Chapter 4: Back to the Burrow

Simplified Chinese (Mandarin: China)
回到陋剧 Huí dào Lòujū	回 huí = 'return'. 到 dào = 'to'. 陋剧 lòujū = 'mean dwelling'.	Return to the Humble Dwelling
Traditional Chinese (Mandarin: Taiwan)
重返洞穴屋 Chóngfǎn Dòngxué-wū	重返 chóngfǎn = 'return'. 洞穴屋 dòngxué-wū = 'cavern house'.	Return to the Cavern Home
Japanese
再び「隠れ穴」へ Futatabi "Kakure-ana" e	再び futatabi = 'again'. 隠れ穴 kakure-ana = 'hidden hole' へ e = 'to'.	To the "Hidden Hole" again
Korean
다시 버로우로 Dasi Beolou-lo	다시 dasi = 'again, once more'. 버로우 beolou = 'burrow' (English). 로 lo = 'for, to, toward'.	To the Burrow Again
Vietnamese (Chinese characters show etymology)
Trở lại trang trại Hang Sóc	trở lại = 'return, come back'. trang trại = 'farm, farmhouse, homestead'. hang = 'cave, den, lair'. sóc = 'squirrel'.	Return to Squirrel Den Farm House
Mongolian (new)
Үүрэнд буцаж ирсэн нь Üürend butsaj irsen n'	үүр üür = 'nest, den' (Dative/locative form). буцах butsakh = 'return' (Continuative form). ирэх irekh = 'come' (-сэн -sen past tense). нь n' = 'about' (makes the preceding sentence into a noun).	Coming Back to the Burrow (About Coming Back to the Burrow)

In this chapter, Harry comes to the Weasley home, known as 'the Burrow', for the second time. (The first time was at Book 2 Chapter 3).

How is 'back to' translated?

'Back to the Burrow' can be understood as an abbreviation of 'comes back to the Burrow'. Several translations use verbs meaning 'come back to' or 'return to'.

• The Mainland Chinese translation uses the everyday form 回到 huí-dào 'return to'. It consists of the verb 回 huí meaning 'return', and 到 dào, a 'complement of direction' with the meaning '(go) to'. 到 dào is actually a verb with the meaning 'arrive', but is called a complement because it attaches to the preceding verb and helps complete its meaning. This kind of verb construction is extremely common in Chinese. It is possible to omit 到 dào with little difference in meaning.
  
  
• The Mongolian translation uses буцаж ирсэн 'came back'. This is a combination of two verbs, буцах butsakh meaning 'to return', and ирэх irekh meaning 'to come'. The two are closely linked into one expression, with the first verb using a 'continuative form' (technically speaking, it ends in the converb -ж -j), linking it to the second. The overall meaning, 'come returning', is the same as 'come back' in English. 'To' is expressed by using the Dative/Locative case form Үүрэнд üür-end of the noun Үүр üür.
  
  
• The Chinese translation from Taiwan uses the more literary expression 重返 chóngfǎn 'return', which can be understood as being derived from 重新返回 chóngxīn fǎnhúi 'again return'. This does not involve the use of a complement like 到 dào.
  
  
• Vietnamese uses trở lại with the meaning 'return, come back'. Trở means 'turn, change'; lại means 'come'. There is no need for a preposition meaning 'to'.

Japanese and Korean both omit the verb 'return' or 'come back' in a similar way to the English. Such constructions are commonly used in both languages.

• Japanese uses 再び futatabi 'again' and 「隠れ穴」へ "Kakure-ana" e 'to the Burrow'. へ e 'to' is a particle attached to the noun. 再び futatabi 'again' was also used at Owl Post Again.
  
  
• Korean uses a similar construction, 다시 dasi 'again, afresh', followed by 버로우로 Beolou-lo 'to the Burrow', where 로 -lo 'to' is a suffix attached to the noun.

How is 'the Burrow' translated?

Each translation gives 'the Burrow' a different name: China 陋剧 lòujū 'mean dwelling', Taiwan 洞穴屋 dòngxué-wū 'cavern house', Vietnamese trang trại Hang Sóc 'squirrel den farm house', Mongolian үүр üür 'nest, den', Japanese 隠れ穴 kakure-ana 'hidden hole', and Korean 버로우 beolou, a direct transliteration of 'burrow'. For more, see Book 2 Chapter 3.

(Korean appears thanks to "Hiro".)

(Detailed notes on the chapter can be found at Harry Potter Lexicon)

⇚ Chapter 3

Chapter 5 ⇛