<blockquote>
  <p>最后吃的菜 = 最后吃的(that you eat last) + 菜(dish/food);</p>
  
  <p>so, 最后吃的菜 = "the dish that you eat last"</p>
</blockquote>

<p>"最后吃的菜" is a noun phrase and it is "菜" essentially.</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>吃最后的菜 = 吃(eat) + 最后的菜(the last dish / the leftovers)；</p>
  
  <p>so, 吃最后的菜 = “eat the last dish / leftovers”</p>
</blockquote>

<p>"吃最后的菜" can be regared as an imperative sentence and it means "eat something". If you put a subject at the beginning of it（"我吃了最后的菜"/“我要吃最后的菜”，etc.）, it would be easier to understand.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-06-25T02:45:51.953Z
2015-06-27T00:14:20.243Z
2015-06-27T00:14:20.243Z
Minnie
<p>Let's say you went to a nice restaurant for a nice meal. </p>

<p>Case 1: you had the meal, course by course. In this case 最后吃的菜=(吃)最后的菜=dessert</p>

<p>Case 2：you left in the meal for some reason. In this case 最后吃的菜=the dish you didn't finished. (吃)最后的菜=dessert.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-06-26T19:30:41.670Z
2015-06-26T19:30:41.670Z
FortCpp
<p>You need to put these statements in their context to be certain of their exact meaning. Without further context, I would say:</p>

<p>最后吃的菜 = the (very) last dish(es) I ate (of a meal)</p>

<p>吃最后的菜 = the last dish(es) (of a meal which) I am eating/I haven't eaten yet</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-06-25T01:58:06.313Z
2015-06-25T01:58:06.313Z
Pedroski
<p>The last dish you eat (最后吃的菜) may not be the dish that is served last (最后的菜).</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-07-29T05:35:05.803Z
2015-07-29T05:35:05.803Z
smwikipedia
<p>I had a friend who said there is a slight difference in the two phrases.  But I don't see any difference between the two expressions.  Could anyone explain it? </p>

<p>Thanks,
Rachel</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-06-24T21:33:23.767Z
最后吃的菜 = the dish eaten last/the last dish to be eaten or 吃最后的菜 = eat the last dish. First phrase places emphasis on last + eating, second on the last dish.
Vlo
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-06-24T21:43:21.930Z
吃**到**最後的菜, if treated as a noun (i.e. 那一道吃到最後的菜), would be identical to 最後吃的菜.
leo4jc
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-06-24T21:56:36.673Z
confirming preceding comment, just as in English, adjective 后 with degree adverb 最 in 1st case functions as adverbial (状语），in 2nd as attributive (定语）。
user6065
<translation><grammar>
最后吃的菜 or 吃最后的菜？
# 最后吃的菜 or 吃最后的菜？

(Asked by: username_0 on 2015-06-24)

I had a friend who said there is a slight difference in the two phrases. But I don't see any difference between the two expressions. Could anyone explain it?

Thanks,
username_0

**Tags:** translation, grammar

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: 最后吃的菜 = the dish eaten last/the last dish to be eaten or 吃最后的菜 = eat the last dish. First phrase places emphasis on last + eating, second on the last dish.  
> **username_2**: 吃**到**最後的菜, if treated as a noun (i.e. 那一道吃到最後的菜), would be identical to 最後吃的菜.  
> **username_3**: confirming preceding comment, just as in English, adjective 后 with degree adverb 最 in 1st case functions as adverbial (状语），in 2nd as attributive (定语）。  

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## 4 answers

### Answer by username_4 on 2015-06-25. Score: 5

> 最后吃的菜 = 最后吃的(that you eat last) + 菜(dish/food);
>
> so, 最后吃的菜 = "the dish that you eat last"

"最后吃的菜" is a noun phrase and it is "菜" essentially.

> 吃最后的菜 = 吃(eat) + 最后的菜(the last dish / the leftovers)；
>
> so, 吃最后的菜 = “eat the last dish / leftovers”

"吃最后的菜" can be regared as an imperative sentence and it means "eat something". If you put a subject at the beginning of it（"我吃了最后的菜"/“我要吃最后的菜”，etc.）, it would be easier to understand.


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### Answer by username_5 on 2015-06-26. Score: 1

Let's say you went to a nice restaurant for a nice meal.

Case 1: you had the meal, course by course. In this case 最后吃的菜=(吃)最后的菜=dessert

Case 2：you left in the meal for some reason. In this case 最后吃的菜=the dish you didn't finished. (吃)最后的菜=dessert.


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### Answer by username_6 on 2015-06-25. Score: 0

You need to put these statements in their context to be certain of their exact meaning. Without further context, I would say:

最后吃的菜 = the (very) last dish(es) I ate (of a meal)

吃最后的菜 = the last dish(es) (of a meal which) I am eating/I haven't eaten yet


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### Answer by username_7 on 2015-07-29. Score: 0

The last dish you eat (最后吃的菜) may not be the dish that is served last (最后的菜).


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