<p>I am doing something on my phone ? Just translate 我在玩手机</p>

<p>“我听音乐在我的手机上。” It is EngChinese. Chinese should be 我在用我的手机听音乐.</p>

<p>"在" Can be used in both location (在北京 , in Beijing) and preposition (在看书, Reading).</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-06-27T01:36:58.797Z
2014-06-27T01:36:58.797Z
Alex
<p>It is proper to say "在手机”/“在手机上”, "在" doesn't necessarily mean to be at actual physical location.</p>

<p>For your sentence, a better grammar structure should be 我在我的手机上听音乐。In Chinese there is a tendency to put the location preposition as early as possible. In a sentence, in this case, it is right after the subject.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-06-26T16:02:37.577Z
2014-06-26T19:38:24.920Z
2014-06-26T19:38:24.920Z
ChineseHulu.com
<p>I think "在手机" it self has no appropriate meaning.<br />
It's weird that it appears alone.<br />
"我在我的手机上听音乐。"is not common too. <br />
"I'm online"    <code>"我在线"</code>is correct by commonly used.<br />
<code>"我在用我的手机听音乐"</code>is correct.<br />
Also you can say<code>"在手机里面有很多个应用程序"</code>。</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-06-27T05:44:45.703Z
2014-06-27T05:44:45.703Z
meeming
<p>I would say "我**正**在用我的手机听音乐." instead of "我在用我的手机听音乐." because "正在" is a more complete way to express the continuous tense.</p>

<p>And if "my" is not the main idea in the context, I think we can say "我正在用手机听音乐."  It is because cell phone is kinda personal device and it is not likely let others have possession simply for music.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-06-27T02:55:05.077Z
2014-06-27T02:55:05.077Z
Henry HO
<p>I have a friend,she speak more like"我在我手机听歌”，but actually is "我在我手机上听歌”，in Chinese phrase,prep is most use,In my opinion,this is practicing your listening.Hard to explain in English.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-06-27T09:01:50.873Z
2014-06-27T09:01:50.873Z
user5886
<p>不对， 你可能想说的是我用手机听歌，但是在手机上，会感觉到不自然</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-12-30T15:52:51.580Z
2015-12-30T15:52:51.580Z
Victor Qi
<p>Your sample sentence should be "我在我的手机上听音乐" as ChineseHulu.com said.And you actually SHOULD not omit the word "上" in this sentence,or it would be a little bit weird to native Chinese people. </p>

<p>"在...上" is a preposition phrase.It can be used on representational target like:<br>
在操场上 -- on playground<br>
在沙发上 -- on sofa<br></p>

<p>And it can be used on abstract target like<br>
在手机上 -- on cell phone<br>
在电脑上 -- on computer<br>
在网络上 -- on internet<br></p>

<p>Usually we Chinese won't omit "上" if we use this phrase on abstract target or express specific position relation.So these sentence should not omit this word:<br>
我正在手机上玩游戏 -- I'm playing game on cell phone.<br>
我想在电脑上看电影 -- I wanna watch movie on computer.<br>
我通常在网络上聊天 -- I usually chat on internet.<br>
男孩在沙发上跳着 -- The boy is jumping on the sofa.<br></p>

<p>But if we use this phrase to express the location where something happened,not focusing on the position relation.We can omit this word:<br>
男孩们在操场上玩 or 男孩们在操场玩 are all ok.(Boys are playing on the playground.)<br></p>

<p>And if you wanna express something happened on the specific location but it's a large area.You MUST omit the word "上" and the phrase thus turn into another single word preposition phrase "在...".<br>
我在上海工作 -- I'm working in Shanghai.<br>
我在苏州旅游 -- I'm traveling in SuZhou.<br></p>

<p>Apologize for my English.Hope you will get it all... :D</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-06-26T20:57:02.280Z
Thank you so much, especially for all your clarification regarding ‘上’! It's incredibly helpful!^.^I totally get it, and I learned a bit of new vocab from your explanation. And seriously, don't worry about your English; I assumed you were a native speaker right up until you apologised for it. xD Thanks again, and have a fabulous day! ^.^
silviezcatz
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-06-26T21:21:02.160Z
Glad it is useful to you.And yes I'm native Shanghainese.So I can assure you that my Shanghai dialect and Mandarin are both excellent.For Cantonese,I'm OK but not that good so I will avoid answering question on it to misguide anyone. =)
SONIC3D
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-06-26T19:28:49.173Z
2014-06-26T19:28:49.173Z
SONIC3D
<p>Would it be correct to use the phrase "在手机”/“在手机上” etc. to express that I am doing something on my phone? For example, could I say</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>我听音乐在我的手机上。</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Or can 在 only be used for my actual physical location? If so, how would I express this sort of thing? (Phrases like "on the internet", "on my computer", "on my phone", etc.)</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-06-26T11:34:28.160Z
我在手机上听音乐 or 我在用手机听音乐
xenophōn
<grammar><mandarin><usage><preposition>
Is it correct to say “在手机”？
# Is it correct to say “在手机”？

