My Daily Routine — First Steps

What you will learn

Learn to describe your daily routine from morning to night. This lesson covers common daily activities, time expressions, and how to talk about habits and schedules.

Describe morning, afternoon, and evening routines
Use time expressions like 朝早/晏晝/夜晚
Talk about habits with 每日/通常
Sequence actions with 先...再...跟住...

Dialogue

Conversation

你每日幾點起身呀？

nei5 mui5 jat6 gei2 dim2 hei2 san1 aa3?

What time do you get up every day?

我通常七點起身，跟住刷牙洗面。

ngo5 tung1 soeng4 cat1 dim2 hei2 san1, gan1 zyu6 caat3 ngaa4 sai2 min6.

I usually get up at 7, then brush my teeth and wash my face.

咁你食唔食早餐㗎？

gam2 nei5 sik6 m4 sik6 zou2 caan1 gaa3?

So do you eat breakfast?

食呀！我鍾意去樓下茶餐廳食個菠蘿油飲杯奶茶。

sik6 aa3! ngo5 jung1 ji3 heoi3 lau4 haa5 caa4 caan1 teng1 sik6 go3 bo1 lo4 jau4 jam2 bui1 naai5 caa4.

Yes! I like going to the cha chaan teng downstairs for a pineapple bun and milk tea.

幾點返工呀？

gei2 dim2 faan1 gung1 aa3?

What time do you go to work?

八點半出門口，搭港鐵返工，九點到公司。

baat3 dim2 bun3 ceot1 mun4 hau2, daap3 gong2 tit3 faan1 gung1, gau2 dim2 dou3 gung1 si1.

I leave at 8:30, take the MTR to work, arrive at the office at 9.

放工之後做乜嘢呀？

fong3 gung1 zi1 hau6 zou6 mat1 je5 aa3?

What do you do after work?

我先去街市買餸，再返屋企煮飯。

ngo5 sin1 heoi3 gaai1 si5 maai5 sung3, zoi3 faan1 uk1 kei2 zyu2 faan6.

I first go to the market to buy groceries, then go home to cook.

你幾點瞓覺呀？

nei5 gei2 dim2 fan3 gaau3 aa3?

What time do you go to sleep?

食完飯沖完涼，睇陣電視，十一點就瞓。

sik6 jyun4 faan6 cung1 jyun4 loeng4, tai2 zan6 din6 si6, sap6 jat1 dim2 zau6 fan3.

After dinner and a shower, I watch some TV, then sleep at 11.

Vocabulary

Key Words & Phrases

起身

hei2 san1

to get up; to wake up

刷牙

caat3 ngaa4

to brush teeth

洗面

sai2 min6

to wash face

早餐

zou2 caan1

breakfast

返工

faan1 gung1

to go to work

放工

fong3 gung1

to get off work

買餸

maai5 sung3

to buy groceries

煮飯

zyu2 faan6

to cook

沖涼

cung1 loeng4

to shower

瞓覺

fan3 gaau3

to sleep

通常

tung1 soeng4

usually

每日

mui5 jat6

every day

Grammar

Language Patterns

先...再... (first...then...)

Use 先 (sin1) before the first action and 再 (zoi3) before the second to show sequence. The subject only appears once at the start.

我先食飯再做功課

ngo5 sin1 sik6 faan6 zoi3 zou6 gung1 fo3

I eat first then do homework

先沖涼再瞓覺

sin1 cung1 loeng4 zoi3 fan3 gaau3

Shower first then sleep

跟住 (and then / after that)

Use 跟住 (gan1 zyu6) to connect sequential actions. It is more casual than 然後 and very common in spoken Cantonese.

起身跟住刷牙

hei2 san1 gan1 zyu6 caat3 ngaa4

Get up and then brush teeth

食完飯跟住去散步

sik6 jyun4 faan6 gan1 zyu6 heoi3 saan3 bou6

After eating, then go for a walk

Time + 出門口 (leaving at a time)

State the time followed by 出門口 (ceot1 mun4 hau2) to say when you leave the house. Time always comes before the verb in Cantonese.

我八點出門口

ngo5 baat3 dim2 ceot1 mun4 hau2

I leave the house at 8

佢朝早六點半出門口

keoi5 ziu1 zou2 luk6 dim2 bun3 ceot1 mun4 hau2

He/she leaves at 6:30 in the morning

Verb + 完 (after finishing)

Add 完 (jyun4) after a verb to indicate the action is completed. Often used to chain events: do X完, then do Y.

食完飯去散步

sik6 jyun4 faan6 heoi3 saan3 bou6

After finishing eating, go for a walk

做完功課先可以玩

zou6 jyun4 gung1 fo3 sin1 ho2 ji5 waan2

Only after finishing homework can you play

Practice

Test Your Knowledge

Fill_blank · Question 1

我___七點起身。(usually)

Answer

通常

Translate · Question 2

Translate: I shower first then sleep.

Answer

我先沖涼再瞓覺。

Fill_blank · Question 3

食___飯跟住去散步。(after finishing)

Answer

完

Translate · Question 4

Translate: What time do you go to work?

Answer

你幾點返工呀？

Choice · Question 5

How do you say "to buy groceries" in Cantonese?

買餸
買嘢
買飯
買菜

Answer

買餸

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