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Lesson Transcript

Hi guys! Welcome to Cantonese Top Words! Today we're going to talk about 10 most common break-up lines. What? Why do you want to learn this? I don't want to do this. Ok… for educational reason, let’s go over the list now.
1. 我諗我哋要分開下。 (ngo5 lam2 ngo5 dei6 jiu3 fan1 hoi1 haa5.) "I think we need a break."
我諗(ngo5 lam2) “I think”, 我哋(ngo5 dei6) “we”, or “us”; 要分開下 (jiu3 fan1 hoi1 haa5), 分開(fan1 hoi1) is “to separate”, but adding the 下(haa5) makes it a short-term. So 分開下 (fan1 hoi1 haa5), “to separate for a while; to have a break”.
Nobody really just have a short break, it just a real break up. So, that sucks.
2. 我需要啲私人空間。 (ngo5 seoi1 jiu3 di1 si1 jan4 hung1 gaan1.) "I need my space."
我需要(ngo5 seoi1 jiu3) is “I need”, 私人空間 (si1 jan4 hung1 gaan1) is “private space”. So, I need more space, I need my own space, I need more space. 我需要啲私人空間。 (ngo5 seoi1 jiu3 di1 si1 jan4 hung1 gaan1.)
3. 我諗我哋進展得太快。 (ngo5 lam2 ngo5 dei6 zeon3 zin2 dak1 taai3 faai3.) "I think we're moving too fast."
Again, 我諗(ngo5 lam2) “I think”, 我哋(ngo5 dei6) “we”, or “us”; 進展 (zeon3 zin2) is “progress”, or “to progress” the verb, or noun. 得太快(dak1 taai3 faai3), 太 (taai3) is “too much” or “too”, 快 is “fast”; so “too fast”. 進展得太快 (zeon3 zin2 dak1 taai3 faai3) “progressing too fast”.
Someone who’s not ready for the relationship might say that, I don't know.
4. 我哋做朋友算啦。 (ngo5 dei6 zou6 pang4 jau5 syun3 laa1.) "Let's just be friends."
Actually, someone broke up with me with this sentence on a text. I was like, huh? we're already friends, what are you talking about? Oh! I just go dumped, that's when I realized.
朋友(pang4 jau5) is “friends”, 算啦 (syun3 laa1) is kinda like dismissing something.
我哋做朋友(ngo5 dei6 zou6 pang4 jau5) is “let’s be friends”.
And 我哋做朋友算啦(ngo5 dei6 zou6 pang4 jau5 syun3 laa1) is “let’s just be friends”, it’s like degrading.
5. 我未有心理準備發展呢種關係。 (ngo5 mei6 jau5 sam1 lei5 zeon2 bei6 faat3 zin2 ni1 zung2 gwaan1 hai6.) "I'm just not ready for this kind of relationship."
心理準備(sam1 lei5 zeon2 bei6) is psychologically prepared; 心理(sam1 lei5) is “psychology”, and 準備(zeon2 bei6) is “preparation”, or “to prepare”. So, “I don't have this psychological preparation for this kind of relationship”.
6. 我要專注喺我嘅事業。 (ngo5 jiu3 zyun1 zyu3 hai2 ngo5 ge3 si6 jip6.) "I need to focus on my career."
事業(si6 jip6) is “career”, 專注(zyun1 zyu3) is “to focus”.
我要專注喺我嘅事業。 (ngo5 jiu3 zyun1 zyu3 hai2 ngo5 ge3 si6 jip6.) "I need to focus on my career."
This is a very common excuse, but I might not buy it.
7. 我配你唔起。 (ngo5 pui3 nei5 m4 hei2.) "I’m not good enough for you."
Of course you're good enough for the other person, or else you won't be the one breaking up with them. It's trying to degrade yourself and make the other person's happy about the break-up, that doesn't really work.
配(pui3) is “to match”, so 我配你唔起(ngo5 pui3 nei5 m4 hei2) is like “my status doesn’t match with yours”.
8. 我已經唔再愛你喇。 (ngo5 ji5 ging1 m4 zoi3 oi3 nei5 laa3.) "I just don't love you anymore."
Ouch! That hurts! That’s really honest, but kind of too direct.
我已經(ngo5 ji5 ging1) is “I already”, 已經(ji5 ging1) is “already”.
唔再(m4 zoi3) “not anymore”; 愛(oi3) “love”.
So, 我已經唔再愛你喇 (ngo5 ji5 ging1 m4 zoi3 oi3 nei5 laa3) "I just don't love you anymore."
9. 我哋唔係好適合對方。 (ngo5 dei6 m4 hai6 hou2 sik1 hap6 deoi3 fong1.) "We're just not right for each other."
That’s actually a better line to break up with someone; you hang out, you date, for a while and then you realize you’re not right for each other. So, this is an honest confession, I hope the other person thinks the same.
適合(sik1 hap6) is “to be appropriate; to be right for each other”, so 對方(deoi3 fong1) is “each other”.
適合對方(sik1 hap6 deoi3 fong1) is “to be right for each other”
我哋唔係好適合對方 (ngo5 dei6 m4 hai6 hou2 sik1 hap6 deoi3 fong1) "We're just not right for each other."
10. 我哋已經冇共同嘅目標。 (ngo5 dei6 ji5 ging1 mou5 gung6 tung4 ge3 muk6 biu1.) "We've grown apart."
我哋已經冇共同嘅目標(ngo5 dei6 ji5 ging1 mou5 gung6 tung4 ge3 muk6 biu1) means “we no longer have the same goal”, so, we're growing apart. That sucks, that usually happen to people who have dated for a long time, it’s really hard to keep growing together at the same pace.
That’s it for today, today we talked about the 10 most common break-up lines. Leave us a comment if you have any other break-up lines. Please subscribe to check out more Cantonese videos, and check out CantoneseClass101.com for the word list. I’ll see you next time, bye!

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