<p>&quot;I&quot; (我) is the subject. It always go first</p>
<p>[I am playing tennis] is the main clause. You translated it as [我打网球], but it should be [我<strong>正在</strong>打网球] (you wrote &quot;playing&quot;, not &quot;play&quot;)</p>
<p>[in a red jacket] is the relative phrase. (giving additional information on how you are playing tennis) You translated it as [用红色的外套] is incorrect.</p>
<ul>
<li><p>[<strong>用</strong>红色的外套] should be [<strong>穿着</strong>一件红色外套]</p>
</li>
<li><p>的 in 红色的 can be omitted</p>
</li>
<li><p>&quot;<strong>a</strong> red jacket&quot; is &quot;<strong>一件</strong>红色的外套&quot;</p>
</li>
</ul>
<p>Put it together we get:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>[我正在打网球]  [穿着一件红色外套]</p>
<p>[main clause] [relative phrase]</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Unlike in English, relative phrase usually precede main clause in Chinese grammar.</p>
<p>The correct translation of &quot;I am playing tennis in a red jacket.&quot; should be:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>&quot; 我正(穿着一件红色外套)打网球&quot;</p>
<p><em>在 in 正在 can be omitted</em></p>
</blockquote>
<p><em>It would be simpler if you wrote in present tense</em></p>
<p><em>&quot;I play tennis in a red jacket&quot; --&gt;&quot; 我 (穿着一件红色外套)打网球&quot;</em></p>
<p><strong>Edit:</strong></p>
<p>Vegar Reitan wrote:</p>
<blockquote>
<p><em>How do I know where to put the relative sentence?</em></p>
</blockquote>
<p>You have to decide which verb phrase in a sentence is the main phrase- If you wrote:&quot; I eat apple at home&quot;, You can see [eat apple] is the main action, [at home] is added info</p>
<p>The English sentence [ I eat apple (at home) ] would become [ I (at home) eat apple] [我(在家)吃苹果] in Chinese grammar</p>
<p>Vegar Reitan also wrote:</p>
<blockquote>
<p><em>And how do you know that &quot;的 in 红色的 can be omitted&quot;?</em></p>
</blockquote>
<p>One of the functions of '的' is being an adjectival particle that mark a phrase or clause before as an adjectival phrase or clause</p>
<ul>
<li>The adjectival particle '的' in '红色的' can be omitted when it is followed by an object, because 红 or 红色 itself is an adjective, it doesn't require the adjectival particle '的' to function as an adjective.</li>
</ul>
<p>Example: (红色的)外套 can be omitted to (红色)外套 or (红)外套</p>
<ul>
<li>The adjectival particle '的' in '红色的' cannot be omitted when it is preceded by an object</li>
</ul>
<p>Example: 这外套是(红色的) cannot be reducted to 这外套是(红色) or  这外套是(红)--  That would mean &quot;This Jacket is red(n)&quot;</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-07-18T15:12:02.020Z
Thanks, this helped med alot! 
If I have understood this correctly, the sentence consist of the main sentence "I am playing tennis" and relative sentence "in a red jacket".
This because a relative sentence is a sentence adding additional information about a person or object in the main sentence.

正在 emphasizes that the action is ongoing. 

Then you put is together and get the sentence "我正(穿着一件红色外套)在打网球".
Vegar Reitan
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-07-18T15:12:54.073Z
How do I know where to put the relative sentence?
Vegar Reitan
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-07-18T15:14:23.223Z
And how do you know that "的 in 红色的 can be omitted"?
Vegar Reitan
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-07-18T17:46:50.857Z
See my edition in the answer
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-07-18T20:43:59.643Z
oh, thanks! You really helped me out! I think I understand this much better now! Now I feel like I have to become great at speaking Mandarin, so I don't feel like I have wasted your time ;)
Vegar Reitan
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-07-18T21:14:27.713Z
So using what you have thought me; would this be a good translation?
"everyday I run to the airport in a blue jacket" =  每天我(穿着蓝色外套)跑到机场
Vegar Reitan
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-07-18T21:21:43.150Z
Subject first-- 我每天(穿着蓝色外套)跑到机场 is correct
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-07-29T14:57:41.293Z
How do you know that 在 in 正在 can be omitted?
Vegar Reitan
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-07-29T22:28:05.567Z
because 正 itself means "in the process of "
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-07-18T11:28:16.107Z
2017-07-19T03:25:42.317Z
2020-06-17T09:50:11.587Z
Tang Ho
<p>I am playing tennis in a red jacket.
我  正在打    網球   著 紅色外套
=>我穿著紅色外套打網球</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-07-19T08:12:31.473Z
2017-07-19T08:12:31.473Z
Jacky Lu
<p>I am trying to translate the following sentence in to Mandarin: </p>

