LESSON XIV Causality, and Necessity
Reading edition
The idea of causality, in the sense of causing a person to do a thing, is expressed in Chinese by the use of the auxiliary verbs kau (敎) and tsha (差). Thus “I caused him to do it,” would be °ngoo kao yi tsoo° (我敎伊做). “I caused him to go,” would be °ngoo tsha yi chi (我差伊去). The word tsha literally means “to send.” The word kau is the same as kyau°, but used with different pronunciation and different tone. When one of higher rank causes a person of lower rank to do a thing the word s° (使) is used. Thus S° °ngoo ieu-mung, “Caused me to sorrow.”
“Must” is expressed by the expressions tsoong-iau° (總要), pih-ding° iau° (必定要), ih-ding° iau° (一定要).
“It must be” is tsoong °z (總是). Thus “It must be so” is tsoong-°z zeh-ke° (總是實蓋).
“Ought” implying obligation, is expressed by iung-ke (應該). Thus “You ought to do it” is noong° iung-ke tsoo° kuh (儂應該做個).
VOCABULARY
Perhaps, khoong-pho° 恐怕.
Just now, a little while ago, khan khan 纔纔, or ’veh too °kyi-z 勿多幾時.
Quickly, ‘au-sau° 豪燥, or kwha°-kwha° 快快.
Moreover, °ping-°tshia 幷且, or r-°tshia 而且, or hwaung-°tshia 况且.
Although, soe-zen 雖然, or soe-°z 雖是.
Yet, zen-r 然而.
Still (in the sense of in addition), wan 還, or wan-iau° 還要. °ngoo wan-iau° °ma 我還要買, “I still wish to buy more.”
On the contrary, or on the other hand, °tau 倒.
To complete, dzung-koong 成功.
To light (a lamp or candle), °tien 點.
To light (a fire), sang 生.
To take with you, ta° chi 帶去.
To bring with you, ta° le 帶來.
To kill, sah 殺, or sah-theh 殺脫.
To kill with a blow, °tang sah 打殺.
To die, °si 死, or °si-theh 死脫.
To live, weh 活.
A lamp, ih °tsan tung 一盞燈.
To tell, narrate, kau°-soo° 告訴.
To sweep the ground (floor), °sau-di° 掃地.
Foong (封) is the classifier used for letters and other sealed parcels.
A letter, ih foong sing° 一封信.
An envelope, ih foong sing° khauh 一封信殼, or ih foong sing° foong 一封信封.
A candle, ih kung lah tsok 一根臘燭.
Fire, °hoo 火.
Tsang (張) is the classifier denoting sheets.
A sheet of paper, ih tsang °ts or ih tsang °ts-deu 一張紙頭.
A fowl, ih tsak kyi 一隻鷄.
EXERCISES
(Translate into English)
(1) °Ngoo-nyi° iung-ke tsoo°-kuh z°-°thi, °tau ’veh tsoo°.
(2) Thien °lang-°ts meh pih-ding° iau° sang °hoo.
(3) Ya°-deu iau° dok su meh, tsoong-iau° °tien tung.
(4) °Ngoo ’veh °hyau-tuh na°-nung tsoo°-deu, °ngoo-kuh bang-°yeu °i-kyung °si-theh tse.
(5) Tan ih tsang °ts-deu le, °ngoo iau° °sia ih foong sing°.
(6) °Ngoo la° su-vaung °li zing °ngoo-kuh mau-°ts, soe-zen °tien-ts lah-tsok °‘a zing-’veh-dzak kuh.
(7) °Ngoo iau° ‘auh dok tsoong-kok z° °ping °tshia iau° ‘auh °sia tsoong-kok z°
(8) Soe-zen noong° wo° ’veh zung tan tsheh chi° zen-r °ngoo ’veh °khung siang-sing°.
(9) Kwha°-tien chi° kyau° i-sung le, °khoong pho° yi iau° °si tse.
(10) Sien-sang leh-la° va°? Yi khan-khan leh-°li, yien-dze ’veh °hyau-tuh °a-°li chi° tse.
(11) Zak-zen yi wan ’veh zung le,°ngoo °tung yi ’veh tuh.
(12) °Ngoo kyau° yoong°-nyung sah ih tsak kyi, la° chuh van° kuh zung-kwaung iau° chuh kuh.
(13) Di°-tsak de-°ts mok-ziang° tsoo° le wan °hau.
