LESSON XVI Verbal Idioms

The idea of there being time to accomplish a thing is expressed by adding the words tuh-ji° (得及) after the principal verb. If there is not sufficient time to do a thing you add ’veh-ji° (勿及) after the principal verb. Thus, Tsoo°-tuh-ji° (做得及) means “there is time to do a thing.” Tsoo°-’veh-ji° (做勿及) means “there is not time.”

This expression is used most frequently with the verb le (來). Le-tuh-ji means “there is time,” and le-’veh-ji means “there is not time.”

The idea of a thing being important is expressed by the words iau°-°kyung kuh (要緊個). “Not being important,” by the words ’veh iau° °kyung (勿要緊), or ’veh nge° sa° (勿礙啥). “Is it important?” or “Does it make any difference?” would be nge° sa° va° (礙啥否).

’Veh lauh is often used after verbs giving the idea of inability to do a thing. Thus Chuh ’veh lauh (吃勿落) means “unable to eat.” °Zoo ’veh lauh (坐勿落) “Unable to sit because of lack of room.” We also have the affirmative forms °zoo tuh lauh (坐得落) and chuh tuh lauh (吃得落).

VOCABULARY

Lest, °sang-ts 省之.

Either, or, ok-°z 或是, ok-tse 或者.

Difficult, van-nan 煩難, or nan 難.

Easy, yoong-yi° 容易.

Slowly, gently, man°-man°-nung 慢慢能.

Walk slowly, man°-man°-ts °tseu 慢慢之走.

Besides, in addition, ling°-nga° 另外, dze-nga° 在外, or wan 還.

How much more, ‘oo-°hwaung 何况 (with nyi at the end of the clause).

Still more, kung°-°ka 更加, yoeh°-ka 越加.

To start (on a journey), °doong-sung 動身. (Lit. to move the body.)

To become ill, sang bing° 生病.

To heal, i-°hau 醫好, or khoen°-°hau 看好.

To welcome (a guest), nyung-tsih 迎接.

To return (a debt or thing borrowed), wan 還.

To cry, khok 哭.

To lead, °ling 領.

To borrow or to lend, tsia° 借. (See Note).

To wash, zing° 淨.

Illness, mau-bing° 毛病.

A sedan coolie, ih kuh jau°-pan 一個轎班, or ih kuh jau°-foo 一個轎夫.

A star, ih kuh sing 一個星.

A grave mound, ih kuh vung-san 一個墳山.

A goat, ih tsak san-yang 一隻山羊.

A hog or pig, ih tsak ts-loo 一隻猪獹.

A stool, ih tsak ngeh-°ts 一隻杌子.

A chest of drawers, ih tsak tsheu-deu 一隻抽頭.

A drawer, ih tsak tsheu thi 一隻抽屜.

A wash bowl, ih tsak mien°-bung 一隻面盆.

A plate, ih tsak bung-°ts 一隻盆子.

A Chinese eating bowl, ih tsak °wen 一隻碗.

A farmer, ih kuh tsoong°-dien nyung 一個種田人.

°Kwen (管) is the classifier for tubular things.

A Chinese or foreign pen, ih °kwen pih 一管筆.

A Chinese ink tablet, ih kuh nyien°-°ts 一個硯子, or nyien°-de 硯台.

A piece of ink, ih khwe° muh 一塊墨.

Foreign ink, muh-°s 墨水.

Clean, koen-zing° 乾淨.

Stop, ding 停.

Moon, nyoeh-liang° 月亮.

Precious, °pau-pe° 寶貝.

EXERCISES

(Translate into English)

(1) Di°-kuh °z iau° °kyung kuh, °tshing noong° ’veh iau° maung-kyi°.

(2) Di°-kuh °siau-noen van° chuh ’veh lauh, °khoong-pho° °yeu mau-bing°.

(3) Kyung-tsau le-’veh-ji°, ming-tsau °lau tsoo°.

(4) °Liang kuh nyung ih tsak iui°-°ts laung° °zoo-’veh-lauh.

(5) ‘Auh-sang-°ts mung° sien-sang °‘a-°li-deu dok °chi °lau °‘a-°li-deu ding.

(6) Tshau zing°-°hau-°ts meh, faung° la° tsheu-thi °li.

(7) Tsoong°-dien-nyung °i-kyung °ma-°ts san tsak san-yang, i-kuh bang-°yeu ling°-nga° wan iau° °ma s° tsak.

(8) Noong° iung-ke °de loong-tsoong nyung °hau, ‘oo-°hwaung °de z°-ka nyung °hau nyi.

(9) Bung-°ts °lau °wen iau° kung°-ka koen-zing°.

(10) Noong° iung-ke °tsau-zung-deu °doong-sung, °‘au-pen°-nyih °doong-sung le-’veh-ji° tau° kuh.

(11) Noong° °kyi-z wan peh la° °ngoo? Ok-tse kyung-tsau °‘au-pen°-nyih, ok-tse ming-tsau °tsau-zung-deu.

(12) °Ngoo-kuh bang-°yeu sang-bing° °soo-°i iau° °tshing i-sung khoen° khoen°.

(13) Ya°-°li la° thien laung° °khau-°i khoen° too-°hau sing °lau nyoeh-liang°, nyih-°li pih-koo° khoen°-kyien° nyih-deu.

(14) Di°-kuh °siau-noen nyih-°li ’veh khok, dan°-°z ya°-deu doo° khok.

(15) °Ngoo tsia°-peh yi san-seh kwhe° yang-dien, ’veh hyau° tuh yi °kyi-z wan.