<blockquote>
  <p>I am playing tennis in a red jacket. </p>
</blockquote>

<p>Would it be correct to translate it like this?</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>我打网球，用红色的外套。</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Or are there any other solutions that might be better?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-07-18T10:12:50.680Z
Do you mind specifying which part you're particularly interested in? I'm just asking because the title is very general in your case and it could be more precise. In any case, welcome to Chinese SE! :)
Alenanno
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-07-18T10:15:43.397Z
>>> 我正穿着红色的外套打网球。
Farnz Seager
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-07-18T15:24:29.637Z
I didn't really know how to ask the question because I wasn't really sure what I was looking for. All I knew was that I was unsure about the usage of on going action, the usage of 用, relative phrases, and 的. I felt that I would understand more if I found a sentence containing this parts and get someone to eplain the sentece-order and the translation. It is hard to describe exactly what I needed help with, but I needed to start somewhere. I haven't been learning for more than a couple of weeks, but I am starting to understand some of the grammar, now that I can ask questions when I am stuck :)
Vegar Reitan
<translation>
Help with correct translation
# Help with correct translation

(Asked by: username_0 on 2017-07-17)

I am trying to translate the following sentence in to Mandarin:

> I am playing tennis in a red jacket.

Would it be correct to translate it like this?

> 我打网球，用红色的外套。

Or are there any other solutions that might be better?

**Tags:** translation

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Do you mind specifying which part you're particularly interested in? I'm just asking because the title is very general in your case and it could be more precise. In any case, welcome to Chinese SE! :)  
> **username_2**: >>> 我正穿着红色的外套打网球。  
> **username_0**: I didn't really know how to ask the question because I wasn't really sure what I was looking for. All I knew was that I was unsure about the usage of on going action, the usage of 用, relative phrases, and 的. I felt that I would understand more if I found a sentence containing this parts and get someone to eplain the sentece-order and the translation. It is hard to describe exactly what I needed help with, but I needed to start somewhere. I haven't been learning for more than a couple of weeks, but I am starting to understand some of the grammar, now that I can ask questions when I am stuck :)  

---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2017-07-18. Score: 2

"I" (我) is the subject. It always go first

[I am playing tennis] is the main clause. You translated it as [我打网球], but it should be [我**正在**打网球] (you wrote "playing", not "play")

[in a red jacket] is the relative phrase. (giving additional information on how you are playing tennis) You translated it as [用红色的外套] is incorrect.

* [**用**红色的外套] should be [**穿着**一件红色外套]
* 的 in 红色的 can be omitted
* "**a** red jacket" is "**一件**红色的外套"

Put it together we get:

> [我正在打网球] [穿着一件红色外套]
>
> [main clause] [relative phrase]

Unlike in English, relative phrase usually precede main clause in Chinese grammar.

The correct translation of "I am playing tennis in a red jacket." should be:

> " 我正(穿着一件红色外套)打网球"
>
> *在 in 正在 can be omitted*

*It would be simpler if you wrote in present tense*

*"I play tennis in a red jacket" -->" 我 (穿着一件红色外套)打网球"*

**Edit:**

username_0 username_0 wrote:

> *How do I know where to put the relative sentence?*

You have to decide which verb phrase in a sentence is the main phrase- If you wrote:" I eat apple at home", You can see [eat apple] is the main action, [at home] is added info

The English sentence [ I eat apple (at home) ] would become [ I (at home) eat apple] [我(在家)吃苹果] in Chinese grammar

username_0 username_0 also wrote:

> *And how do you know that "的 in 红色的 can be omitted"?*

One of the functions of '的' is being an adjectival particle that mark a phrase or clause before as an adjectival phrase or clause

* The adjectival particle '的' in '红色的' can be omitted when it is followed by an object, because 红 or 红色 itself is an adjective, it doesn't require the adjectival particle '的' to function as an adjective.

Example: (红色的)外套 can be omitted to (红色)外套 or (红)外套

* The adjectival particle '的' in '红色的' cannot be omitted when it is preceded by an object

Example: 这外套是(红色的) cannot be reducted to 这外套是(红色) or 这外套是(红)-- That would mean "This Jacket is red(n)"

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Thanks, this helped med alot!  If I have understood this correctly, the sentence consist of the main sentence "I am playing tennis" and relative sentence "in a red jacket". This because a relative sentence is a sentence adding additional information about a person or object in the main sentence.  正在 emphasizes that the action is ongoing.   Then you put is together and get the sentence "我正(穿着一件红色外套)在打网球".  
> **username_0**: How do I know where to put the relative sentence?  
> **username_0**: And how do you know that "的 in 红色的 can be omitted"?  
> **username_3**: See my edition in the answer  
> **username_0**: oh, thanks! You really helped me out! I think I understand this much better now! Now I feel like I have to become great at speaking Mandarin, so I don't feel like I have wasted your time ;)  
> **username_0**: So using what you have thought me; would this be a good translation? "everyday I run to the airport in a blue jacket" =  每天我(穿着蓝色外套)跑到机场  
> **username_3**: Subject first-- 我每天(穿着蓝色外套)跑到机场 is correct  
> **username_0**: How do you know that 在 in 正在 can be omitted?  
> **username_3**: because 正 itself means "in the process of "  

---

### Answer by username_4 on 2017-07-19. Score: 0

I am playing tennis in a red jacket.
我 正在打 網球 著 紅色外套
=>我穿著紅色外套打網球


---

