LESSON XIX Asking Questions, Expecting Negative and Affirmative Answers
Reading edition
In addition to the interrogative forms already given there are ways of asking questions when a negative, or when an affirmative answer is expected.
Thus when the negative answer is expected, the clause begins with °chi (豈) and ends with nyi (呢). Thus °Chi °yeu sa° yoong°-deu nyi (豈有啥用頭呢). “Is it of any use?” It implies that it is not of any use and expects the negative answer. °Chi (豈) corresponds to the Latin num, and implies No, or a negative of the proposition conveyed.
When the affirmative answer is expected the clause begins with °chi ’veh (豈吥) and ends with the usual interrogative va° (否).
Thus °Chi ’veh iung-ke tsoo° va° (豈吥應該做否), “Ought you not to do it?” Implies that you ought to do it and expects the affirmative answer.
It will be seen that in this case also the °chi (豈) expects the negative of the proposition conveyed, that is, the negative of a negative proposition which is an affirmative. In other words the answer is, “That you ought not not to do it,” or “You ought to do it.”
VOCABULARY
Every place or everywhere, kauh tshu° 各處, or kauh-tau°-lauh-tshu° 各到落處.
Of course, z°-zen 自然.
Afterwards, hereafter, °‘eu-°seu 後首, °‘eu-le 後來, or °i-°‘eu 以後.
Until, dzuk-tau° 直到; wait until, °tung-tau° 等到.
Daily, nyih nyih 日日, or nyih-dzok 日逐.
About, iak-kwe 約親, or iak-tsak 約酌.
About the same (not much difference), tsho-’veh-too 差吥多.
Secretly, ‘en°-‘en°-°li 暗暗裏.
True, tsung 眞.
False, °ka 假.
Secure, °‘wung-taung° 穩當.
A long time, dzang-°yoen 長遠, dzang-°yoen-tse 長遠哉, or ta-z-tse 多時哉.
Phih (疋) is the classifier denoting whole pieces of dry goods.
A piece of cloth, ih phih poo° 一疋布.
A piece of shirting, ih phih yang poo° 一疋洋布.
A piece of silk, ih phih dzeu 一疋綢.
A piece of satin, ih phih doen°-°ts 一疋緞子.
Grass, °tshau 草.
Vegetation in general, hwo-°tshau-zu°-mok 花草樹木.
Coal, me 煤.
To add, ka 加.
To add a little, ka-°thien 加點.
Honest, lau-zeh 老實.
A piece of land, ih kwhe° di°-bi 一塊地皮.
A piece of stone, ih kwhe° zak-deu 一塊石頭.
To pawn, taung° 當, or taung°-theh 當脫.
To mortgage, ah 押, or ah-theh 押脫.
To change a dollar into cash, de° 兌.
A ten cent piece, ih kauh 一角.
One cent, ih fung 一分.
Twenty cents, °liang kauh 兩角, si° khe 四開.
A half a dollar, pen° kwhe° yang-dien 半塊洋錢.
Small money, °siau kauh-°ts 小角子, or °siau yang-dien 小洋錢.
Change, °tsau-deu 找頭.
Ricksha coolie, tsho-foo 車夫.
A great many, kyau-kwan 交關.
EXERCISES
(Translate into English)
(1) We°-ts °lang °lau °hoo-loo °li iau° ka-°thien me.
(2) °Ma °hau-ts, °tsau-deu iau° peh °ngoo.
(3) ’Veh zung °zoo toong-yang-tsho iung-ke tah tsho-foo sien °kaung ding° peh yi °kyi kauh.
(4) I-kuh nyung °i-kyung taung°-theh-ts i-kuh i-zaung.
(5) °Ngoo iau° °ma i-kwhe° di°-bi dan°-°z °ngoo thing-tuk °i-kyung ah-theh tse.
(6) °Mo ’man hwen-°hyi chuh °tshau.
(7) °Ngoo pih-koo° °yeu pen° kwhe° yang-dien °soo-°i °ma-’veh-°chi.
(8) Yi ’veh °khung lau-zeh wo° °soo-°i °ngoo ’veh °hau siang-sing°.
(9) Noong° °chi ’veh iung-ke tsoo° dzuk-tau° tsoo° °hau va°?
(10) °Ngoo soe-zen kauh-tau° lauh-tshu° zing °‘a zing-’veh-dzak.
(11) Noong° wo° lau-zeh wo°, nyung z°-zen siang-sing° kuh.
(12) Nyih nyih dok su z°-zen °khau-°i ‘auh kuh.
(13) °Tung tau° noong° dok-wen °ts di°-°pung su nan-meh noong° we° wo° tsoong-kok wo°.
(14) Di°-kuh °liang phih poo° kuh ngan-suh tsho-’veh-too ih yang° kuh.
