<p>The preferred order of elements in Chinese grammar is often reverse of the English grammar.</p>

<p>"you flew such a long distance for such a short visit" is an example of placing the comment before the topic is common in English.</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>"you flew such a long distance for such a short visit" (common English grammar)</p>
</blockquote>

<ul>
<li><p>"you flew such a long distance" (你飛這麼長的距離) is the comment.</p></li>
<li><p>"for such a short visit" (為了這麼短的探訪) is the topic</p></li>
</ul>

<p>However, it is more common to place the topic before the comment in Chinese grammar</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>"為了這麼短的訪問, 你飛這麼長的距離" (common Chinese grammar)</p>
</blockquote>

<ul>
<li><p>"為了這麼短的探訪" (for such a short visit)-  topic first</p></li>
<li><p>"你飛這麼長的距離" (you flew such a long distance) comment follows</p></li>
</ul>

<p>Of course, the order of comment and topic in both English and Chinese can be reversed with some modification</p>

<p>you can write "For such a short visit, you flew such a long distance" in English (which break the sentence in two) or "你飛這麼長的距離<strong>就</strong>為了這麼短的探訪" (you need a conjunction to connect the two phrases. In this case, you can use '就'(merely)</p>

<p>Note:</p>

<p>"Long distance" can be translated as "長的距離" , "長途" or "遠"</p>

<p>"你飛這麼<strong>長的距離</strong>' can be rephrased as "你飛這麼<strong>長途</strong>" or "你飛這麼<strong>遠</strong>"</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-02-19T02:04:37.037Z
不必客氣... However it is '你' not '妳'. Look at my icon, I am clearly a man
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-02-19T03:14:29.643Z
哈哈哈對不起 。。。很多時候會搞亂！真失禮了！對不起。
Crashalot
CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-02-19T20:36:05.293Z
so 訪問 is a better way to say “visit” than 探訪？「訪問」比「探訪」好嗎？ 我以為「訪問」比較文章，只是用來描述 interviews 和 diplomatic visits？
Crashalot
CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-02-19T20:58:26.103Z
探訪 is more personal, 訪問 is more official, There are minor difference between them, just check the dictionary
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-02-19T22:07:56.920Z
You can 訪問 someone you may or may not know, you can also 訪問 some place (diplomatic visit) ; when you 探訪 a person, you usually know that person; when you 探訪 a place, you usually do it for personal reason like touring or exploring
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-02-19T00:43:30.910Z
2018-02-19T00:51:02.483Z
2018-02-19T00:51:02.483Z
Tang Ho
<p>What's the right grammar to translate, "You flew such a long distance for such a short visit."</p>

<p>你飛那麼遠為了那麼短的探訪 feels quite wrong, pretty much like English grammar crammed poorly into Mandarin. :)</p>

<p>In general, are there any guidelines for breaking up long English phrases like this? Prepositional phrases (e.g., for this, for such, during the trip) seem to cause the most trouble.</p>

<grammar>
Grammar for "You flew such a long distance for such a short visit'?
# Grammar for "You flew such a long distance for such a short visit'?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2018-02-18)

What's the right grammar to translate, "You flew such a long distance for such a short visit."

你飛那麼遠為了那麼短的探訪 feels quite wrong, pretty much like English grammar crammed poorly into Mandarin. :)

In general, are there any guidelines for breaking up long English phrases like this? Prepositional phrases (e.g., for this, for such, during the trip) seem to cause the most trouble.

**Tags:** grammar


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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2018-02-19. Score: 1 | Accepted answer

The preferred order of elements in Chinese grammar is often reverse of the English grammar.

"you flew such a long distance for such a short visit" is an example of placing the comment before the topic is common in English.

> "you flew such a long distance for such a short visit" (common English grammar)

* "you flew such a long distance" (你飛這麼長的距離) is the comment.
* "for such a short visit" (為了這麼短的探訪) is the topic

However, it is more common to place the topic before the comment in Chinese grammar

> "為了這麼短的訪問, 你飛這麼長的距離" (common Chinese grammar)

* "為了這麼短的探訪" (for such a short visit)- topic first
* "你飛這麼長的距離" (you flew such a long distance) comment follows

Of course, the order of comment and topic in both English and Chinese can be reversed with some modification

you can write "For such a short visit, you flew such a long distance" in English (which break the sentence in two) or "你飛這麼長的距離**就**為了這麼短的探訪" (you need a conjunction to connect the two phrases. In this case, you can use '就'(merely)

Note:

"Long distance" can be translated as "長的距離" , "長途" or "遠"

"你飛這麼**長的距離**' can be rephrased as "你飛這麼**長途**" or "你飛這麼**遠**"

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: 不必客氣... However it is '你' not '妳'. Look at my icon, I am clearly a man  
> **username_0**: 哈哈哈對不起 。。。很多時候會搞亂！真失禮了！對不起。  
> **username_0**: so 訪問 is a better way to say “visit” than 探訪？「訪問」比「探訪」好嗎？ 我以為「訪問」比較文章，只是用來描述 interviews 和 diplomatic visits？  
> **username_1**: 探訪 is more personal, 訪問 is more official, There are minor difference between them, just check the dictionary  
> **username_1**: You can 訪問 someone you may or may not know, you can also 訪問 some place (diplomatic visit) ; when you 探訪 a person, you usually know that person; when you 探訪 a place, you usually do it for personal reason like touring or exploring  

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