Dialogue

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A: Top 25 Cantonese Questions You Need to Know - Lesson 18: What are you doing? in Cantonese. In each lesson of this 25 part series, you'll master a common question for Cantonese learners, and then learn how to answer it like a native. You'll learn how these key phrases work by breaking them down into each component. Then through repetition and new vocabulary, you'll expand your understanding of the question, its answers, and any variations.
In this lesson, you'll learn how to respond to the common question “What are you doing?” In Cantonese this is
B: 你做緊咩?
The first word in the question is
B: 你
A: meaning “you” in English.
B: (Slow, by syllable) 你
A: Listen again and repeat.
B: 你
{Pause}
A: This pattern of first introducing a word at natural speed, providing the translation, breaking it down, and then giving it again at natural speed will be repeated throughout the series. Try to speak aloud as often as possible. The next word in the question is
B: 做緊
A: meaning “to be doing.”
B: (Slow, by syllable) 做緊
A: Now repeat.
B: 做緊
{Pause}
Listen to the the first 2 words of the question and repeat.
B: 你做緊
{pause}
Next is
B: 咩
A: meaning “what.”
B: (Slow, by syllable) 咩
A: Now repeat.
B: 咩
{Pause}
Listen to the entire question and repeat.
B: 你做緊咩
{pause}
A: It literally means “You, doing what?”
A: You will hear this common question again and again throughout your studies. Master the following pattern and responses to the question What are you doing?
B: 我諗緊嘢。
A: "I'm thinking.” Again, slowly. Repeat the phrase.
B: (Slow) 我諗緊嘢。
{pause}
A: Let's break it down from the beginning. The first word:
B: 我
A: meaning “I. “
B: (Slow, by syllable) 我
A: Now repeat
B: 我
{Pause}
A: Next is
B: 諗緊
meaning “to be thinking.”
B: (Slow, by syllable) 諗緊
A:Now repeat.
B: 諗緊
{Pause}
A: Next is
B: 嘢
meaning something like “thing” or “stuff.”
B: (Slow, by syllable) 嘢
A:Now repeat.
B: 嘢
{Pause}
A: Listen to the speaker say “I'm thinking” and then repeat.
B: 我諗緊嘢。
{pause}
A: To expand on the pattern, replace “thinking” with “eating.”
B: 食緊
A: eating
B: (slow) 食緊 (regular) 食緊
A: Listen to the phrase again, this time with “eating”
B: 我食緊嘢。
A: It mostly stays the same. Simply replace “thinking” with “eating.” Say “I'm eating.”
{pause}
B: 我食緊嘢。
A: To make another phrase, replace “eating” with “working.”
B: 做緊
A: working
B: (slow) 做緊 (regular) 做緊
A: Listen to the phrase again, this time with “working.”
B: 我做緊嘢。
A: It mostly stays the same. Simply replace “eating” with “working.” Say “I'm working.”
{pause}
B: 我做緊嘢。
A: To expand on the pattern, replace “working” with “drawing.”
B: 畫緊
A: drawing
B: (slow) 畫緊 (regular) 畫緊
A: Listen to the phrase again, this time with “drawing”
B: 我畫緊嘢。
A: It mostly stays the same. Simply replace “working” with “drawing.” Say “I'm drawing.”
{pause}
B: 我畫緊嘢。
Now it's time for a quiz. Imagine you’re visiting Hong Kong and someone asks you what you're doing. You are thinking. Respond to the question.
B: 你做緊咩? (five seconds) 我諗緊嘢。
A: Now imagine you are eating. Respond to the question.
B: 你做緊咩? (five seconds) 我食緊嘢。
A: Imagine you are working. Answer the speaker's question.
B: 你做緊咩? (five seconds) 我做緊嘢。
A: Imagine you're drawing. Respond to the question.
B: 你做緊咩? (five seconds) 我畫緊嘢。
A: You want to ask someone what they are doing. Ask the question
(5 seconds)
B: 你做緊咩?
{pause}
A: This is the end of Lesson 18

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