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Expressing "it depends" with "kan"
==================================
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[Indicating cause and
effect](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Indicating_cause_and_effect),
[Adding more
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[看](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/%E7%9C%8B),
[要看](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/%E8%A6%81%E7%9C%8B),
[得看](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/%E5%BE%97%E7%9C%8B)
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[depend](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Depend),
[depends](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Depends)
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[{width="300"
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Although there are a number of ways to express "it depends" in Chinese,
the most common ones in informal spoken Chinese involve the verb 看
(kàn). Some common expressions include 要看 (yào kàn) and 得看 (děi
kàn). Both mean "(it) depends (on)." Literally, they would translate as
"have to look at," so the logic is not hard to understand. If you're
looking for more formal language, consider 取决于 (qǔjué yú), "to be
dependent on."
<div id="toc" class="toc">
<div id="toctitle">
Contents
--------
<span class="toctoggle"> [hide]([# "wikilink")\] </span>
</div>
- [<span class="tocnumber">1</span> <span class="toctext">Basic
Pattern</span>](#Basic_Pattern "wikilink")
- [<span class="tocnumber">1.1</span>
<span class="toctext">Structure</span>](#Structure "wikilink")
- [<span class="tocnumber">1.2</span>
<span class="toctext">Examples</span>](#Examples "wikilink")
- [<span class="tocnumber">2</span> <span class="toctext">Advanced
Pattern</span>](#Advanced_Pattern "wikilink")
- [<span class="tocnumber">2.1</span>
<span class="toctext">Structure</span>](#Structure_2 "wikilink")
- [<span class="tocnumber">2.2</span>
<span class="toctext">Examples</span>](#Examples_2 "wikilink")
- [<span class="tocnumber">3</span> <span class="toctext">See
also</span>](#See_also "wikilink")
- [<span class="tocnumber">4</span> <span class="toctext">Sources and
further reading</span>](#Sources_and_further_reading "wikilink")
- [<span class="tocnumber">4.1</span>
<span class="toctext">Books</span>](#Books "wikilink")
</div>
<span id="Basic_Pattern" class="mw-headline">Basic Pattern</span>
-----------------------------------------------------------------
If you're answering a question with "it depends on..." then this is the
pattern you want.
### <span id="Structure" class="mw-headline">Structure</span>
<div class="jiegou">
这 / 那 + 要看 / 得看 + \[Unclear Situation\]
</div>
### <span id="Examples" class="mw-headline">Examples</span>
Keep in mind that the "answers" below are meant to be an answer to some
imaginary question that we don't include.
<div class="liju">
- 这 *得 看* 你 的 时间 。<span class="pinyin">Zhè *děi kàn* nǐ de
shíjiān.</span><span class="trans">This depends on when you are
available.</span>
- 这 *得 看* 天气 怎么样 。<span class="pinyin">Zhè *děi kàn* tiānqì
zěnmeyàng.</span><span class="trans">It depends on how the weather
is.</span>
- 那 *得 看* 考试 结果 。<span class="pinyin">Nà *děi kàn* kǎoshì
jiéguǒ.</span><span class="trans">That depends on whether the result
of the test.</span>
- 那 *要 看* 他 愿 不 愿意 。<span class="pinyin">Nà *yào kàn* tā yuàn
bu yuànyì.</span><span class="trans">That depends on whether he
feels like it or not.</span>
- 那 *要 看* 老板 怎么 想 。<span class="pinyin">Nà *yào kàn* lǎobǎn
zěnme xiǎng.</span><span class="trans">It depends on what the boss
thinks.</span>
</div>
<span id="Advanced_Pattern" class="mw-headline">Advanced Pattern</span>
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
### <span id="Structure_2" class="mw-headline">Structure</span>
If you're going to write a full sentence explaining what "it" depends
on, then you're going to need to lead off with some kind of explanation
of the "unknown outcome" of what "it depends" on. So you'll start with
the "unknown outcome" in the first part of the sentence (*before* 要看 /
得看) and then end up with what "it depends on" (*after* 要看 / 得看).
<div class="jiegou">
\[Unknown Outcome\] + 要看 / 得看 + \[Unclear Situation\]
</div>
The "unknown outcome" normally includes some kind of [question
word](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Question_word),
meaning something like "*whether or not* x happens" or "*what* x does,"
etc.
### <span id="Examples_2" class="mw-headline">Examples</span>
<div class="liju">
- **去不去** *得 看* 我 的 心情 。<span class="pinyin">**Qù bu qù**
*de kàn* wǒ de xīnqíng.</span><span class="trans">Whether or not I
go depends on my mood.</span>
- **什么时候** 去 *要 看* 公司 的 安排 。<span class="pinyin">**Shénme
shíhou** qù *yào kàn* gōngsī de ānpái.</span><span class="trans">
Departure time depends on the company's arrangement.</span>
- 学 音乐 **还是** 学 画画 *要 看* 孩子 的 兴趣
。<span class="pinyin">Xué yīnyuè **háishì** xué huàhuà *yào kàn*
háizi de xìngqù.</span><span class="trans">It depends on your
child's interest when it comes to picking between studying music or
painting.</span>
- **能不能** 留在 中国 *要 看* 我 能 不 能 拿到 签证
。<span class="pinyin">**Néng bu néng** liú zài Zhōngguó *yào kàn*
wǒ néng bu néng nádào qiānzhèng.</span><span class="trans">Whether
or not I can stay in China depends on whether or not I can get a
visa.</span>
- **谁** 当 总统 *得 看* 大选 的 结果 。<span class="pinyin">**Shéi**
dāng zǒngtǒng *děi kàn* dàxuǎn de
jiéguǒ.</span><span class="trans">Who the next president will be
depends on the result of the election.</span>
</div>
<span id="See_also" class="mw-headline">See also</span>
-------------------------------------------------------
<span id="Sources_and_further_reading" class="mw-headline">Sources and further reading</span>
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
### <span id="Books" class="mw-headline">Books</span>
- [Common Chinese Patterns
330 (汉语常用格式330例)](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Common_Chinese_Patterns_330_(%E6%B1%89%E8%AF%AD%E5%B8%B8%E7%94%A8%E6%A0%BC%E5%BC%8F330%E4%BE%8B)) (pp.
168) [→buy](http://amzn.to/2zBMfhl)
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