# to plug in a USB drive



## yuechu

大家好！

Would anyone know how to talk about "plugging in one's USB drive (into the computer)" in Chinese?
For example, would you use 插 or 插入?
Thanks!


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## hx1997

Yes, 插/插入U盘. 插入 is more formal.

Edit: if you say that as an instruction, I think 插上U盘 or 把U盘插上/插进去 would be better.


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## yuechu

OK! Thanks, hx1997! 

For "I'm going to plug the USB drive into the computer", could you say "我要把U盘插电脑" or "我要插U盘在（？）电脑"? (I don't think the last one works, right?)


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## hx1997

That would have to be 我要把U盘插到电脑上/插进电脑. You have to include the result of your action: 到...上 (onto) or 进 (into).


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## yuechu

Oh, I knew that something was missing but I wasn't sure what it was. Thanks so much for your help, hx1997! 😃


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## azhong

"我要插U盘在电脑"
Actually this one also works.

Maybe you just remember what hx1997 has told you for now, as a start.
「把 O1 + V + O2」
in this case V can be 插進, 插入, 插上, 插在, 插到, or 插到 (O2) 上. They are equally fine. 

P.S. USB disk is called 隨身碟 in Taiwan.


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## yuechu

It's good to know the usage in Taiwan, too. Thanks, Azhong!


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## hx1997

azhong said:


> "我要插U盘在电脑"
> Actually this one also works.


😮 Really, azhong? I'm surprised. To me, that doesn't work.



azhong said:


> USB disk is called 隨身碟 in Taiwan.


I didn't know that!


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## azhong

hx1997 said:


> Azhong said: "我要插U盘在电脑" Actually this one also works.
> 😮 Really, azhong? I'm surprised. To me, that doesn't work.


Let's not have further complex discussions to confuse yuechu, so I'll agree with you and say this Chinese sentence is not no natural in contemporary Chinese.


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## SimonTsai

hx1997 said:


> To me, that doesn't work.


That doesn't work for me, either.


> I didn't know that!


Just here to confirm what azhong said.

Actually, I personally often say 'USB' without translating it. For example, I might ask, '請問 USB 槽在哪?' (Where is the USB port for the computer?)


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## yuechu

SimonTsai said:


> For example, I might ask, '請問 USB 槽在哪?' (Where is the USB port for the computer?)


Is a USB槽 a USB hard drive or a USB port? (Just asking because the dictionary says that 槽 is the Taiwanese Mandarin word for hard drive)

Thanks, Simon!


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## SimonTsai

槽 is a space reserved for something, e.g., 水槽, 攪拌槽 and 洗衣槽. In a computer context, it can refer to a hard drive because a hard drive is a space for files. However, it can also refer to a port: A USB port is a space for USBs. We know which one it is from the context. An unambiguous translation is USB 孔.






Alternatively, 插槽 also works: USB 插槽接觸不良自救步驟.


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## yuechu

Oh, that's interesting! Thanks for your explanations (and diagram), Simon! 😃


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