LESSON IV Adjectives
Reading edition
Certain words in Chinese are distinctly used as adjectives, but many other words, such as nouns, verbs and adverbs may be used to qualify nouns. In the expression dok su-nyung (讀書人), meaning “a scholar,” we have the verb dok (讀), “to read,” and the noun su (書), “book,” qualifying nyung (人) “man;” the whole expression being literally “the reading-book-man.”
Adjectives may be compared as follows: °tien (點) is added after the adjective to make the comparative degree, and °ting (頂) is placed before the adjective to form the superlative degree. Thus, Positive Degree, “Good,” is °hau (好). Comparative Degree, “Better,” is °hau °tien (好點). Superlative Degree, “Best,” is °ting °hau (頂好).
There are, however, many other ways of expressing the Superlative. Thus we may have °hau-le-°si (好來死), which is literally “good-come death” that is, “good to the death.” This is a very frequent expression.
We have also tsoe °hau (最好) or juh °hau (極好). Very good is usually ’man °hau (蠻好). °Hau-tuh-juh (好得極) means superlatively good.
The adjective °hau (好) has a very wide use. Everything that is good, suitable, correct, or proper, may be said to be °hau (好).
VOCABULARY
Good, °hau 好.
Bad, cheu (恘). More often ’veh °hau (勿好), ’Veh means “not.”
Cold, °lang 冷.
Hot, nyih 熱.
White, bak 白.
Black, huh 黒.
Large, doo° 大.
Small, °siau 小.
A scholar, ih kuh dok-su-nyung 一個讀書人.
A dog, ih tsak °keu 一隻狗.
Water, °s 水, (Generally used without a classifier).
A horse, ih tsak °mo (一隻馬). 匹 phih is sometimes used as the classifier of horses.
°Pung (本) is the classifier for book.
A book, ih °pung su 一本書.
Diau (條) is the classifier with long, winding or limber objects.
A bridge, ih diau jau 一條橋.
A street, ih diau ka 一條街.
A road, ih diau loo° 一条路.
To read, to study, dok 讀.
To come, le 來.
To go, chi° 去.
EXERCISES
(Translate into English)
(1) Di°-tsak °keu °z °hau kuh.
(2) °Ngoo iau° dok su.
(3) °Ngoo iau° °lang °s.
(4) Di°-tsak yang °z huh kuh.
(5) I-tsak nyeu °z bak kuh.
(6) I-kuh °pung-di°-nyung °yeu °liang tsak huh kuh °mo.
(7) °Ngoo °yeu ih kuh bang-°yeu iau° le.
(8) Yi kuh sien-sang iau° chi°.
(9) Di°-kuh °s °z nyih kuh.
(10) Di°-diau jau °z doo° kuh.
(11) Di°-kuh ih diau ka °z °siau kuh.
(12) Di°-kuh ih diau loo° °z ’veh °hau.
(13) I-°pung su °z sien-sang kuh, di°-°pung su °z °ngoo kuh.
(14) Di°-tsak de-°ts °z °siau °tien.
(15) Di°-tsak zaung °z °ting doo°.
(一) 第隻狗是好個.
(二) 我要讀書.
(三) 我要冷水.
(四) 第隻羊是黑個.
(五) 伊隻牛是白個.
(六) 伊個本地人有兩隻黑個馬.
(七) 我有一個朋友要來.
(八) 伊個先生要去.
(九) 第個水是熱個.
(十) 第條橋是大個.
(十一) 第個一條街是小個.
(十二) 第個一條路是勿好.
(十三) 伊本書是先生個第本書是我個.
(十四) 第隻檯子是小點.
(十五) 第隻牀是頂大.
(Translate into Chinese)
(1) These five oranges are bad.
(2) The teacher wishes me to study.
(3) The native’s cows are good.
(4) I have a white bird.
(5) I want warm water.
(6) The dog is very black.
(7) That bed is smaller.
(8) This box is larger.
(9) The tea pot is very white.
(10) My teacher will come.
(11) The foreigner will go.
(12) I want a large dog.
(一) 第個五隻橘子是勿好.
(二) 先生要我讀書.
(三) 本地人個牛是好個.
(四) 我有一隻白個鳥.
(五) 我要熱水.
(六) 一隻狗是黑得極.
(七) 一隻牀是小點.
(八) 第隻箱子是大點.
(九) 一把茶壺是蠻白.
(十) 我個先生要來.
(十一) 一個外國人要去.
(十二) 我要大個一隻狗.
Notes.
（1) Adjectives generally take kuh after them; the kuh 個 standing between the adjective and the noun. In some cases the kuh is omitted, as in the expression °lang °s (冷水), “cold water.” We do not say °lang kuh °s.
（2) Dok-su (讀書) is the common expression for “to study.”
（3) In such a sentence as “I want warm water” the °ngoo (我) may be omitted. In speaking to a servant one would say iau° nyih °s (要熱水), “I want hot water.”