(14) °Ngoo ’man kha°-weh thing-tuh noong° wo° °ngoo °yeu ih foong sing° le, °khoong-pho° °z °ngoo-kuh bang-°yeu °sia le kuh.
(15) Nyung iau° sien tsoo° dzung-koong ih tsaung z°-°thi, nan-meh °khau-°i tsoo° bih yang°.
(16) M-meh ih kuh nyung hwen-°hyi °si.
(一) 我伲應該做個事體倒勿做.
(二) 天冷之末必定要生火.
(三) 夜頭要讀書末總要點燈.
(四) 我勿曉得那能做頭我個朋友已經死脫哉.
(五) 担一張紙頭來我要寫一封信.
(六) 我拉書房裏尋我個帽子雖然點之臘燭也尋勿着個.
(七) 我要學讀中國字幷且要學寫中國字.
(八) 雖然儂話勿曾担出去然而我勿肯相信.
(九) 快點去叫醫生來恐怕伊要死哉.
(十) 先生垃拉否? 伊纔纔垃裏現在勿曉得那裏去哉.
(十一) 若然伊還勿曾來我等伊勿得.
(十二) 我叫用人殺一隻雞拉吃飯個辰光要吃個.
(十三) 第把檯子木匠做來還好.
(十四) 我蠻快活聽得儂話我有一封信來恐怕是我個朋友寫來個.
(十五) 人要先做成功一樁事體難末可以做別樣.
(十六) 嘸沒一個人歡喜死.
(Translate into Chinese)
(1) I told you a little while ago that I did not want you to open the window; why do you not listen to me?
(2) Light the lamp and put it on the table in the study.
(3) If a guest comes, I want you to light the fire in the reception room.
(4) Do not strike the dog; perhaps you will kill him.
(5) You must study diligently, and then you can learn to speak Chinese.
(6) How many hours a day ought I to study? I think you should study at least four hours a day: two in the morning and two is the afternoon.
(7) If your letter has been written, I will send the servant to take it.
(8) Early in the morning I want you to sweep the floor and wipe the table and chairs.
(9) Although the carpenter works quickly, he cannot finish it in a week.
(10) When you have finished this do not think there is nothing more to do, but come and tell me.
(11) I did not tell you to take it away, but on the contrary told you to put it in the office.
(12) If the doctor does not come immediately, this man cannot live.
(13) Who caused you to do it? He caused me to do it.
(一) 纔纔我叫儂勿要開窗儂爲啥勿聽說話?
(二) 要點燈拉書房裏擺拉檯子上.
(三) 客人來末拉客堂間裏要儂生火.
(四) 勿要打狗恐怕要打殺哉.
(五) 儂總要用心讀書難末可以學讀中國話.
(六) 一日我應該讀幾點鐘工夫? 我想頂少要讀四點鐘工夫拉上半日兩點鐘佬下半日兩點鐘.
(七) 信寫好之末我差用人担去個.
(八) 早晨頭要儂掃掃地揩揩檯子佬椅子.
(九) 木匠雖然做來快一禮拜工夫勿能做好.
(十) 第個做好之來告訴我勿要想無啥做.
(十一) 我勿曾叫儂帶出去倒叫儂放拉寫字間裏.
(十二) 醫生勿就來末第個人勿能彀活.
(十三) 啥人教儂做個? 伊教我做個.
Notes.
(1) Wan is sometimes used to qualify adjectives. Thus Wan °hau (還好) means “fairly good” or “pretty good.”
(2) Soe-zen and Zen-r are generally used together; the first introducing the first clause, and the second, the second clause.
(3) In the first sentence of the First Exercise notice the formation of the verbal noun, “the things which we ought to do.”
(4) In the ninth sentence of the First Exercise notice that kwha° °tien does not mean “faster,” but is used for “quickly.”
(5) In the eleventh sentence of the First Exercise °Tung yi ’veh tuh means lit., “Wait him not get;” that is, “I cannot wait for him.”
(6) In the fourteenth sentence of the First Exercise notice the use of le. Le and chi are frequently used with other verbs to make the direction of the action clear. Thus °Sia le is, “Write come to me”; °Sia chi° is, “Write send away,” or “Write go.”
(7) In the fifth sentence of the Second Exercise, Diligently can be expressed by Yoong° sing, “Use heart or mind.”
(8) In this lesson frequent use has been made of the verb °Si (死). In speaking of a person dying the more euphonious expression is Koo°-s° 故世.