LESSON XIII Auxiliary Verbs

The verb °chi (起) is often used as an auxiliary verb after the principal verb to express the idea of inception. Thus dok-°chi (讀起) means “Begin to read.” °Chi also expresses the idea of erectness, but when used in this sense, le (來) follows the °chi. Thus Lih-°chi-le (立起來) means “Stand up.” Lok-°chi-le (䟿起來) means “Get up.” It also has a progressive meaning, as when you say Doh-°chi-le (讀起來) it means “read on,” “go on reading.”

We have the °chi, also used in combination with tuh (得). Thus Lok-tuh-°chi (䟿得起) means “Able to get up.” Lok-’veh-°chi (䟿勿起) means “Unable to get up.” °Ma-tuh-°chi (買得起) means “Can afford to buy it.” °Ma-’veh-°chi (買勿起) means “Cannot afford to buy it.” Kwhung°-’veh-°chi (睏勿起) means “unable to sleep.” Khoen°-’veh-°chi (看勿起) means “to look down upon,” “to disdain.”

°Zaung (上) and °‘Au (下) are used both as principal verbs and as auxiliaries. Thus we have the expressions °Zaung san (上山), meaning “to go up hill.” °‘Au san (下山), “to go down hill.” °‘Au zen (下船), “to go on board a boat,” °Zaung su (上書), “to take an advanced lesson in a book,” etc. In these cases they are used as principal verbs.

As auxiliary verbs, they express motion upwards and motion downwards.

They are not confined to verbs of motion, but are used freely with other verbs. To both of them le (來) and chi° (去) are frequently added.

Thus we have dok-°‘au-chi° (讀下去), meaning “Read on down.” Tsoo°-°‘au-chi° (做下去), meaning “Go on doing it.” Thiau°-°‘au-le (跳下來), meaning “Jump down.” Thiau°-°zaung-chi° (跳上去), meaning “Jump up to that place.” Thiau°-°zaung-le (跳上來) “Jump up to this place.”

Although the Chinese language is, strictly speaking, a monosyllabic language, yet as has already been noticed there is a strong tendency to use two or more words together forming as it were disyllables or trisyllables. In this lesson some verbs are used, composed of two characters occurring together.

VOCABULARY

To like, to enjoy, hwen-°hyi 歡喜.

To play, take recreation, beh-siang° 勃相.

To converse, bak-wo° or dan-dan 白話, 談談.

To believe, siang-sing° 相信.

To fall, lauh 落 (of things) or tih 跌 (of men or animals).

To stand up, lih 立.

To get up, lok 䟿.

To be willing, °khung 肯.

To back the book, pe° 背

To think, °siang 想.

To sleep, kwhung° 睏

To wipe, kha 揩.

To fly, fi 飛.

To reckon, soen° 算.

To build, °zau 造.

A stove, ih kuh °hoo-loo 一個火爐, or ih tsak °hoo-loo.

A rat, ih tsak °lau-°ts 一隻老鼠, or ih tsak °lau dzoong 一隻老蟲.

A washstand, ih tsak kha-mien°-de-°ts 一隻揩面檯子.

A temple, ih zoo° miau° 一座廟.

A window, ih sen° tshaung 一扇窗.

Ban (爿) is the Classifier for firms, shops, etc.

A tea shop, ih ban dzo-kwen° 一爿茶館.

A pair of chop-sticks, ih saung kwhan 一雙筷.

Words, seh-wo° 說話 or wo°-deu or 話頭.

A sentence, ih kyui° seh-wo° 一句說話.

Only, pih-koo° 必過, or dok-°z 獨自, or tsuh-tuh 只得.

Not only, ’veh-dan°-°z 勿但是, or ’veh-dan° 勿但, or ’veh-°ba 勿罷.

Heavy, °dzoong 重.

Light (in weight), chung 輕.

Cheap, jang 強

Dear (in price), kyui° 貴.

Happy, kha°-weh 快活.

