# How do the characters fight in the game? Do they punch, do they kick, do they use magic... ?



## yuechu

大家好！

I teach ESL online to a young girl who likes to play computer games. She understands a lot of words, but not all, so I often have to translate the words from English to Chinese or use gestures to help her understand. We often talk about her hobbies since she is a lot more interested in talking about them than other topics.

Would anyone know how to say "How do the characters fight in the game? Do they punch, do they kick, do they use magic... ?" in Chinese? I tried translating the words in the WR dictionary but I must have chosen the wrong ones, because she still didn't seem to understand 100%.

Any help is appreciated. Thanks!!


----------



## piano_mary

游戏里的角色打架的时候是拳打脚踢吗？还是会用到魔法？


----------



## gingerbread-mann

> "How do the characters fight in the game? Do they punch, do they kick, do they use magic... ?


游戏中的角色是怎样打斗的? 是用拳头打？还是用脚踢？会用法术吗？


----------



## yuechu

Those are great! Thanks for your help, Piano_Mary and Gingerbread_mann! 

Could "characters" also be translated as 人物, or is that word only for characters in novels, movies, etc.?


----------



## yuechu

piano_mary said:


> 还是会用到魔法？


Oh, do you mind if I ask you: What does 到 mean in "用到" here? (Is it optional in this case?)

Also, for magic, the WR dictionary says that 魔法 = "real magic" and 魔术 = "tricks". Does this distinction reflect usage though? It looks like 魔法 and 魔术 both work here, despite them both probably being "real magic" in the game (and not the "trickery" of a magician on stage or at a child's birthday party), right?


----------



## piano_mary

yuechu said:


> Could "characters" also be translated as 人物, or is that word only for characters in novels, movies, etc.?


Yes, but I think there's a slight difference between "人物" and "角色". Generally when we talk about novel characters we use "人物", while "角色" is more often used when talking about movie or game characters. In other words, when we know that the character in question isn't real or personated, we use "角色". So in the context you mentioned, "角色" is probably more idiomatic.



yuechu said:


> Oh, do you mind if I ask you: What does 到 mean in "用到" here? (Is it optional in this case?)


It's optional. "到" works here as an auxiliary word (that's "助词" in Chinese), and it compliments the verb "用", indicating that the action "用" is completed. (I'm not sure if I explained this clearly…)



yuechu said:


> Also, for magic, the WR dictionary says that 魔法 = "real magic" and 魔术 = "tricks". Does this distinction reflect usage though? It looks like 魔法 and 魔术 both work here, despite them both probably being "real magic" in the game (and not the "trickery" of a magician on stage or at a child's birthday party), right?


Only "魔法" or "法术" is appropriate in this context. "魔术" can only be used in describing the tricks magicians perform on stage (tricks that we know aren't real).


----------



## yuechu

Thanks so much for your helpful explanations, Piano_Mary! 😄


----------



## SuperXW

yuechu said:


> "How do the characters fight in the game? Do they punch, do they kick, do they use magic... ?"


Translation aside, this question sounds amateur to me, or not cool enough, if I'm a gamer. 
"Proper questions" for gamers:
你玩的是格斗游戏吗？格斗过时了吧？2d还是3d？3渲2？哦，我只玩过《街霸》……
女生玩的应该不是格斗吧！那你玩的是什么类型的游戏？RPG？MOBA？你打PVP？……
什么平台上的？手游？PC？不会是主机游戏吧？
故事背景设定是怎样的？世界观如何？
男女主叫什么？你喜欢用谁？什么类型的？坦克？战士？刺客？法师？射手？辅助？
有什么技能？要氪金吗？哦你是平民？
难度如何？你多少级了？
……😹


----------



## yuechu

哈哈。Those are great. Thanks for all the ideas, SuperXW!  



SuperXW said:


> 不会是主机游戏吧？


Does 主机 mean "computer" here?



SuperXW said:


> 3渲2


Is this for the games with an isometric view? ("between" 2D and 3D?)


----------



## Silver

yuechu said:


> Does 主机 mean "computer" here?


Yes. More specifically, desktop computer. Super was talking about different platforms. 


yuechu said:


> Is this for the games with an isometric view? ("between" 2D and 3D?)


I am not SuperXW, but I think it's a typo. He/She meant "三选二", choose two characters out of three.

By the way, are you playing KOF15?


----------



## dojibear

piano_mary said:


> "到" works here as an auxiliary word (that's "助词" in Chinese), and it compl*e*ments the verb "用", indicating that the action "用" is completed. (I'm not sure if I explained this clearly…)


Chinese has "complements" that follow a verb to affect the meaning. One is 到 which indicates successful completion, while 不到 indicates failing to complete:

找 = look for; 找到 = find; 找不到 = can't find
听 = listen (try to hear); 听到 hear; 听不到 = can't hear
买 = shop for; 买到 = purchase; 买不到 = didn't buy

Complement - Chinese Grammar Wiki


----------



## yuechu

Silver said:


> Yes. More specifically, desktop computer.


Oh ok! Good to know! (EDIT: Oh, see SuperXW's explanation below)



Silver said:


> By the way, are you playing KOF15?


No, but I've heard of it. Is it good? I'm a fan of Street Fighter 2... although it was a long time ago that I played it!
My student likes to play "Genshin Impact" 原神. Has anyone heard of it before?

EDIT: cross-posted with Dojibear


----------



## yuechu

dojibear said:


> Chinese has "complements" that follow a verb to affect the meaning. One is 到 which indicates successful completion, while 不到 indicates failing to complete:
> 
> 找 = look for; 找到 = to find; 找不到 = can't find
> 听 = listen (try to hear); 听到 hear; 听不到 = can't hear
> 买 = shop for; 买到 = purchase; 买不到 = didn't buy
> 
> Complement - Chinese Grammar Wiki


Oh, I'd never thought of it in that way before. Thanks, Dojibear!


----------



## SuperXW

Silver said:


> Yes. More specifically, desktop computer. Super was talking about different platforms.


No. 主机游戏 means "console games", and "console" means Play Station, Switch, etc.
电脑游戏 means "computer games".


Silver said:


> I am not SuperXW, but I think it's a typo. He/She meant "三选二", choose two characters out of three.


No... 3渲2 means 3D渲染2D, which is a graphic style...
Maybe I went too technical? Some gamers don't know these terms?


Silver said:


> By the way, are you playing KOF15?


No. I don't play fighting games, because I always lose...
Even if I do, I prefer graphics lke Street Fighters V/VI, which is 3渲2.


yuechu said:


> My student likes to play "Genshin Impact" 原神. Has anyone heard of it before?


One of the best. I’ll be shocked if any Chinese gamer has never heard of it.
At first I thought I was too old for such a game, as the characters and graphic looks naïve to me. And I never liked smartphone games as they were too "small".
Now I'm totally into it.

This thread has been deviated from its topic. I'll stop.


----------



## dojibear

SuperXW said:


> I don't play fighting games, because I always lose...


I liked adventure games, when I played 电脑游戏 from 1983 to 2021.

从2004年到2020年我打_魔兽世界_。我打了每个类型的角色。


----------

