LESSON VIII Potential and Subjunctive Moods, and some Interrogative Adverbs

“May” or “can” is expressed by °khau-°i (可以). Thus “I may or can eat” is °ngoo °khau-°i chuh (我可以吃). When physical ability is implied nung-keu° (能彀) is frequently used. Thus “I have the physical ability to do,” is °ngoo nung-keu° tsoo° (我能彀做). When acquired ability is to be expressed we° (會) is generally used. Thus: “I have the ability to speak Chinese” is °ngoo we° wo° Tsoong-kok wo° (我會話中國話).

The Subjunctive Mood is expressed exactly like the Indicative Mood except that some word meaning “If” is placed at the beginning of the clause, and that the particle meh (末) is generally placed at the end of the clause.

“If” is zak (若), zak-s° (若使), zak-zen (若然), °thaung-zen (倘然), °thaung-s° (倘使). Thus “If I go, I will call you,” is expressed zak-zen °ngoo chi° meh, °ngoo iau° kyau° noong° (若然我去末我要叫儂).

Very often the word implying “If” is omitted at the beginning of the clause, and the condition is implied simply by the use of the meh (末) the end of the clause. Thus: “When he has finished it, come and tell me” is yi tsoo° °hau meh, le te° °ngoo wo° (伊做好末來對我話).

“How” is °na-nung (那能). Thus “How do you know”, is noong° °na-nung °hyau-tuh? (儂那能曉得).

“When?” is °kyi-z (幾時). Thus “When did you come?” is noong° °kyi-z le kuh? (儂幾時來個). “When did you arrive?”, is noong° kyi-z tau°? (儂幾時到). Beginners in Chinese often make the mistake of using °kyi-z as the ordinary adverb of time. To express such a sentence as “When I come he will go,” we say °ngoo le-°ts meh yi iau° chi° (我來仔末伊要去), the past participle being used, and meh implying that it is conditional. It is incorrect to say °ngoo °kyi-z le, yi iau° chi°. Let it be remembered that °kyi-z is only used in asking a question.

We have the °kyi-z used after the verb in such a sentence as noong° tau°-ts °kyi-z tse? (儂到仔幾時哉) meaning, “How long since you arrived?” or yi chi°-°ts °kyi-z tse? (伊去仔幾時哉) meaning, “How long since he went?”

VOCABULARY.

To sell, ma° 賣 or ma°-theh 賣脫.

To see, khoen° 看 or khoen°-kyien° seen 看見.

To walk, °tseu 走.

To run, bau 跑.

To know, °hyau-tuh 曉得.

To know a person, nyung°-tuh 認得.

To understand, °toong 懂 or ming-bak 明白.

A pagoda, ih zoo° thah 一座塔.

A sedan chair, ih °ting jau°-°ts 一頂轎子.

A visitor or guest, ih we° khak-nyung 一位客人.

A doctor, ih we° laung tsoong 一位郞中 or ih we° i-sung 一位醫生.

A grave mound, ih kuh °vung-san 一個墳山.

A mouth, ih kuh °kheu 一個口 or ih tsang °ts 一張嘴.

A doorway, ih kuh mung-°kheu (Mouth of the door) 一個門口 or mung-°kheu-deu 一個門口頭.

An ear, ih tsak °nyi-°too 一隻耳朵.

A nose, ih kuh bih-deu 一個鼻頭.

An eye, ih tsak °ngan-tsing 一隻眼晴.

A face, ih kuh mien°-khoong 一個面孔.

Boo (部) is the classifier used with carriages, and vehicles on wheels.

A carriage, ih boo °mo-tsho 一部馬車.

A ricsha, ih boo toong-yang-tsho 一部東洋車. (Lit. East of the Ocean carriage.) Japan is known as the land East of the Ocean, and ricshas were first used there.

A wheelbarrow, ih boo tsho-°ts 一部車子 or °siau-tsho 小車.

Short, °toen 短.

Long, dzang 長.

Fast, kwha° 快.

Slow, man° 慢.

To-morrow, ming-tsau 明朝.

EXERCISES

(Translate into English)

(1) Noong° ming-bak va°? ’Veh ming-bak.

(2) Tsoong-kok wo°, noong° we° wo° va°? °Ngoo ’veh we° wo°.

(3) Tsoong-kok su noong° we° dok va°? °Ngoo ’veh we° dok.

(4) °Tshing sien-sang ming-tsau le.

(5) Noong° °kyi-z khau-°i chi°? °Ngoo ming-tsau khau-°i chi°.

(6) Di°-tsak °mo ’veh nung-keu° bau le kwha°.

(7) Zak-zen sien-sang le meh, noong° te° yi wo° °ngoo °Zaung-°he chi° tse.

(8) Chi° kyau° ih boo toong-yang-tsho.

