執生 play it by ear

執生英文 play it by ear

執生 /zap1 saang1/  (俗語) (動詞) 是廣東話一個好常用的俗語，意思是：

• 臨時應變／隨機應變

遇到突發狀況，沒有預先準備，但靠自己的機智、反應快速去處理。

• 靈活應對/見機行事

不按照原本的計劃，而是憑藉經驗或者臨場反應找到出路。

例句：

老闆突然問你一條你冇準備嘅問題，你即刻諗到個方法答返佢，呢個就叫「執生」。

出街冇帶雨傘，見到便利店賣雨衣，即刻買件頂住，呢個都係「執生」。Could

執生英文翻譯主要有三種:

1. play it by ear

2. improvise

3. think on one's feet

我們在這裡先探討 play it by ear。關於 improvise 和 think on one's feet，請分別參考他們各自的貼文或以下的細微差別。

最初，play it by ear 源自音樂，用來形容音樂家在沒有樂譜的情況下，只依靠聽覺和即興演奏。

在日常英語中，play it by ear 的意思是：

• 即興發揮。

• 隨機應變，邊走邊看，再決定下一步，而不是跟隨固定的計劃。

• 隨著情況的發展去調整和適應。

例句:

Do you want to make dinner reservations for Friday?

你想唔想訂位，星期五一齊食晚餐？

Let’s not plan too much. We’ll just play it by ear and see what we feel like doing.

唔好計劃太多啦，我哋執生，到時睇吓想做咩再算。

Do you have a set itinerary for your trip to Paris?

你去巴黎有冇訂好行程表？

Not really, I’ll just play it by ear and go wherever I feel like each day.

無呀, 到其時睇心情, 執生。

💡Quick Guide for English-speaking learners of Cantonese:

Verbatim Pronunciation and (literal) meaning:

執/zap1/: to pick up

生/saang1/ : new, fresh, to grow.. 

執生 /zap1 saang1/  describes reacting quickly, smartly, and resourcefully in unexpected situations.

The Cantonese slang can be translated into: 

1. play it by ear

2. improvise

3. Think on one’s feet

play it by ear, improvise, think on one' feet 的細微差別:

呢三個英文表達 “play it by ear”、“improvise” 同 “think on one’s feet” 雖然都係講「臨時應變」，但係語氣同用法上有啲細微分別。

Play it by ear

👉 原意來自音樂，「靠耳仔聽」去彈奏，無譜都得。引申為：

• 隨機應變、睇住情況再決定，而唔係事先有計劃。

• 口語化、比較隨和嘅說法。

  
  

• A: “Do you want to make dinner reservations for Friday?”

• B: “Let’s not plan too much. We’ll just play it by ear.”

👉 解釋：意思係「唔好太早規劃，到時再算」。

Improvise

👉 比較正式嘅字，用法係：

• 臨時創作 / 即興發揮（例如演講、演出、表演）。

• 偏向於「無準備但做到」嘅意思。

  
  

• “I forgot my notes, so I had to improvise my entire speech.”

  👉 解釋：因為無稿，只好即興講。

Think on one’s feet

👉 強調 快速反應能力，通常用於：

• 突然遇到挑戰、問題，要即刻作出聰明反應。

• 偏向「臨場機智」而唔係隨便處理。

• “During the interview, she was asked unexpected questions, but she managed to think on her feet.”

  👉 解釋：臨場反應快，靈機應答。

📌 總結對比（繁體中文）

• Play it by ear：比較隨和，意思係「唔好預先計劃，到時再算」。

• Improvise：偏正式，多用於演講、表演或冇準備時嘅即興處理。

• Think on one’s feet：能在壓力或意外情況下迅速反應並作出決定，多指頭腦清晰、反應快。