<blockquote>
<p>我现在在休息，我想……</p>
</blockquote>
<p>First, Chinese grammar has a kind of &quot;rolling subject&quot;; in this case, the subject 我 carries over from the first clause, and you don't need both 我s.  So Google Translate deletes the redundant 我.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>……一些与工作无关的事情。<br />
...a few non-work-related matters.<br />
...a few matters not related to work.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>This is the correct word order according to Chinese grammar.  Here, 与工作无关 modifies the noun 事情, so we use <a href="https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Modifying_nouns_with_phrase_%2B_%22de%22" rel="nofollow noreferrer">the grammar structure</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Phrase + 的 + Noun</p>
</blockquote>
<p>where &quot;Phrase&quot; is technically called an <a href="https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Attributive" rel="nofollow noreferrer">attributive</a> (定语 in Chinese; it's a generalized adjective).</p>
<p>Normally we don't add content after a Chinese noun to modify it.  (This differs from verbs and adjectives, which can take complements.)</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-01-30T10:02:29.873Z
2024-01-30T10:02:29.873Z
Becky 李蓓
<p>In Chinese, we use descriptive phrases before a noun.</p>
<p>If you put the descriptive phrases after the noun like your original translation, we tend to think the phrases are to describe the whole sentence, namely, '我想...'. This means, my thought of doing something is non-work-related. What's more, if this is what you really means, I suggest put a comma before the descriptive phrases.</p>
<p>To summarize:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>我现在在休息，我想做一些事情，与工作无关。
==&gt; I am resting and I want to do something. This intention is non-work-related.</p>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<p>我现在在休息，我想做一些与工作无关的事情。
==&gt; I am resting and I want to do something that is non-work-related.</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-01-31T17:03:52.640Z
Thank you, that's valuable.
Gleichmut
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-01-31T03:27:35.650Z
2024-01-31T03:27:35.650Z
Jay Shao
<p>In &quot;想做一些<strong>与工作无关的</strong>事情 (I want to do some <strong>non-job-related</strong> thing)&quot;, [与工作无关的] is an adjectival phrase that modifies [事情] (what thing? the thing that's not related to my job)</p>
<p>In &quot;我想做一些事情, 与工作无关&quot;, [我想做一些事情]and[与工作无关] are two clauses, the second clause is a dependent clause of the first clause, in other words, [与工作无关] add additional information to [我想做一些事情]</p>
<p>&quot;我想做一些事情&quot; = &quot;I want to do something&quot;,</p>
<p>&quot;(这)与工作无关&quot; = &quot;(this action) has nothing to do with my job</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-01-30T17:05:37.053Z
Thank you, I had clear understanding of this before posting this question. My concern is what is a cause why your word order varies from Latin based or Russian groups of languages. Becky's reply gives me more details, but still doesn't give me enough to make right mind shift.
Gleichmut
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-01-30T17:10:13.823Z
(offtopic) you might be interested in my personal project https://gelassen.github.io/blog/2023/08/20/case-study-automatic-chinese-text-tokenisation-and-translation.html to get *some* insights for your Cantonese dictionary.
Gleichmut
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-01-30T09:54:24.963Z
2024-01-30T11:28:00.943Z
2024-01-30T11:28:00.943Z
Tang Ho
<p>与工作无关 is a descriptor for 事情.Chinese does not use relative clauses.</p>
<p>我现在在休息，我想做一些[与工作无关]的事情.<br />
I'm having a rest now, I want to do some things [which have nothing to do with work].</p>
<p>Put the descriptor before the descriptee:</p>
<p>我现在在休息，我想做一些[与工作无关]的事情.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-01-30T09:50:52.700Z
2024-01-30T09:50:52.700Z
Pedroski
<p>想做一些与工作无关的事情</p>
<p>Here, 与工作无关 modifies 事情, hence the term is placed in front. Just like you say &quot;green apple&quot; and not &quot;apple green&quot; in English.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-01-31T05:05:19.250Z
2024-01-31T05:05:19.250Z
fat penguin
<p>Modern translate engines are good to mimic native speakers syntax, but haven't explained yet why you have to do it in this way.</p>
<p>I would like to say something like this:</p>
<pre><code>我现在在休息，我想做一些事情与工作无关
</code></pre>
<p>But Google translate says this will be sound more naturally for Chinese:</p>
<pre><code>我现在在休息，想做一些与工作无关的事情
</code></pre>
<p>Why it would be so? 为什么？</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-01-30T20:17:01.983Z
Chinese is head final w.r.t. noun phrases (and some other stuff). If something modifies something else, the modifier goes first. You asked about "why" in a comment, and I don't think there is an answer to that, but this is the linguistic terminology if you're interested.
Stumpy Joe Pete
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-01-31T01:49:38.280Z
Thanks! Who knows, may be some thoughtful Chinese native could notice within his\her history and language practice some links which could shed the light on this issue.
Gleichmut
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-01-31T19:28:30.717Z
The AllSet grammar wiki is a good resource for grammar points: https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Modifying_nouns_with_phrase_%2B_%22de%22
Stumpy Joe Pete
<grammar><syntax><word-order>
Why is the word order ……想做一些与工作无关的事情 and not ……想做一些事情与工作无关?
# Why is the word order ……想做一些与工作无关的事情 and not ……想做一些事情与工作无关?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2024-01-30)

