有時候我們看電影，角色激動的時候會說出: “What on earth are you talking about?” 這是什麼意思呢?
正確答案：你「到底」在說什麼？的意思。on earth可翻作「到底」、「究竟」之意。
想加強語氣來表達情緒的時候，
可在疑問詞:
who、what、where、when、why、how後面加上「on earth」
粗魯版本:「the heck」、「the hell」
髒字版本:「the f*ck」(請妥善使用)
例句:
Who are you? (你是誰?)
Who on earth are you? (你到底是誰?)
Who the heck are you? (你到底是誰?) (口氣較衝)
What was that? (那是什麼?)
What on earth was that? (那到底是什麼?)
What the heck was that? (那到底是什麼?) (口氣較衝)
Where have you been? (你去哪了?)
Where on earth have you been? (你到底去哪了?)
Where the heck have you been? (你到底去哪了?) (口氣較衝)
When are you coming? (你何時過來?)
When on earth are you coming? (你到底何時過來?)
When the heck are you coming? (你到底何時過來?) (口氣較衝)
Why did you do this? (你為什麼做這事?)
Why on earth did you do this? (你到底為什麼做這事?)
Why the heck did you do this? (你到底為什麼做這事?) (口氣較衝)
How do they know it? (他們怎麼知道的?)
How on earth do they know it? (他們到底怎麼知道的?)
How the heck do they know it? (他們到底怎麼知道的?) (口氣較衝)
要留意的是，
疑問詞後面若已加上名詞 (如: What color、What kind) 或形容詞 (如: How old、How tall)，
則不適合再加上on earth/the heck/the hell來強化語氣。
