Learn how to ask and answer the question "What do you do?"
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| A: Top 25 Cantonese Questions You Need to Know - Lesson 4: “What do you do?” 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 do you do? In Cantonese this is |
| B: 你做咩㗎? |
| 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 |
| A: meaning “to do.” |
| B: (Slow, by syllable) 做 |
| A: Now repeat. |
| B: 做 |
| {Pause} |
| Listen to the the first 2 words of the question and repeat. |
| B: 你做 |
| {pause} |
| And next |
| B: 咩 |
| A: meaning “what.” |
| B: (Slow, by syllable) 咩 |
| A: Now repeat. |
| B: 咩 |
| {Pause} |
| Listen to the the first 3 words of the question and repeat. |
| B: 你做咩 |
| {pause} |
| And next |
| B: 㗎 |
| A: a particle that indicates question or doubt |
| B: (Slow, by syllable) 㗎 |
| A: Now repeat. |
| B: 㗎 |
| {Pause} |
| Listen to the entire question and repeat. |
| B: 你做咩㗎 |
| {pause} |
| A: It literally means “You do what?” |
| A: (You will hear this common question again and again throughout your studies.) Master the following pattern and responses to the question What do you do? |
| B: 我係教師。 |
| A: "I'm a teacher.” Again, slowly. Repeat the phrase. |
| B: (Slow) 我係教師。 |
| {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: And after that |
| B: 係 |
| meaning “to be.” |
| B: (Slow, by syllable) 係 |
| A:Now repeat. |
| B: 係 |
| {Pause} |
| A: And after that |
| B: 教師 |
| meaning “teacher.” |
| B: (Slow, by syllable) 教師 |
| A:Now repeat. |
| B: 教師 |
| {Pause} |
| A: Listen to the speaker say, “I'm a teacher.”, and then repeat. |
| B: 我係教師。 |
| {pause} |
| A: To make another phrase, replace “teacher” with “police.” |
| B: 警察 |
| A: police officer |
| B: (slow) 警察 (regular) 警察 |
| A: Listen to the phrase again, this time with police officer |
| B: 我係警察。 |
| A: It mostly stays the same. Simply replace teacher with police. Say “I'm a police officer.” |
| {pause} |
| B: 我係警察。 |
| A: To use a different phrase, replace police officer with nurse. |
| B: 護士 |
| A: nurse |
| B: (slow) 護士 (regular) 護士 |
| A: Listen to the phrase again, this time with nurse |
| B: 我係護士。 |
| A: It mostly stays the same. Simply replace police with nurse. Say “I'm a nurse.” |
| {pause} |
| B: 我係護士。 |
| A: To make another phrase, replace “nurse” with “driver”. |
| B: 司機 |
| A: driver |
| B: (slow) 司機 (regular) 司機 |
| A: Listen to the phrase again, this time with driver |
| B: 我係司機。 |
| A: It mostly stays the same. Simply replace nurse with driver. Say “I'm a driver.” |
| {pause} |
| B: 我係司機。 |
| Now it's time for a quiz. Imagine you are visiting Hong Kong and someone asks what you do. You are a teacher. Respond to the question. |
| B: 你做咩㗎? (five seconds) 我係教師。 |
| A: Imagine you are a police officer. Respond to the question. |
| B: 你做咩㗎? (five seconds) 我係警察。 |
| A: Imagine you are a nurse. Answer the speaker's question. |
| B: 你做咩㗎? (five seconds) 我係護士。 |
| A: Imagine you're a driver. Respond to the question. |
| B: 你做咩㗎? (five seconds) 我係司機。 |
| A: Now you want to learn what that person does. Ask the question |
| (5 seconds) |
| B: 你做咩㗎? |
| {pause} |
| A: Now it's time to answer the question with actual information about yourself. |
| B: 你做咩㗎? |
| A: This is the end of Lesson 4 |
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