<p>「交代 」</p>

<ol>
<li><p>(v)  to answer to  / to explain / to report ; </p></li>
<li><p>(n)  explanation / justification</p></li>
</ol>

<p>Example: </p>

<p>向民眾<strong>交代</strong> (<strong>answer to</strong> the people / <strong>explain</strong> to the people)</p>

<p>給民眾一個<strong>交代</strong> (give people an <strong>explanation</strong>)</p>

<p>~</p>

<pre><code>最終有個**交代** meaning
</code></pre>

<p>It means " At the end, there will be an <strong>explanation</strong>"</p>

<p>More example: </p>

<p>怎樣向皇上<strong>交代</strong> ( how to explain / report it to the emperor?)</p>

<p>你可獻上我的頭顱作為<strong>交代</strong> ( you can offer my head as your <strong>report</strong>) </p>

<p>~</p>

<p><strong>Additional Note:</strong></p>

<p>交代 mainly means "explain" or "explanation", and by extension, it also carries meanings of "report" and "instruction" </p>

<ul>
<li><p>If you explain how you've carried out a task to your boss - that would be "giving a report".</p></li>
<li><p>If you explain how to carry out a task to your son - that would be "giving an instruction".</p></li>
</ul>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-10-12T23:02:08.997Z
2016-10-15T19:07:39.757Z
2016-10-15T19:07:39.757Z
Tang Ho
<p>At first I thought, 最终有了一个交代 means "I finally found an/the answer"</p>

<p>Now I'd like to know what 交代 really means and how to translate it.</p>

<p>你快死了。<br>
你让我照顾你的孩子。<br>
我把他抚养成人。<br>
我最终对你有了一个交代。</p>

<p>I have done your bidding, but what is 有个交代？？  </p>

<p>Looks like the other side of "I am in your debt", ie "you are in my debt".</p>

<p>Apparently there is a sense of something which takes a long time to 交代.</p>

<p>Edit: Got this comment from italki, seems to make sense:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>In traditional Chinese culture, people believe that there is an
  afterlife. But people are not able to move on to the afterlife if they
  have unfinished last wishes. Their souls are still entangled in this
  world. If "有个交代” is related to finished last will, in a way it means
  "let go".</p>
</blockquote>

<p>So I think I can translate 我最终对你有了一个交代。 as "I have finally achieved closure for you."</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-10-13T22:42:51.257Z
cf. bkrs 2) сдавать (выполнять) задание I  accomplished my mission (task)
user6065
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-10-13T23:32:20.800Z
Wouldn't that be something like: 我完成了我的任务? I can't see how 有个交代 achieves that sense of meaning.
Gangosa
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-10-13T23:55:56.250Z
seems to agree more or less with above "I have done your bidding", anyhow where does this come from except the last line?
user6065
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-10-14T00:18:13.610Z
Sorry, where does what come from? If you mean the little Chinese text, I asked a friend to write a text to illustrate the use of 最终有个交代， which she did, but I can't see how to translate the last part successfully. Maybe I'm stuck on the idea of 'having something' 有个。 Can't see what I 'have.'
Gangosa
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-10-14T00:27:40.443Z
"this" refers to "I have done your bidding"
user6065
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-10-14T02:51:14.767Z
交代 mainly means " explanation" and  by extension, it also carries a meaning of "instruction" as in 交代後事 ( explain to / instruct someone else to carry out one's will)  -- if you must use 交代 in a context of  "done someone's bidding" the sentence would be " 我最终完成了你交代的事" ( I finally accomplished the thing you instructed)
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-10-14T02:59:14.377Z
交代後事 ( to instruct someone else to carry out one's will)  | 後事的交代 ( the instruction of how to carry out one's will) | 我最终完成了你交代的事 ( I finally carried out the thing you instructed) | 我最终完成了你的交代 ( I finally carried out your instruction)
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-10-14T03:18:13.777Z
I think you are ignoring the spiritual-cultural undertones. No one was instructed. "感觉英语也许没有这样的文化"
Gangosa
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-10-15T03:39:10.547Z
Believe me, 交代的事 means "give instruction to the people who will carry out your will"--  alone with other things, I will tell my sister to bury me in my cycling outfit.
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-10-15T03:48:37.127Z
“有个交代 is a very Chinese and has no equivalent meaning in English. I have checked many bilingual sentences with 有个交代, and find that people translate it in different ways according to the situation. “ ““完成了你最后的愿意”，不一定就是给他了一个交代。“
Gangosa
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-10-15T18:30:21.133Z
交代 means  "to explain (v)" or "explanation (n)", if you give an explanation to your boss, that would be a "report"; if you explain to your son what to do after you're dead, that would be an "instruction"
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-10-15T22:24:19.467Z
I think we may have to agree to disagree. If it just means instruction, I will translate: '我最终对你有了一个交代。' 'I finally had for you an instruction.' I do not think that catches the meaning at all. Consider The Mad Hatter "A word may mean anything I want it to mean."
Gangosa
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-10-16T00:50:58.387Z
@Gangosa I think it works like this: because it means an explanation/briefing/telling (of) it can also be extended to mean a justification (for oneself) or an accounting (for ones self). So because the person has finally accomplished what they were supposed to have done, they say 我最终对你有了一个交代。I finally have accounted for ..... Something like that
Mou某
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-10-16T04:58:45.097Z
Well, we can bend these meanings until they fit our preconceptions. If you have 'finally accounted'  or 'justified yourself', in the eyes of God or man, for something, you have finished and that chapter (of your life) is closed. That is 'get closure'.
Gangosa
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-10-13T14:36:31.590Z
2016-10-14T02:35:40.930Z
2016-10-14T02:35:40.930Z
Gangosa
<p>The sentence comes to my mind is </p>

