做得好
zou6 dak1 hou2
做得好 (zou6 dak1 hou2) is the Cantonese way to say well done.
This phrase is used to praise someone for a completed task or a job well performed.
Meaning: exclamation of praise (intj)
What does it mean word for word?
The final character 好 means 'good'.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase follows the Verb + 得 + Adjective structure used to describe how an action is performed.
How do you pronounce it?
zou6 dak1 hou2
Did you know?
- The character 好 in 做得好 is a phono-semantic compound combining 'woman' and 'child', originally representing the idea of a 'good' or 'ideal' family dynamic.
- Praising a superior with 做得好 can be perceived as condescending in traditional Cantonese culture, as praise typically flows from a higher social status to a lower one.
- Unlike English, where 'well done' can describe a steak, the phrase 做得好 cannot be used for food. To describe meat cooked 'well done', a speaker would use 全熟.
Examples in context
- 做得好！Well done!This sentence is useful for practicing the exclamation 做得好.Tatoeba #7988292 by nickyeow, translation #464478 by lukaszpp
- 你今日做得好！nei5 gam1 jat6 zou6 dak1 hou2!You did well today!
Example conversation
A teacher is praising a male student's performance in class.
- 雅婷 Nga Ting家明，你今次做得好！gaa1 ming4, nei5 gam1 ci3 zou6 dak1 hou2!Ka Ming, you did well this time!
- 家明 Ka Ming多謝老師。do1 ze6 lou5 si1.Thank you, teacher.
- 雅婷 Nga Ting繼續保持。gai3 zuk6 bou2 ci4.Keep it up.
- 家明 Ka Ming我會努力嘅。ngo5 wui5 nou5 lik6 ge3.I will work hard.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