Modern translate engines are good to mimic native speakers syntax, but haven't explained yet why you have to do it in this way.
I would like to say something like this:
我现在在休息，我想做一些事情与工作无关

But Google translate says this will be sound more naturally for Chinese:
我现在在休息，想做一些与工作无关的事情

Why it would be so? 为什么？

**Tags:** grammar, syntax, word-order

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Chinese is head final w.r.t. noun phrases (and some other stuff). If something modifies something else, the modifier goes first. You asked about "why" in a comment, and I don't think there is an answer to that, but this is the linguistic terminology if you're interested.  
> **username_0**: Thanks! Who knows, may be some thoughtful Chinese native could notice within his\her history and language practice some links which could shed the light on this issue.  
> **username_1**: The AllSet grammar wiki is a good resource for grammar points: https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Modifying_nouns_with_phrase_%2B_%22de%22  

---

## 5 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2024-01-30. Score: 2 | Accepted answer

> 我现在在休息，我想……

First, Chinese grammar has a kind of "rolling subject"; in this case, the subject 我 carries over from the first clause, and you don't need both 我s. So Google Translate deletes the redundant 我.

> ……一些与工作无关的事情。  
> ...a few non-work-related matters.  
> ...a few matters not related to work.

This is the correct word order according to Chinese grammar. Here, 与工作无关 modifies the noun 事情, so we use [the grammar structure](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Modifying_nouns_with_phrase_%2B_%22de%22):

> Phrase + 的 + Noun

where "Phrase" is technically called an [attributive](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Attributive) (定语 in Chinese; it's a generalized adjective).

Normally we don't add content after a Chinese noun to modify it. (This differs from verbs and adjectives, which can take complements.)


---

### Answer by username_3 on 2024-01-31. Score: 2

In Chinese, we use descriptive phrases before a noun.

If you put the descriptive phrases after the noun like your original translation, we tend to think the phrases are to describe the whole sentence, namely, '我想...'. This means, my thought of doing something is non-work-related. What's more, if this is what you really means, I suggest put a comma before the descriptive phrases.

To summarize:

> 我现在在休息，我想做一些事情，与工作无关。
> ==> I am resting and I want to do something. This intention is non-work-related.

> 我现在在休息，我想做一些与工作无关的事情。
> ==> I am resting and I want to do something that is non-work-related.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Thank you, that's valuable.  

---

### Answer by username_4 on 2024-01-30. Score: 2

In "想做一些**与工作无关的**事情 (I want to do some **non-job-related** thing)", [与工作无关的] is an adjectival phrase that modifies [事情] (what thing? the thing that's not related to my job)

In "我想做一些事情, 与工作无关", [我想做一些事情]and[与工作无关] are two clauses, the second clause is a dependent clause of the first clause, in other words, [与工作无关] add additional information to [我想做一些事情]

"我想做一些事情" = "I want to do something",

"(这)与工作无关" = "(this action) has nothing to do with my job

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Thank you, I had clear understanding of this before posting this question. My concern is what is a cause why your word order varies from Latin based or Russian groups of languages. Becky's reply gives me more details, but still doesn't give me enough to make right mind shift.  
> **username_0**: (offtopic) you might be interested in my personal project https://gelassen.github.io/blog/2023/08/20/case-study-automatic-chinese-text-tokenisation-and-translation.html to get *some* insights for your Cantonese dictionary.  

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### Answer by username_5 on 2024-01-30. Score: 1

与工作无关 is a descriptor for 事情.Chinese does not use relative clauses.

我现在在休息，我想做一些[与工作无关]的事情.  
I'm having a rest now, I want to do some things [which have nothing to do with work].

Put the descriptor before the descriptee:

我现在在休息，我想做一些[与工作无关]的事情.


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### Answer by username_6 on 2024-01-31. Score: 1

想做一些与工作无关的事情

Here, 与工作无关 modifies 事情, hence the term is placed in front. Just like you say "green apple" and not "apple green" in English.


---

