<blockquote>
<p>那得看你坐在电脑前面做什么</p>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<p>&quot;That depends on what you do when you sit in front of (facing) a computer&quot;</p>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<p><em>you have to sit in front of a computer's screen to operate it</em></p>
</blockquote>
<p>The sentence '坐在电脑前面' doesn't describe the situation unambiguously.</p>
<p>Depend on context:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>电脑前面 could refer to 'the front of a computer's screen' or 'the front of a computer's CPU'</p>
</li>
<li><p>坐在电脑前面 could mean you sit facing the computer operate it or sit with your back toward the computer, blocking everyone else's access to it.</p>
</li>
</ul>
<p>Are you sure it wasn't &quot;那得看你坐在电脑[面前]做什么&quot;</p>
<p>A computer's screen is its face. '坐在电脑面前' means you are definitely facing its screen</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-04-23T03:32:03.810Z
2021-04-23T03:32:03.810Z
Tang Ho
<p>I'd translate &quot;That depends on what you're using the computers for&quot; to &quot;那得看你用電腦來做什麼.&quot;</p>
<p>English: sit at a computer.</p>
<p>Chinese: sit in front of a computer.</p>
<p>When working with a computer, you don't sit behind a computer.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-04-23T03:15:22.337Z
2021-04-23T03:15:22.337Z
joehua
<p>那得看你坐在电脑前面做什么。</p>
<p>那得看： that depends on</p>
<p>在... 东西 ...前面： in front of something</p>
<p>你坐在电脑前面: (why) you are sat sitting in front of the computer</p>
<p>做什么: do, doing what</p>
<p>what .... for : why</p>
<p>那得看你坐在电脑前面做什么。<br />
That depends on what you are sat sitting in front of t' computer for.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-04-23T06:05:01.763Z
2021-04-23T22:12:27.987Z
2021-04-23T22:12:27.987Z
Pedroski
<p>That is due to the translator assume the user is sitting (坐) and operate the computer, so you need to use 前面 to describe it.</p>
<p>User joehua's translation is better and simple and won't confuse you.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-09-22T03:08:05.687Z
2021-09-22T03:08:05.687Z
Zeon Choo
<blockquote>
<p>That depends on what you're using the computers for.<br />
那得看你坐在电脑前面做什么</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Why do we use 前面 in this sentence. I thought 前面 was infront, why is there a location in a sentence involving use of something? Could someone break this down for me :)</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-09-21T03:59:08.643Z
You certainly don't sit "behind", "在 ... 后面" or "at the back of" a computer when operating it?
Wayne Cheah
<grammar><usage><sentence-structure>
What is the use of 前面 in 那得看你坐在电脑前面做什么?
# What is the use of 前面 in 那得看你坐在电脑前面做什么?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2021-04-23)

> That depends on what you're using the computers for.  
> 那得看你坐在电脑前面做什么

Why do we use 前面 in this sentence. I thought 前面 was infront, why is there a location in a sentence involving use of something? Could someone break this down for me :)

**Tags:** grammar, usage, sentence-structure

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: You certainly don't sit "behind", "在 ... 后面" or "at the back of" a computer when operating it?  

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## 4 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2021-04-23. Score: 3

> 那得看你坐在电脑前面做什么

> "That depends on what you do when you sit in front of (facing) a computer"

> *you have to sit in front of a computer's screen to operate it*

The sentence '坐在电脑前面' doesn't describe the situation unambiguously.

Depend on context:

* 电脑前面 could refer to 'the front of a computer's screen' or 'the front of a computer's CPU'
* 坐在电脑前面 could mean you sit facing the computer operate it or sit with your back toward the computer, blocking everyone else's access to it.

Are you sure it wasn't "那得看你坐在电脑[面前]做什么"

A computer's screen is its face. '坐在电脑面前' means you are definitely facing its screen


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### Answer by username_3 on 2021-04-23. Score: 3

I'd translate "That depends on what you're using the computers for" to "那得看你用電腦來做什麼."

English: sit at a computer.

Chinese: sit in front of a computer.

When working with a computer, you don't sit behind a computer.


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### Answer by username_4 on 2021-04-23. Score: 2

那得看你坐在电脑前面做什么。

那得看： that depends on

在... 东西 ...前面： in front of something

你坐在电脑前面: (why) you are sat sitting in front of the computer

做什么: do, doing what

what .... for : why

那得看你坐在电脑前面做什么。  
That depends on what you are sat sitting in front of t' computer for.


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### Answer by username_5 on 2021-09-22. Score: 0

That is due to the translator assume the user is sitting (坐) and operate the computer, so you need to use 前面 to describe it.

User username_3's translation is better and simple and won't confuse you.


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