<blockquote>
  <p>at least, in the end, I can say that I tried everything I could.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Is there a corresponding expression for ‘交代’ here?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-10-14T06:54:49.207Z
"to make up for sth,"
Henry HO
<meaning><meaning-in-context>
'最终有个交代‘, '交代’ meaning
# '最终有个交代‘, '交代’ meaning

(Asked by: username_0 on 2016-10-12)

The sentence comes to my mind is

> at least, in the end, I can say that I tried everything I could.

Is there a corresponding expression for ‘交代’ here?

**Tags:** meaning, meaning-in-context
> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: "to make up for sth,"  

---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2016-10-12. Score: 7

「交代 」

(v)  to answer to  / to explain / to report ; 
(n)  explanation / justification

Example: 
向民眾交代 (answer to the people / explain to the people)
給民眾一個交代 (give people an explanation)
~
最終有個**交代** meaning

It means " At the end, there will be an explanation"
More example: 
怎樣向皇上交代 ( how to explain / report it to the emperor?)
你可獻上我的頭顱作為交代 ( you can offer my head as your report) 
~
Additional Note:
交代 mainly means "explain" or "explanation", and by extension, it also carries meanings of "report" and "instruction" 

If you explain how you've carried out a task to your boss - that would be "giving a report".
If you explain how to carry out a task to your son - that would be "giving an instruction".


---

### Answer by username_3 on 2016-10-13. Score: 2

At first I thought, 最终有了一个交代 means "I finally found an/the answer"

Now I'd like to know what 交代 really means and how to translate it.

你快死了。  
你让我照顾你的孩子。  
我把他抚养成人。  
我最终对你有了一个交代。

I have done your bidding, but what is 有个交代？？

Looks like the other side of "I am in your debt", ie "you are in my debt".

Apparently there is a sense of something which takes a long time to 交代.

Edit: Got this comment from italki, seems to make sense:

> In traditional Chinese culture, people believe that there is an
> afterlife. But people are not able to move on to the afterlife if they
> have unfinished last wishes. Their souls are still entangled in this
> world. If "有个交代” is related to finished last will, in a way it means
> "let go".

So I think I can translate 我最终对你有了一个交代。 as "I have finally achieved closure for you."

> **Comments:**
> **username_4**: cf. bkrs 2) сдавать (выполнять) задание I  accomplished my mission (task)  
> **username_3**: Wouldn't that be something like: 我完成了我的任务? I can't see how 有个交代 achieves that sense of meaning.  
> **username_4**: seems to agree more or less with above "I have done your bidding", anyhow where does this come from except the last line?  
> **username_3**: Sorry, where does what come from? If you mean the little Chinese text, I asked a friend to write a text to illustrate the use of 最终有个交代， which she did, but I can't see how to translate the last part successfully. Maybe I'm stuck on the idea of 'having something' 有个。 Can't see what I 'have.'  
> **username_4**: "this" refers to "I have done your bidding"  
> **username_2**: 交代 mainly means " explanation" and  by extension, it also carries a meaning of "instruction" as in 交代後事 ( explain to / instruct someone else to carry out one's will)  -- if you must use 交代 in a context of  "done someone's bidding" the sentence would be " 我最终完成了你交代的事" ( I finally accomplished the thing you instructed)  
> **username_2**: 交代後事 ( to instruct someone else to carry out one's will)  | 後事的交代 ( the instruction of how to carry out one's will) | 我最终完成了你交代的事 ( I finally carried out the thing you instructed) | 我最终完成了你的交代 ( I finally carried out your instruction)  
> **username_3**: I think you are ignoring the spiritual-cultural undertones. No one was instructed. "感觉英语也许没有这样的文化"  
> **username_2**: Believe me, 交代的事 means "give instruction to the people who will carry out your will"--  alone with other things, I will tell my sister to bury me in my cycling outfit.  
> **username_3**: “有个交代 is a very Chinese and has no equivalent meaning in English. I have checked many bilingual sentences with 有个交代, and find that people translate it in different ways according to the situation. “ ““完成了你最后的愿意”，不一定就是给他了一个交代。“  
> **username_2**: 交代 means  "to explain (v)" or "explanation (n)", if you give an explanation to your boss, that would be a "report"; if you explain to your son what to do after you're dead, that would be an "instruction"  
> **username_3**: I think we may have to agree to disagree. If it just means instruction, I will translate: '我最终对你有了一个交代。' 'I finally had for you an instruction.' I do not think that catches the meaning at all. Consider The Mad Hatter "A word may mean anything I want it to mean."  
> **username_5**: @Gangosa I think it works like this: because it means an explanation/briefing/telling (of) it can also be extended to mean a justification (for oneself) or an accounting (for ones self). So because the person has finally accomplished what they were supposed to have done, they say 我最终对你有了一个交代。I finally have accounted for ..... Something like that  
> **username_3**: Well, we can bend these meanings until they fit our preconceptions. If you have 'finally accounted'  or 'justified yourself', in the eyes of God or man, for something, you have finished and that chapter (of your life) is closed. That is 'get closure'.  

---