(15) ‘En°-‘en°-°li tsoo° z°-°thi °chi °yeu sa° yoong°-deu nyi?
(16) Di°-deu tau° Soo-tseu °yeu °kyi-hau° °li soo? Iak-kwhe °yeu san pak °li-loo°.
(17) Di°-kwhe° zak-deu iau° °pa le °’wung-taung° °tien.
(18) Yi chi°-ts dzang-°yoen-tse wan ’veh zung °tsen le.
(19) °Ngoo sien iau° ‘auh dok su °‘eu-le ‘auh °sia z°.
(20) Hwo-°tshau-zu°-mok nyung nyung hwen-°hyi khoen°.
(21) Doo° yang-dien de°-°ts °siau yang-dien iau° taung sing iung-we° °yeu too-hau° °siau kauh-°ts °z °ka kuh.
(22) Tsung °lau °ka van-nan khoen°-tuh-tsheh.
(23) Di°-°pung su °yeu kyau-kwan z° °ngoo suh-’veh-tsheh kuh.
(一) 爲之冷佬火爐裏要加點煤.
(二) 買好之找頭要撥我.
(三) 勿曾坐東洋車應該搭車夫先講定撥伊幾角.
(四) 伊個人已經當脫之伊個衣裳.
(五) 我要買伊塊地皮但是我聽得已經押脫哉.
(六) 馬蠻歡喜吃草.
(七) 我必過有半塊洋錢所以買勿起.
(八) 伊勿肯老實話所以我勿好相信.
(九) 儂豈勿應該做直到做好否?
(十) 我雖然各到落處尋也尋勿着.
(十一) 儂話老實話人自然相信個.
(十二) 日日讀書自然可以學個.
(十三) 等到儂讀完之第本書難末儂會話中國話.
(十四) 第個兩疋布個顔色差勿多一樣個.
(十五) 暗暗裏做事體豈有啥用頭呢?
(十六) 第頭到蘇州有幾化里數? 約規有三百里路.
(十七) 第塊石頭要擺來穩當點.
(十八) 伊去之長遠哉還勿曾轉來.
(十九) 我先要學讀書後來學寫字.
(二十) 花草樹木人人歡喜看.
(廿一) 大洋鈿兌之小洋錢要當心因爲有多化小角子是假個.
(廿二) 眞佬假煩難看得出.
(廿三) 第本書有交關字我識勿出個.
(Translate into Chinese)
(1) I do not know where the child has gone to; I have looked for him everywhere and do not know where to find him.
(2) Call the servant to come and add some coal.
(3) I told the pupil to sit here until the teacher returned.
(4) I was almost beaten to death by him.
(5) Take the dollar and change it into cash.
(6) An honest man speaks true words.
(7) I thought he was coming, but afterwards he wrote a letter to me and told me he could not come.
(8) The children have played for a long time and now they should go to sleep.
(9) Can you say that you did not know this?
(10) Is it not good to do things so as to please others?
(11) I had to walk here because I had no small money, and so could not call a ricksha.
(12) If he said he would do it, of course he will do it.
(13) How many cash can you get for a dollar?
(14) That man is not at all honest, and he has already pawned a lot of clothes which were not his own.
(15) This man wears silk and satin; he must have a lot of money.
(一) 小囝到那裏去我勿曉得, 我各到落處去尋伊尋勿着.
(二) 叫傭人來加點煤.
(三) 我叫學生子坐拉第頭等到先生轉來.
(四) 我差勿多撥伊打殺哉.
(五) 拿第塊洋錢兌銅錢.
(六) 老實個人話眞個說話.
(七) 我想伊要來但是後來伊寫一封信來話伊勿好來.
(八) 小囝勃相之長遠哉現在應該去睏.
(九) 儂豈可以話第個是儂勿曉得否?
(十) 做事體撥別人快活豈吥是好否?
(十一) 因爲我無沒小洋錢勿能彀叫東洋車所以我只好走.
(十二) 若然伊話要做個難末自然要做個.
(十三) 一塊洋錢可以兌幾化銅錢?
(十四) 伊個人一顔勿老實已經當脫之多化勿是伊自家個衣裳.
(十五) 第個人着之綢佬緞子個衣裳伊一定有多化洋錢.
Notes.
(1) In the third sentence of the First Exercise the expression °kaung ding° (講定) means “to settle the price.” Literally it signifies declaiming to a fixed point.
(2) In the sixteenth sentence of the First Exercise °Soo (數) is added after °li (里) for the sake of euphony.
(3) In the twenty-third sentence of the First Exercise suh (識) is used. This is always used of knowing characters in the Chinese language. Sometimes it is used in the expression Suh hoo° kuh (識貨個), meaning “to understand affairs.” A man who does not suh hoo° is a stupid fellow.