this post was submitted on 19 May 2024
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[–] [email protected] 7 points 7 months ago (2 children)

The way I was taught to ask for a light in chinese is literally translated as 'Hit the fire machine?' (打火機嗎)

[–] pepperonisalami 2 points 7 months ago (1 children)

It's because "打火機" is a noun, direct translation would be "the fire striking machine" which means the lighter. So the sentence is a shorthand to ask whether they have a lighter.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 7 months ago

Oh, that's great to know! I'd got the impression that 打 was being used as a verb in the sense of use/make/play with 火機 as the object. Thanks!