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I'm currently watching the anime カードキャプターさくら because ケロ speaks 関西辯, which I want to improve, and since it's aimed at kids, I know it won't be too difficult. (And yet!)

At one point he says, "感心しとる場合かい", then "はよせんか!". I think the last sentence means, "Quickly, (won't you) do something!", but I'm not sure how to break down "せんか".

Is it: "早くしない(の)か"?

I'm having trouble finding an answer online because of the short length of the expression.

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Is it: "早くしない(の)か?

Yes, except there's no の element here, it's just 早くしないか! as in a demanding 'Hurry up, will you?!'

The negative ん ending comes from the old ぬ and する has the old negative せぬ, with ん it becomes せん. As for はよ, it comes from a chain of sound shifts going はやく -> はやう -> はよう -> はよ - even in standard language there's a remnant of this in おはようございます.

Remember that children usually have an intuitive grasp of the language far beyond a beginning learner. Pretty much any native Japanese speaker can understand this, much as pretty much any native English speaker can understand 'Y'all ain't seen nothin' yet'

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  • I already knew about せぬ and はよう. That's why, intuitively, I understood the sentence. But I wanted to be sure so I wouldn't have a bad foundation. Thank you very much! (I can't vote for your answer right now, but I will as soon as I have enough reputation!) 👍
    – Refrak
    Commented Dec 1 at 14:54

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