你喺度做緊乜呀？
nei5 hai2 dou6 zou6 gan2 mat1 aa3?
To ask "what are you doing?" in Cantonese, use 你喺度做緊乜呀？ (nei5 hai2 dou6 zou6 gan2 mat1 aa3?)
This phrase is a question used to ask someone about the activity they are currently performing.
Which one should you use?
You can also use the more concise version 你做緊乜呀？ in casual spoken Cantonese by omitting 喺度.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
There are several ways to phrase this depending on the setting. 你做咩？ is an informal way to ask the question, while 你做乜嘢呀？ is a colloquial version. The version 你做緊乜呀？ is also considered informal.
How do you pronounce it?
nei5 hai2 dou6 zou6 gan2 mat1 aa3?
Did you know?
- The word 做 meaning 'to do' is also used to describe a professional role. If someone asks 你做乜嘢？ without the progressive 緊, they are likely asking what your job is.
- The term 喺度 (hai2 dou6) literally translates to 'at/in' and 'place', making the literal word-for-word meaning 'You at place doing what?'
- If you hear 你做咩？ in a sharp tone, it might not be a question about your activity. It can be used as a rhetorical challenge meaning 'What do you think you are doing?' or 'What is your problem?'
Examples in context
- 你喺度做緊乜呀？nei5 hai2 dou6 zou6 gan2 mat1 aa3?What are you doing?
- 你喺度做緊乜呀？我唔係同你玩。nei5 hai2 dou6 zou6 gan2 mat1 aa3? ngo5 m4 hai6 tung4 nei5 waan2.What are you doing? I'm not playing with you.
Example conversation
志強 sees 雅婷 busy with her phone in the living room.
- 志強 Chi Keung雅婷，你喺度做緊乜呀？nga5 ting4, nei5 hai2 dou6 zou6 gan2 mat1 aa3?Ah Ting, what are you doing?
- 雅婷 Nga Ting我喺度睇緊片呀。ngo5 hai2 dou6 tai2 gan2 pin2 aa3.I am watching a video.
- 志強 Chi Keung係咩？咁好玩？hai6 me1? gam2 hou2 waan2?Really? Is it fun?
- 雅婷 Nga Ting係呀，好精彩。hai6 aa3, hou2 zing1 coi2.Yes, it's very exciting.