Clear or distinct, tshing-°saung 清爽.

Soochow, Soo-tseu 蘇州.

Therefore, °soo-°i 所以 or keh-°lau 蓋佬.

First, sien 先.

Together ih-dau 一淘, ih-doong 一同.

EXERCISES

(Translate into English)

(1) Di°-kuh °liang we° bang-°yeu hwen-°hyi ih-dau bak-wo°.

(2) °Ngoo dok-ba°-ts su iau° tsheh-chi° beh-siang°.

(3) Zak-zen yi °khung ma° meh, noong° °ma-meh-tse.

(4) Di° zoo° vaung-°ts °zau-°chi-le ’man kwha°.

(5) °Ngoo kyau° i-kuh °siau-noen lih-°chi-le pe° su.

(6) °Ngoo °siang di°-kuh ‘auh-sang-°ts kyung-tsau ’veh zung kha mien°.

(7) Tsoong-kok nyung chuh van° yoong° ih saung kwhan, nga°-kok nyung yoong° tau °lau tsho.

(8) Zauh ya°-deu la° vaung-kan-°li °ngoo thing-tuh ih tsak °lau-°ts leh-la° kyau°.

(9) Zak-zen yi wo° yi ’veh zung tan meh, i-kuh seh-wo° °ngoo °khung siang-sing°.

(10) Thien °hau meh °ngoo iau° tau° dzo-kwen°-°li chi° °zoo-°zoo dan-dan chuh dzo.

(11) °Yeu bih saung-°‘a-°ts va°? °Ngoo pih-koo° °yeu di°-saung.

(12) Zauh-ya°-deu °ngoo kwhung°-’veh-dzak, °soo-°i kyung-tsau lok-’veh-°chi.

(13) Thien nyih kuh zung-kwaung iau° khe tshaung °lau mung, °lang meh iau° kwan.

(14) Tsoong-kok wo°, wo° le ’veh tshing-°saung meh bih nyung ’veh °toong kuh.

(15) Di°-tsak kha-mien°-de-°ts noong° °ma le jang va°? ’Veh °hau soen° jang, °ngoo °siang ’man kyui°.

(16) Noong° °kyi kwhe° yang-dien °ma le kuh? Zeh kwhe° yang-dien la°.

(17) Noong° we°-sa°-°lau °ma le zeh-ke° kyui°? Iung-we° tsuh-tuh di°-kuh ih tsak.

(18) °Ngoo tsheh-chi° bau loo° ’veh-dan° khoen°-kyien° ih zoo° miau°, miau° mung zien ‘a °yeu ih zoo° thah.

(19) Di°-tsak °hoo-loo °z °dzoong kuh nyi chung kuh? °Z ’man °dzoong kuh.

(20) °Tshing sien-sang °zoo °zaung chi°.

(21) Sien-sang kyau° ‘auh-sang-°ts dok-°‘au-chi°.

(22) °I-°pung su dzoong de-°ts laung° lauh-°‘au-le.

(23) °Siau-noen dzoong iui°-°ts laung° tih-°‘au-le.

(24) °Ngoo khoen°-kyien° ih tsak °tiau dzoong thien laung° fi-°‘au-le.

(25) °Ngoo ming-tsau iau° °‘au zen tau° Soo-tseu chi°.

(一) 第個兩位朋友歡喜一淘白話.

(二) 我讀罷之書要出去勃相.

(三) 若然伊肯賣末儂買末哉.

(四) 第座房子造起來蠻快.

(五) 我叫伊個小囝立起來背書.

(六) 我想第個學生子今朝勿曾揩面.

(七) 中國人吃飯用一雙筷外國人用刀佬叉.

(八) 昨夜頭拉房間裏我聽得一隻老鼠垃拉叫.

(九) 若然伊話伊勿曾担末伊個說話我肯相信.

(十) 天好末我要到茶館裏去坐坐談談吃茶.

(十一) 有別雙鞋子否? 我必過有第雙.

