<p>Short answer: don't say 'is a function of' in Chinese. 'depends on' springs immediately to mind, 'is related to', 'comes from'. All that adrenaline coursing through your arteries!</p>

<p>Jackson was asked what made him more nervous, his first Finals as a player or as a coach?<br>
杰克逊被问道，在第一次总决赛中，是作为球员让他更紧张，还是作为教练更让他紧张。</p>

<p>Definitely as a coach,” he said. 
绝对是作为教练的时候，他答道</p>

<p>“I was much more nervous as a coach. 
我当教练的时候紧张得不行</p>

<p>When you play, your body is involved. 
当你打比赛的时候，你全身心地投入。</p>

<p>You’re running. 
你得跑。</p>

<p>You’re energized. 
你充满能量。</p>

<p>You’re playing the game. 
你在打比赛。</p>

<p>You may lose focus or track on the floor, but your energy is a function of what you are doing.<br>
你可能会有片刻的失神，但是你正在做的事情让你充满活力。</p>

<p>As a coach, you are just participating through your mind.”
但是作为教练，你只是在你的脑海中演示比赛。</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-01-06T11:44:55.307Z
2019-01-06T11:44:55.307Z
Pedroski
<p>In daily conversations, we do not use "甲是乙的函数", instead, we do use "甲取決於乙" for something that we think is crucial.</p>

<p>在日常口語中，的確不常使用"甲是乙的函数"這種用法，可以考慮使用"甲取決於乙"這種翻法來表達某個關鍵因素。</p>

<p>Translation of the sentence said by the former Bulls coach Phil Jackson:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>肯定是教練... 你的精力取決於你做什麼。當教練時，你是透過腦力參與比賽。</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-01-06T02:22:56.753Z
@droooze As a answer to the question what made him more nervous, as a coach or as a player, we can omit "作為(as)" in the response in Chinese. And where is the "definitely" in "作爲教練" as a translation?
Eyton
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-01-06T02:58:41.930Z
Nevermind, I didn't see the whole context and read the meaning wrong.
dROOOze
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-01-05T23:33:38.723Z
2019-01-06T01:09:20.280Z
2019-01-06T01:09:20.280Z
Eyton
<p>The algebra analogy &quot;it's a function of X&quot; seems commonly used in daily conversations in English but it's rare to say &quot;X是Y的函数&quot; in non-mathematics context in Chinese. What would be an idiomatic translation?</p>
<p>For example, how would you translate this sentence said by the former Bulls coach Phil Jackson, in respond to the question what made him more nervous, as a coach or as a player:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>&quot;Definitely as a coach. ... your energy is a function of what you are doing. As a coach, you are just participating through your mind.&quot;</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Instead of X是Y的函数/X是Y1,Y2,Y3的函数, would it be a good option to say Y决定了X/Y1,Y2,Y3共同决定了X?</p>
<hr />
<p><em>Full context:</em></p>
<blockquote>
<p>Jackson was asked what made him more nervous, his first Finals as a player or as a coach?</p>
<p>“Definitely as a coach,” he said. “I was much more nervous as a coach. When you play, your body is involved. You’re running. You’re energized. You’re playing the game. You may lose focus or track on the floor, but your energy is a function of what you are doing. As a coach, you are just participating through your mind.”</p>
</blockquote>

<idioms>
How to say "it's a function of ..." in Chinese?
# How to say "it's a function of ..." in Chinese?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2019-01-05)

The algebra analogy "it's a function of X" seems commonly used in daily conversations in English but it's rare to say "X是Y的函数" in non-mathematics context in Chinese. What would be an idiomatic translation?

For example, how would you translate this sentence said by the former Bulls coach Phil Jackson, in respond to the question what made him more nervous, as a coach or as a player:

> "Definitely as a coach. ... your energy is a function of what you are doing. As a coach, you are just participating through your mind."

Instead of X是Y的函数/X是Y1,Y2,Y3的函数, would it be a good option to say Y决定了X/Y1,Y2,Y3共同决定了X?

---

*Full context:*

> Jackson was asked what made him more nervous, his first Finals as a player or as a coach?
>
> “Definitely as a coach,” he said. “I was much more nervous as a coach. When you play, your body is involved. You’re running. You’re energized. You’re playing the game. You may lose focus or track on the floor, but your energy is a function of what you are doing. As a coach, you are just participating through your mind.”

**Tags:** idioms

---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2019-01-05. Score: 4 | Accepted answer

In daily conversations, we do not use "甲是乙的函数", instead, we do use "甲取決於乙" for something that we think is crucial.

在日常口語中，的確不常使用"甲是乙的函数"這種用法，可以考慮使用"甲取決於乙"這種翻法來表達某個關鍵因素。

Translation of the sentence said by the former Bulls coach Phil Jackson:

> 肯定是教練... 你的精力取決於你做什麼。當教練時，你是透過腦力參與比賽。

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: @droooze As a answer to the question what made him more nervous, as a coach or as a player, we can omit "作為(as)" in the response in Chinese. And where is the "definitely" in "作爲教練" as a translation?  
> **username_3**: Nevermind, I didn't see the whole context and read the meaning wrong.  

---

### Answer by username_1 on 2019-01-06. Score: 1

Short answer: don't say 'is a function of' in Chinese. 'depends on' springs immediately to mind, 'is related to', 'comes from'. All that adrenaline coursing through your arteries!

Jackson was asked what made him more nervous, his first Finals as a player or as a coach?  
杰克逊被问道，在第一次总决赛中，是作为球员让他更紧张，还是作为教练更让他紧张。

Definitely as a coach,” he said.
绝对是作为教练的时候，他答道

“I was much more nervous as a coach.
我当教练的时候紧张得不行

When you play, your body is involved.
当你打比赛的时候，你全身心地投入。

You’re running.
你得跑。

You’re energized.
你充满能量。

You’re playing the game.
你在打比赛。

You may lose focus or track on the floor, but your energy is a function of what you are doing.  
你可能会有片刻的失神，但是你正在做的事情让你充满活力。

As a coach, you are just participating through your mind.”
但是作为教练，你只是在你的脑海中演示比赛。


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