wan2 je5 zou6搵嘢做揾嘢做
Definition
To look for a job, or to find something to do to keep oneself occupied.
- to look for a job; to seek employment
- to find something to do to pass the time or stay busy
How it's used
This phrase is extremely versatile because it functions both as a literal search for employment and a casual way to describe finding a hobby or task to occupy one's time. It is the standard way to express being unemployed and actively looking for work without sounding overly formal or desperate. When someone asks if you are busy, replying that you are 搵嘢做 often implies you are seeking a way to pass the time rather than specifically hunting for a career.
Examples
Related words
Common phrases
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 搵工, which specifically and exclusively refers to job hunting. While 搵嘢做 can mean looking for a job, it is much broader and can simply mean looking for a chore or activity to fill an empty afternoon.
Grammar color guide
Grammar guides
- Directional complementsThe small words added after a verb to show direction of movement, like up, down, out, in, and back. Common in everyday Cantonese.
- DemonstrativesThis and that with 呢 and 嗰, the personal pronouns, and how 哋 turns I, you, and he into we, you all, and they.
- Resultative complementsSticking a result word onto a verb to show how it turned out, like eat until full or look and find. A productive everyday pattern.
