Work and Study

Asking About Work§

Basic Work Questions§

Q: Kinyit jiu co se mo?
   (Are you working today?)

A: Jiu co se kinyit
   (I'm working today)

   OR

   Kinyit mo co se
   (Today I'm not working)

Asking About Work Hours§

Q: Co to jit to tiam?
   (What time will you finish work?)

A: Ngai co to pat (8) tiam am
   (I'll finish work at 8 pm)

Why Not Working?§

Q: Co mai mo co se?
   (Why aren't you working?)

A: Nyi eng ki tet kinyit lipai
   (Did you forget today is Sunday?)

Work Vocabulary§

Study and Education§

Talking About Study§

From the self-introduction:

Li ha ngai kuliah Paris e bi
(Right now I study in Paris)

Tapi sangha ngai jiu co se
(But sometimes I work)

Study Vocabulary§

Business and Professional Life§

Key Phrases§

About Work§

• Jiu co se kinyit = Working today
• Kinyit mo co se = Not working today
• Co to pat tiam am = Finish work at 8 pm
• Co mai mo co se? = Why not working?

About Study§

• Ngai kuliah Paris e bi = I study in Paris
• Ngai oi hok Bahasa khek = I want to learn Hakka
• Li ha ngai kuliah = Right now I’m studying
• Sangha ngai jiu co se = Sometimes I work

Time-Related Work Phrases§

Example Conversations§

Dialogue 1: Work Schedule§

A: Kinyit jiu co se mo?
   (Are you working today?)

B: Jiu co se kinyit
   (Yes, I'm working today)

A: Co to jit to tiam?
   (What time do you finish?)

B: Ngai co to pat tiam am
   (I finish at 8 pm)

Dialogue 2: Day Off§

A: Kinyit jiu co se mo?
   (Are you working today?)

B: Kinyit mo co se
   (Not working today)

A: Co mai mo co se?
   (Why not?)

B: Nyi eng ki tet kinyit lipai?
   (Did you forget it's Sunday?)

Dialogue 3: Student Life§

Li ha ngai kuliah Paris e bi, tapi sangha ngai jiu co se
(Right now I study in Paris, but sometimes I work)

Balancing Work and Study§

Common patterns:

• Li ha ngai… = Right now I…
• Tapi sangha… = But sometimes…
• Ngai jiu co se = I work
• Ngai kuliah = I study

Useful Vocabulary§

Notes§

• Co se and cho se both mean “work” - regional variations
• Kuliah specifically refers to university-level study
• Hok is more general “learn/study”
• Jiu before a verb indicates ongoing action
• Mo = not/no (negation)