how to say " look in" in Manadarin

[schnaz]

Hi All,
I'm hoping that someone will explain to me how to express the idea of "look in" in the sense of "look in the sink for the wash cloth." [in Mandarin]

Thanks in advance,
schnaz

[Habbakuk]

the best and simplest way I would personally say isn't a word in itself. The most common way to say look in would be 在....里/内 看/找. The sentence structure may vary depending on the sentence.

In the example you gave I would say it like "在sink(里)去找washcloth.

[hlysnan]

I would've said 看在sink里，找washcloth吧. Correct me if I'm wrong.

[Habbakuk]

I would've said 看在sink里，找washcloth吧. Correct me if I'm wrong.

While perhaps not incorrect, it is quite awkward, with the two separate verbs 看 and 找. Even the English version only has one verb "look". Your way of saying it would be more like "look in the sink, find the washcloth."

Even if it was a different sentence, "找washcloth" would be placed before the other part, as in "if you want to find the washcloth, look in the sink."

[hlysnan]

Ah right. I read the original sentence as "look in the sink to find the washcloth".

I'm unsure about 在sink(里)去 though. When we use 去, it is usually followed by 在 when using directions.

[Habbakuk]

Ah right. I read the original sentence as "look in the sink to find the washcloth".

I'm unsure about 在sink(里)去 though. When we use 去, it is usually followed by 在 when using directions.

Yeah maybe, that's just the way I would say it colloquially as if it were a command or something, like telling someone to go look for the washcloth. The original example sentence given by schnaz could be interpreted a few ways.

[Teutonius]

向水盆里看

[schnaz]

Thanks y'all