(Asked by: username_0 on 2014-06-26)

Would it be correct to use the phrase "在手机”/“在手机上” etc. to express that I am doing something on my phone? For example, could I say

> 我听音乐在我的手机上。

Or can 在 only be used for my actual physical location? If so, how would I express this sort of thing? (Phrases like "on the internet", "on my computer", "on my phone", etc.)

**Tags:** grammar, mandarin, usage, preposition

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: 我在手机上听音乐 or 我在用手机听音乐  

---

## 7 answers

### Answer by username_8 on 2014-06-26. Score: 11 | Accepted answer

Your sample sentence should be "我在我的手机上听音乐" as username_3 said.And you actually SHOULD not omit the word "上" in this sentence,or it would be a little bit weird to native Chinese people.

"在...上" is a preposition phrase.It can be used on representational target like:  
在操场上 -- on playground  
在沙发上 -- on sofa

And it can be used on abstract target like  
在手机上 -- on cell phone  
在电脑上 -- on computer  
在网络上 -- on internet

Usually we Chinese won't omit "上" if we use this phrase on abstract target or express specific position relation.So these sentence should not omit this word:  
我正在手机上玩游戏 -- I'm playing game on cell phone.  
我想在电脑上看电影 -- I wanna watch movie on computer.  
我通常在网络上聊天 -- I usually chat on internet.  
男孩在沙发上跳着 -- The boy is jumping on the sofa.

But if we use this phrase to express the location where something happened,not focusing on the position relation.We can omit this word:  
男孩们在操场上玩 or 男孩们在操场玩 are all ok.(Boys are playing on the playground.)

And if you wanna express something happened on the specific location but it's a large area.You MUST omit the word "上" and the phrase thus turn into another single word preposition phrase "在...".  
我在上海工作 -- I'm working in Shanghai.  
我在苏州旅游 -- I'm traveling in SuZhou.

Apologize for my English.Hope you will get it all... :D

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Thank you so much, especially for all your clarification regarding ‘上’! It's incredibly helpful!^.^I totally get it, and I learned a bit of new vocab from your explanation. And seriously, don't worry about your English; I assumed you were a native speaker right up until you apologised for it. xD Thanks again, and have a fabulous day! ^.^  
> **username_8**: Glad it is useful to you.And yes I'm native Shanghainese.So I can assure you that my Shanghai dialect and Mandarin are both excellent.For Cantonese,I'm OK but not that good so I will avoid answering question on it to misguide anyone. =)  

---

### Answer by username_2 on 2014-06-27. Score: 3

I am doing something on my phone ? Just translate 我在玩手机

“我听音乐在我的手机上。” It is EngChinese. Chinese should be 我在用我的手机听音乐.

"在" Can be used in both location (在北京 , in Beijing) and preposition (在看书, Reading).


---

### Answer by username_3 on 2014-06-26. Score: 3

It is proper to say "在手机”/“在手机上”, "在" doesn't necessarily mean to be at actual physical location.

For your sentence, a better grammar structure should be 我在我的手机上听音乐。In Chinese there is a tendency to put the location preposition as early as possible. In a sentence, in this case, it is right after the subject.


---

### Answer by username_4 on 2014-06-27. Score: 2

I think "在手机" it self has no appropriate meaning.  
It's weird that it appears alone.  
"我在我的手机上听音乐。"is not common too.   
"I'm online" `"我在线"`is correct by commonly used.  
`"我在用我的手机听音乐"`is correct.  
Also you can say`"在手机里面有很多个应用程序"`。


---

### Answer by username_5 on 2014-06-27. Score: 1

I would say "我\*\*正\*\*在用我的手机听音乐." instead of "我在用我的手机听音乐." because "正在" is a more complete way to express the continuous tense.

And if "my" is not the main idea in the context, I think we can say "我正在用手机听音乐." It is because cell phone is kinda personal device and it is not likely let others have possession simply for music.


---

### Answer by username_6 on 2014-06-27. Score: 1

I have a friend,she speak more like"我在我手机听歌”，but actually is "我在我手机上听歌”，in Chinese phrase,prep is most use,In my opinion,this is practicing your listening.Hard to explain in English.


---

### Answer by username_7 on 2015-12-30. Score: -2

不对， 你可能想说的是我用手机听歌，但是在手机上，会感觉到不自然


---

