Where you guys off to?

[thedaffodils]

Where you guys off to?

An American woman said to her friends, " Where you guys off to?"

Does it mean where are you going? And in spoken English, Is "are" omitted from "Where (are) you guys off to"?

Thanks!

[bhaisahab]

Yes, it means 'where are you going?' personally I wouldn't drop the 'are' but many people would and do.

[thedaffodils]

Yes, it means 'where are you going?' personally I wouldn't drop the 'are' but many people would and do.

Thank you very much for your help, Bhaisahab.

[inorderto]

Yes, it means 'where are you going?' personally I wouldn't drop the 'are' but many people would and do.

This dropping drives me crazy in spoken English. It sounds like broken English

[BobK]

This dropping drives me crazy in spoken English. It sounds like broken English

I'm sure it does, especially if you're learning what to listen for. Most often, when I hear it, the "are" is present, but in the form of a schwa - /ə/. The fact that this is a vowel means that the "r" is sounded.

So these two sentences sound different:

Look, where're you going?
......./'weərəju:/ (Total six syllables.)

and

Look where you're going.
......./'weəjɔ:/ (Total five syllables)

(The "r" of "where" is only audible when there's a following vowel - in many dialects of English.)

The further reduction of "where're" to "where" is common in very informal contexts, but not as common as many students think (because they're not listening for the schwa).

b

[inorderto]

I'm sure it does, especially if you're learning what to listen for. Most often, when I hear it, the "are" is present, but in the form of a schwa - /ə/. The fact that this is a vowel means that the "r" is sounded.

So these two sentences sound different:

Look, where're you going?
......./'werəju:/ (Total six syllables.)

and

Look where you're going.
......./'weəjɔ:/ (Total five syllables, the second being a diphthong.)

(The "r" of "where" is only audible when there's a following vowel - in many dialects of English.)

The further reduction of "where're" to "where" is common in very informal contexts, but not as common as many students think (because they're not listening for the schwa).

b

Thanks BobK so much,

For me, when I speak, this sentence " Look where you're going" will sound like " Look where you are going" because I don't know how to pronounce the first one.
That makes my speaking English does not sound natural at all. How can I get rid of this point? ( I always fear that if I don't pronounce " Look where you're going" like " Look where you are going" listener cannot understand).
Do you have any comment or suggestion?

Thanks Bobk again.

[BobK]

Thanks BobK so much,

For me, when I speak, this sentence " Look where you're going" will sound like " Look where you are going" because I don't know how to pronounce the first one.
That makes my speaking English does not sound natural at all. How can I get rid of this point? ( I always fear that if I don't pronounce " Look where you're going" like " Look where you are going" listener cannot understand).
Do you have any comment or suggestion?

Thanks Bobk again.

This is a good start: Phonemic chart | Teaching English | British Council | BBC
(and also from this page you can download the chart).

Get a dictionary that uses the IPA symbols, and use them yourself.

b

[inorderto]

This is a good start: Phonemic chart | Teaching English | British Council | BBC
(and also from this page you can download the chart).

Get a dictionary that uses the IPA symbols, and use them yourself.

b

Thanks BobK,
I have played with this IPA symbols several times, but I still cannot manage to mimic those sounds. It seems very difficult for me.
Let assume that somehow I can get rid of this point. How can I put those sounds together to form "words"?
I felt that trying to mimic a "word" is easier than trying to learn all elementary sounds and then put them together to form "word".
I am not in a English speaking country, so pronunciation is very big problem with me.
Thanks BobK again for these continuous supports.