<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 joehua's translation is better and simple and won't confuse you.


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