grammar-wiki-kan.jpg

Although there are a number of ways to express "it depends" in Chinese, the most common ones in informal spoken Chinese involve the verb 看 (kàn). Some common expressions include 要看 (yào kàn) and 得看 (děi kàn). Both mean "(it) depends (on)." Literally, they would translate as "have to look at," so the logic is not hard to understand.

Basic Pattern

If you're answering a question with "it depends on..." then this is the pattern you want.

Structure

这 / 那 + 要看 / 得看 + [Unclear Situation]

Examples

Keep in mind that the "answers" below are meant to be an answer to some imaginary question that we don't include.

  • 得 看 你 的 时间 。Zhè děi kàn nǐ de shíjiān.This depends on when you are available.
  • 要 看 他 愿 不 愿意 。yào kàn tā yuàn bu yuànyì.That depends on whether he is willing or not.
  • 得 看 天气 怎么样 。Zhè děi kàn tiānqì zěnmeyàng.It depends on how the weather is.
  • 要 看 老板 怎么 想 。yào kàn lǎobǎn zěnme xiǎng.It depends on what the boss thinks.
  • 得 看 考试 结果 。děi kàn kǎoshì jiéguǒ.That depends on the result of the test.

Advanced Pattern

Structure

If you're going to write a full sentence explaining what "it" depends on, then you're going to need to lead off with some kind of explanation of the "unknown outcome" of what "it depends" on. So you'll start with the "unknown outcome" in the first part of the sentence (before 要看 / 得看) and then end up with what "it depends on" (after 要看 / 得看).

[Unknown Outcome] + 要看 / 得看 + [Unclear Situation]

The "unknown outcome" normally includes some kind of question word, meaning something like "whether or not x happens" or "what x does," etc.

Examples

  • 去不去 得 看 我 的 心情 。Qù bu qù děi kàn wǒ de xīnqíng.Whether or not I go depends on my mood.
  • 什么时候要 看 公司 的 安排 。Shénme shíhouyào kàn gōngsī de ānpái.When we go depends on the company's arrangements.
  • 学 音乐 还是 学 画画 要 看 孩子 的 兴趣 。Xué yīnyuè háishì xué huàhuà yào kàn háizi de xìngqù.Whether to study music or drawing depends on your child's interest.
  • 能不能 留在 中国 要 看 我 能 不 能 拿到 签证 。Néng bu néng liú zài Zhōngguó yào kàn wǒ néng bu néng nádào qiānzhèng.Whether or not I can stay in China depends on whether or not I can get a visa.
  • 当 总统 得 看 大选 的 结果 。Shéi dāng zǒngtǒng děi kàn dàxuǎn de jiéguǒ.Who the next president will be depends on the result of the election.

If you're looking for more formal language, consider 取决于 (qǔjué yú), "to be determined by."

Sources and further reading

Books