(十二) 昨夜頭我睏勿着所以今朝䟿勿起.

(十三) 天熱個辰光要開窗佬門冷末要關.

(十四) 中國話話來勿淸爽末別人勿懂個.

(十五) 第隻揩面檯子儂買來強否? 勿好算強我想蠻貴.

(十六) 儂幾塊洋錢買來個? 十塊洋錢拉.

(十七) 儂爲啥佬買來實蓋貴? 因爲只得第個一隻.

(十八) 我出去跑路勿但看見一座廟廟門前也有一座塔.

(十九) 第隻火爐是重個呢輕個? 是蠻重個.

(二十) 請先生坐上去.

(二十一) 先生叫學生子讀下去.

(二十二) 伊本書從檯子上落下來.

(二十三) 小囝從椅子上跌下來.

(二十四) 我看見一隻烏從天上飛下來.

(二十五) 我明朝要下船到蘇州去.

(Translate into Chinese)

(1) Do you like to eat this?

(2) In the day time men work, in the night time they sleep.

(3) The cat came in by the window and the rat ran out by the door.

(4) I conversed with him, and he taught me many words in Chinese.

(5) I want you to wipe the windows.

(6) Last night I only slept four hours.

(7) I not only bought a washstand, I also bought a stove and three chairs.

(8) Children like to play, men like to study.

(9) Why do you go to the tea shop? Because there I can hear many men conversing, and so learn many Chinese words.

(10) Are you willing to go with me to see the temple?

(11) To-day I am very happy, because I have finished the book.

(12) The child jumped down from the table.

(13) Please write on down.

(14), When will you go up the hill with me to take a look?

(15) The teacher first hears the scholars back the book, and then gives them an advanced lesson.

(一) 第樣物事儂歡喜吃否?

(二) 日裏個辰光人做工夫拉夜裏末睏.

(三) 貓是從窗裏進來老鼠從門裏跑出去.

(四) 我對伊白話佬伊教我多化中國話.

(五) 要儂去揩揩窗.

(六) 昨夜頭我必過睏之四點鐘工夫.

(七) 我勿但買之一隻楷面檯子也買之一隻火爐佬三把椅子.

(八) 小囝歡喜勃相大人歡喜讀書.

(九) 儂爲啥佬到茶館裏去? 因爲伊頭我可以聽得多化人白話佬學中國話.

(十) 儂肯搭我一淘到廟裏去看看否?

(十一) 今朝我蠻快活因爲一本書讀完哉.

(十二) 小囝從檯子上跳下來.

(十三) 請寫下去.

(十四) 儂幾時搭我一淘上山去看看?

(十五) 先生先聽學生子背書難末對伊拉上書.

Notes.

（1) Note that siang-sing° means “to like” as well as to believe. °Ngoo siang-sing° ih kuh nyung (我相信一個人) means, “I like him.”

（2) The expression “to back the book” arises from the old Chinese custom of the pupil turning his back upon the teacher when he recites his lesson.

（3) Notice the order of the words in the eleventh sentence of the First Exercise. The verb °Yeu comes first in the sentence.

（4) The word la° is added at the end of the sixteenth sentence of the First Exercise merely for euphony.

（5) In the twentieth sentence of the First Exercise we have another polite way of asking a person to take a higher seat in the guest room.

（6) In sentences twenty-two and twenty-three of the First Exercise we have the use of lauh and tih for “fall”. It is difficult to distinguish between the two, but tih is used always when we speak of a person falling down.

（7) The correct way of translating the first sentence of the Second Exercise is Di°-yang meh-z° nong° hwen°-hyi chuh va°? Di°-yang means “this sort.”

（8) The thirteenth sentence of the Second Exercise of course refers to the fact that the Chinese write from the top down and not across the page.

（9) The last clause of the fifteenth sentence of the Second Exercise should be nan-meh theh yi-la °zaung su. “Then for them, advances in the book.”