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§
| English | Hakka |
|---|
| Work (verb) | jiu co se / cho se |
| Working today | jiu co se kinyit |
| Not working | mo co se |
| Finish work | co to |
| What time finish? | co to jit to tiam? |
| At 8 pm | pat tiam am |
| Why not working? | co mai mo co se? |
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§
| English | Hakka |
|---|
| Study (university) | kuliah |
| Learn | hok |
| I want to learn | ngai oi hok |
| Study in… | kuliah [place] e bi |
| Right now | li ha |
| Sometimes | sangha |
Business and Professional Life§
| English | Hakka |
|---|
| How is business? | senli ho mo? |
| Business | senli |
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
| English | Hakka |
|---|
| Today | kinyit |
| Right now / at the moment | li ha |
| Sometimes | sangha |
| What time? | jit to tiam? |
| Finish at… | co to… tiam |
| Working hours | co se tiam |
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§
| English | Hakka |
|---|
| Today | kinyit |
| Right now | li ha |
| Sometimes | sangha |
| But | tapi |
| Forgot | eng ki tet |
| Why | co mai |
| Finish/complete | co to |
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)
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