<p>don't use 東西 for a person, it is for angry only and negative assessment. 他也不是個什么好東西。(he is not a good man). when you translate such statement into Chinese, you can just make sure appending a '的' at end. In Chinese '的' following a verb can be used for 'what xxx (a pronoun) yyyy (a verb)'. so 我找到了梦寐以求的。</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-07-31T08:41:12.233Z
Can you gives more example of usage of "的" at the end of sentence? That one is quite confusing to me. What does 的 do to the sentence?
pbeta
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-07-31T11:27:27.940Z
You can say 吃的 for food and 喝的 for drink, but you can not say 梦寐以求的 without an object.You must say 我找到了梦寐以求的人 or 我找到了梦寐以求的她.
xenophōn
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-08-01T00:51:22.070Z
吃的 = what we eat, 想要的 = what I expect.
Daniel Yang
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-07-31T03:56:54.470Z
2017-07-31T03:56:54.470Z
Daniel Yang
<p>yes, sometimes we will say : 你真不是个东西。
means you are really bad guy</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-07-31T08:44:04.403Z
2017-07-31T08:44:04.403Z
katherine li
<p>Yeah ,you can refer somebody as 东西, but only in negative or question.
That means that one has surpassed the levels of 普通人 and 好人, however not yet reached 混蛋 and 垃圾.</p>

<p>1.</p>

<p>张三: 他经常背后说我坏话.</p>

<p>李四: 真不是东西.</p>

<p>2.</p>

<p>张三: 你是个什么东西, 敢在背后说我坏话.</p>

<p>王五: 对, 我没素质, 我不是东西, 那又怎么样? </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-07-31T11:51:42.580Z
2017-07-31T11:51:42.580Z
sfy
<p>the first one is correct "I have found what I've been longing for" . It can not be interpreted as a person in the sentence.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-07-31T13:55:01.937Z
some clarification here, "东西" could refer to a person like others answered already. However, in the sentence "我找到了我一直渴望的东西", "东西" has no way to be interpreted as a person.
dan
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-07-31T04:03:19.807Z
2017-07-31T04:03:19.807Z
dan
<p>"我找到了我一直渴望的东西"</p>

<p>"I have found what I've been longing for"
"I have found who I've been longing for"</p>

<p>Which translation would be appropriate? Can 东西 refer to a person instead of thing in this sentence?</p>

<translation><vocabulary>
Can "东西" refer to a person instead of thing?
# Can "东西" refer to a person instead of thing?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2017-07-31)

"我找到了我一直渴望的东西"

"I have found what I've been longing for"
"I have found who I've been longing for"

Which translation would be appropriate? Can 东西 refer to a person instead of thing in this sentence?

**Tags:** translation, vocabulary


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## 4 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2017-07-31. Score: 4 | Accepted answer

don't use 東西 for a person, it is for angry only and negative assessment. 他也不是個什么好東西。(he is not a good man). when you translate such statement into Chinese, you can just make sure appending a '的' at end. In Chinese '的' following a verb can be used for 'what xxx (a pronoun) yyyy (a verb)'. so 我找到了梦寐以求的。

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Can you gives more example of usage of "的" at the end of sentence? That one is quite confusing to me. What does 的 do to the sentence?  
> **username_2**: You can say 吃的 for food and 喝的 for drink, but you can not say 梦寐以求的 without an object.You must say 我找到了梦寐以求的人 or 我找到了梦寐以求的她.  
> **username_1**: 吃的 = what we eat, 想要的 = what I expect.  

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### Answer by username_3 on 2017-07-31. Score: 1

yes, sometimes we will say : 你真不是个东西。
means you are really bad guy


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### Answer by username_4 on 2017-07-31. Score: 0

Yeah ,you can refer somebody as 东西, but only in negative or question.
That means that one has surpassed the levels of 普通人 and 好人, however not yet reached 混蛋 and 垃圾.

1.

张三: 他经常背后说我坏话.

李四: 真不是东西.

2.

张三: 你是个什么东西, 敢在背后说我坏话.

王五: 对, 我没素质, 我不是东西, 那又怎么样?


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### Answer by username_5 on 2017-07-31. Score: 0

the first one is correct "I have found what I've been longing for" . It can not be interpreted as a person in the sentence.

> **Comments:**
> **username_5**: some clarification here, "东西" could refer to a person like others answered already. However, in the sentence "我找到了我一直渴望的东西", "东西" has no way to be interpreted as a person.  

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