Help with correct translation

Question

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?

Answer 1

"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:

Vegar Reitan 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

Vegar Reitan 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)"

Answer 2

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