(9) Di°-zoo° thah noong° khoen°-kyien° hyih meh?

(10) Mok-ziang° °zoo-ts °siau-tsho-°ts tau° °Zaung-°he chi° tse.

(11) Di-°kuh nyung noong° nyung°-tuh va°? ’Veh nyung°-tuh.

(12) Noong° °na-nung chi° kuh? °Ngoo °zoo-ts °mo-tsho chi kuh.

(13) Iau° noong° chi° °tshing i-sung le.

(14) °Tshing sien-sang wo° le man° °tien.

(15) Zah-zen sien-sang wo° le kwha° meh, °ngoo ’veh °toong.

(16) Di°-kung °baung °z dzang kuh, di°-°po tau °z °toen kuh.

(17) Khak-nyung tau°-°ts mung-°kheu-deu iau° °tshing yi °li-hyang° °zoo.

(18) I-kuh °siau-noen kuh mien°-°khoong ’man °hau khoen°.

(19) Nyung °yeu °liang tsak °nyi-°too, °liang tsak °ngan-tsing, ih kuh bih-deu, °lau ih tsang-°ts.

(20) Di°-zoo° vaung-°ts °i-kyung ma°-theh tse.

(一) 儂明白否? 勿明白.

(二) 中國話儂會話否? 我勿會話.

(三) 中國書儂會讀否? 我勿會讀.

(四) 請先生明朝來.

(五) 儂幾時可以去? 我明朝可以去.

(六) 第隻馬勿能彀跑來快.

(七) 若然先生來末儂對伊話我上海去哉.

(八) 去叫一部東洋車.

(九) 第座塔儂看見歇末?

(十) 木匠坐之小車子到上海去哉.

(十一) 第個人儂認得否? 勿認得.

(十二) 儂那能去個? 我坐馬車去個.

(十三) 要儂去請醫生來.

(十四) 請先生話來慢點.

(十五) 若然先生話來快末我勿懂.

(十六) 第根棒是長個, 第把刀是短個.

(十七) 客人到之門口頭請伊裏向坐.

(十八) 伊個小囝個面孔蠻好看.

(十九) 人有兩隻耳朵, 兩隻眼睛, 一個鼻頭佬一張嘴.

(二十) 第座房子已經賣脫哉.

(Translate into Chinese)

(l) Please take a seat.

(2) When will that teacher come?

(3) He said he will come to-morrow.

(4) Have you seen my dog?

(5) Ask the visitor to come in.

(6) The sheep is on the grave mound.

(7) I wish to ride in a sedan chair, and go into the city.

(8) When the doctor comes, come and call me.

(9) Call two ricshas.

(10) How long have you been in China?

(11) If men had no eyes they would not be able to see.

(12) If the pupil is not diligent he will not be able to learn Chinese.

(13) I do not know how to say this.

(14) When will the doctor come?

(15) To-morrow he will come.

(16) The road to Shanghai is very long.

(17) If you do not understand you can ask the teacher to speak more slowly.

(18) The ears of that dog are very long.

(19) The child runs very fast.

(20) Do you know my friend? I do not.

(一) 請坐.

(二) 伊個先生幾時要來?

(三) 伊話伊明朝要來.

(四) 我個一隻狗儂看見歇末?

(五) 請客人進來.

(六) 第隻羊拉墳山上.

(七) 我要坐轎子到城裏去.

(八) 醫生來之末來叫我.

(九) 去叫兩部東洋車.

(十) 儂到之中國幾時哉?

(十一) 若然人無沒眼睛伊拉勿能彀看見.

(十二) 苦然學生子勿用心伊勿會學中國話.

(十三) 第個我勿曉得那能話個.

(十四) 醫生幾時要來?

(十五) 伊明朝要來.

(十六) 到上海路是蠻長.

(十七) 若然儂勿懂末儂可以請先生話來慢點.

(十八) 伊隻狗個耳朵是蠻長.

(十九) 笫個小囝跑來蠻快.

(二十) 我個朋友儂認得否? 勿認得.

Notes.

（1) In the sixth sentence of the first exercise, notice that the adjective kwha° is turned into an adverb by the le coming before it. Adjectives are often used with verbs in this way.

（2) In the twelfth sentence of the first exercise, notice the expression for travelling in a carriage. In Chinese you “sit a carriage.”

（3) In the first sentence of the second exercise we have the usual polite expression for asking one to be seated °Tshing °zoo. This should be said as soon as a guest or stranger enters the room, but of course is not used in speaking to inferiors, In such cases it is enough to say °zoo-°zoo (坐坐).

（4) Notice the difference between °ma (買) to buy, and ma° (賣) to sell. To our ears the sounds are hard to distinguish. The only difference is in the tones.

（5) The new term for ricsha is ih boo waung bau tsho 黃跑車, a yellow running carriage.