你是咋想的呀
“What are you thinking?”
THE DIALOGUE REEL
长玉 过来
“Changyu, come here.”
你 是咋想的 呀
“What are you thinking?”
“Changning has always been in poor health”
“What on earth possessed you to do that? Use your head.”
In Chinese households, elder family members freely question younger members' reasoning ('咋想的') when actions risk the health or reputation of other kin.
LEARNING CHUNKS & PARTICLES
what one was thinking / how one could think that way
A highly common dialectal/informal equivalent of 怎么想的, used to express disbelief at someone's logic.
Softens the inquiry slightly, making it sound more intimate or maternal while retaining clear exasperation.