LESSON I The Classifier
Reading edition
A or an is translated into Chinese by the numeral ih (一) one, and a classifier placed between the numeral and the noun. There are over forty classifiers, different nouns taking different ones, according to the class to which they belong. Nouns being generally used with classifiers accounts for the fact that in Pidgin English we have the oft recurring expression, “one piecee.”
Most concrete nouns take classifiers, but not all. Exceptions will be pointed out later on. Sometimes when the object spoken of is quite definitely known, the noun is used without the classifier.
In this lesson, the two most common classifiers will be introduced, and in succeeding lessons the others will appear gradually.
It must be remarked that some nouns may take more than one classifier, sometimes one being used and sometimes another.
The most common classifier is kuh (個). “It is applied to such nouns as have no special classifier, and may upon occasion be applied to almost any noun as a substitute for the special classifier” (Mateer).
The classifier tsak (隻) is used with animals, birds, fowls, insects; also with articles of furniture having legs or resting on a base; also with vessels, boats, etc.
VOCABULARY
A man, ih kuh nyung 一個人.
A woman, ih kuh °nyui-nyung (lit. female human being) 一個女人.
A teacher, ih kuh sien-sang (lit. born before) 一個先生.
A child, ih kuh °siau-noen 一個小囝.
An egg, ih kuh dan° 一個蛋.
A cash, ih kuh doong-dien 一個銅錢. (See second note at end of lesson.)
A dollar, ih kuh yang-dien 一個洋錢.
A servant, ih kuh yoong°-nyung 一個用人.
A table, ih tsak de-°ts 一隻檯子.
A chair, ih tsak iui°-°ts 一隻椅子.
An orange, ih tsak kyoeh-°ts 一隻橘子.
A pupil, ih kuh ‘auh-sang-°ts 一個學生子.
To want, to wish, iau° 要. Also used in forming the future tense of verbs, as will be explained later.
EXERCISES
(Translate into English)
(1) Ih kuh nyung iau° ih tsak de-°ts.
(2) Ih kuh °nyui-nyung iau° ih tsak iui°-°ts.
(3) Ih kuh °siau-noen iau° ih kuh doong-dien.
(4) Ih kuh ‘auh-sang-°ts iau° ih kuh sien-sang.
(5) Ih kuh yoong°-nyung iau° ih kuh dan°.
(6) Ih kuh yoong°-nyung iau° ih kuh yang-dien.
(7) Ih kuh °siau-noen iau° ih tsak kyoeh-°ts.
(一) 一個人要一隻檯子.
(二) 一個女人要一隻椅子.
(三) 一個小囝要一個銅錢.
(四) 一個學生子要一個先生.
(五) 一個用人要一個蛋.
(六) 一個用人要一個洋錢.
(七) 一個小囝要一隻橘子.
(Translate into Chinese)
(1) A pupil wants an orange.
(2) A woman wants a dollar.
(3) A servant wants a cash.
(4) A teacher wants a table.
(5) A man wants an egg.
(6) A pupil wants a chair.
(7) A teacher wants a pupil.
(一) 一個學生子要一隻橘子.
(二) 一個女人要一個洋錢.
(三) 一個用人要一個銅錢.
(四) 一個先生要一隻檯子.
(五) 一個人要一個蛋.
(六) 一個學生子要一隻椅子.
(七) 一個先生要一個學生子.
Notes.
(1) It is difficult to form idiomatic sentences in Chinese until a larger vocabulary has been given.
(2) With yang-dien (洋錢) the classifier generally used is kwhe° (塊), a piece or slice.
(3) It will be noticed how many words are formed from the combination of two or more words. This is a characteristic of the Chinese language; for instance the word yoong°-nyung (用人) is composed of the verb yoong° (用) use, and the word nyung (人) man, and means the man whom you use or employ.
(4) With sien-sang (先生), the classifier we° (位) is generally used.
(5) Nouns take no change in form for the plural, but the classifier is omitted.
(6) With iui°-ts° (椅子), the classifier °po (把) is sometimes used.