(16) Kyau° jau°-foo man°-man°-°ts °tseu iung-we° °di-diau ka ‘ah °lau.

(17) Iung-we° loo° ’veh nyung tuh °soo-°i °ngoo °tshing bih nyung °ling loo°.

(18) °Ngoo la° bang-°yeu han-deu tsia°-°ts nyan° kwhe° yang-dien iung-we° iau° °ma ih tsak kha-mien°-de °lau s° tsak ngeh-°ts.

(19) Kha °hau-ts mien°, mien°-bung iau° faung° °hau.

(20) °Ngoo °tseu tau° mung-°kheu-deu nyung-tsih khak-nyung.

(21) °Ngoo mung° i-sung °di-kuh mau-bing° i-tuh-°hau va°, yi wo° man°-man° nung we° °hau kuh.

(22) °Ts-deu, muh, pih, nyien°-de, tsoong-kok nyung soen° dok-su-nyung kuh s° yang °pau-pe°.

(一) 第個是要緊個請儂勿要忘記.

(二) 第個小囝飯吃勿落恐怕有毛病.

(三) 今朝來勿及明朝佬做.

(四) 兩個人一隻椅子上坐勿落.

(五) 學生子問先生那裏頭讀起佬那裏頭停.

(六) 抄淨好之末放拉抽屜裏.

(七) 種田人已經買之三隻山羊伊個朋友另外還要買四隻.

(八) 儂應該待攏總人好何况待自家人好呢.

(九) 盆子佬碗要更加乾淨.

(十) 儂應該早晨頭動身下半日動身來勿及到個.

(十一) 儂幾時還撥拉我? 或者今朝下半日或者明朝早晨頭.

(十二) 我個朋友生病所以要請醫生看看.

(十三) 夜裏拉天上可以看多化星佬月亮日裏必過看見日頭.

(十四) 第個小囝日裏勿哭但是夜頭大哭.

(十五) 我借撥伊三十塊洋錢勿曉得伊幾時還.

(十六) 叫轎夫慢慢之走因爲第條街狹佬.

(十七) 因爲路勿認得所以我請別人領路.

(十八) 我拉朋友壗頭借之廿塊洋錢因爲要買一隻揩面檯佬四隻杌子.

(十九) 揩好之面面盆要放好.

(廿) 我走到門口頭迎接客人.

(廿一) 我問醫生第個毛病醫得好否, 伊話慢慢能會好個.

(廿二) 紙頭, 墨, 筆, 硯台, 中國人算讀書人個四樣寶貝.

(Translate into Chinese)

(1) Which is easier, to learn to read Chinese or to learn to write Chinese?

(2) I told you there was not time to do it; why do you still want to do it?

(3) Why do you cry? Because I have heard that my friend is dead.

(4) We will go early to-morrow morning to meet our friends, who have come from abroad.

(5) Goats like to stand on the tops of the grave mounds.

(6) You say that this temple is so fine to see, that I want to go more than ever to see it.

(7) Please, teacher, do not speak so fast. If you will speak more slowly, I can understand.

(8) If you do not return it immediately, no matter, I can wait two or three days.

(9) Why did not the pupil come to school? Because he was sick.

(10) I told the servant to put my clothes in the drawer.

(11) The Chinese when they eat, use bowls; the foreigners use plates.

(12) This fan belongs either to the teacher or to the pupil.

(13) If you want to learn to write you must buy a pen, a piece of ink, and an ink tablet.

(14) If you borrow money from another person, and do not return it, he will be unhappy.

(15) I told the driver to stop the carriage at my friend’s house.

(一) 那裏一樣容易點學讀中國書呢還是學寫中國字.

(二) 我對儂話來勿及做儂爲啥佬仍舊要做?

(三) 儂爲啥佬哭? 因爲我聽得我個朋友已經過世哉.

(四) 明朝早晨頭我伲要去迎接外國來個朋友.

(五) 山羊歡喜立拉坟山上.

(六) 儂話第座廟是實蓋好看所以我更加要去看.

(七) 請先生勿要話來實蓋快, 若然先生話來慢點, 我可以聽得出.

(八) 若然儂勿是就還勿礙啥, 我可以等兩三日.

(九) 學生子爲啥佬勿到學堂裏來? 因爲伊生病佬.

(十) 我叫用人放我個衣裳拉抽屜裏.

(十一) 中國人吃飯個辰光用碗外國人用盆子.

(十二) 第把扇子或者是先生個或者是學生子個.

(十三) 若然儂要學寫字儂總要買一管筆一塊墨佬一個硯台.

(十四) 若然儂拉別人壗頭借銅錢佬勿還個伊要勿快活.

(十五) 我叫馬夫停馬車拉我個朋友屋裏.

Notes.

(1) The word for “to borrow” and “to lend” is exactly the same in Chinese. The only way you can distinguish between them is by auxiliary words used in connection with them. Thus Tsia° peh (借撥) means “to lend.” Tsia° le (借來) means “to borrow.” Again Tsia° chi° (借去) means “to lend.” But we have such constructions as °Ngoo tsia° la° yi (我借拉伊), meaning “I lend to him,” and °Ngoo la° yi han-deu tsia° kuh (我拉伊壗頭借個), meaning “I borrowed it from him.”

(2) In the fifth sentence of the First Exercise Dok° °chi means “read begin,” and ding means “stop.” This is an ordinary form for asking where to begin the lesson and where to end it.

(3) In the fourteenth sentence of the First Exercise notice how doo° qualifies the verb khok.

(4) The twenty-second sentence of the First Exercise is a paraphrase of a Chinese proverb.