LESSON XXIX Some Useful Phrases

As will be seen from the lessons already gone over Chinese is very largely composed of idiomatic phrases. The only way to become acquainted with these phrases is by the constant hearing of the spoken language. We shall introduce in this lesson a few useful phrases and show how they occur in sentences.

“All one’s life,” ih sang-ih-s° (一生一世). Lit. “One life, one world.” “To run about,” Bau-le-bau-chi° (跑來跑去). Lit. “Run come, run go.” “To decide,” Lih-ding-°tsu-i° (立定主意). Lit. “To stand still the will.”

Good-bye (French, au-revoir), An°-hyih-we° (宴歇會). Lit. “We will meet later,” or Tse°-we° (再會). Lit. “I will see you again.”

The ordinary way of saying “good-bye” when you have been to call on a person is to say Chi°-tse (去哉). Lit. “I am going.” Your host will say Man°-chi° (慢去), meaning “Go slowly.”

The expression. Kan-nyih-we° (間日會) would mean: “I will see you in a day or two.”

“Universal” °Phoo-thien-‘au° (普天下), or ‘Eh-thien-°ti-°‘au (合天底下). Lit. “Beneath the whole of heaven.”

“Useless, in vain,” Bak-bak-°li (白白裏). “Indispensable” is °Ba-’veh-tuk (罷勿得).

VOCABULARY

If it be so, kyi°-zen zeh-ke 既然實蓋.

By chance, °ngeu-zen 偶然.

Purposely, °yeu-i° 有意, or koo°-i° 故意.

At the point of, °kyi-oo 幾乎.

For the most part, generally, da°-liak 大略.

Suddenly, hweh-zen 忽然.

Instantaneous, lih-khuh 立刻.

Advantage, profit, iuh-tshu° 益處, or °hau-tshu° 好處.

Lord, °Tsu 主.

Master, °tsu-nyung 主人, or toong-ka 東家.

Heavenly Lord (a term used for God), Thien-°tsu 天主.

God, Zung 神 °Zang-ti° 上帝.

Omnipotent, voo-°soo-peh-nung 無所不能.

Omnipresent, voo-°soo-peh-°dze 無所不在.

Omniscient, voo-°soo-peh-ts 無所不知.

Life, sing°-ming° 性命.

A dragon, ih diau loong 一條龍.

An account book, ih °pung tsang°-°boo 一本帳簿.

A small blank book, ih °pung °boo-ts 一本簿子.

Carefully, °ts-si° 仔細.

To waste, fi°-theh 廢脫.

A carpet, ih diau mau-°than 一條毛毯.

°Boo (部) is the classifier for sets of books.

A set of books, ih °boo su 一部書.

A flag, ih mien° ji 一面旗.

Angry, doong-chi° 動氣.

Still, dzung-jeu° 仍舊.

Originally, °pung-le 本來.

Drowned, dzung-sah 沉殺.

Sign, symbol, ‘au° 號.

A mirror, ih mien° kyung°-°ts 一面鏡子.

EXERCISES

(Translate into English)

(1) Noong° zeh-ke° tsoo° meh, °khoong-pho° ih-sang-ih-s° iau° au-lau° tse.

(2) °Ngoo bak-bak-°li te° yi wo°, yi dzung-jeu° ’veh thing.

(3) Sien-sang tsiang iau° chi° yi te° °ngoo wo°, chi°-tse°, °lau °ngoo te° yi wo°, man°-chi°.

(4) Noong° iung-ke lih-ding-°tsu-i° ’veh tsoo° zeh-ke° than-tshoong° kuh z°-°thi.

(5) Thien-°tsu °z voo-°soo-peh nung, voo-°soo-peh-°dze, °lau voo-°soo-peh-ts°.

(6) Nyung iau° khoen° z°-ka mien°-khoong meh, ih mien° kyung°-°ts °z °ba-’veh-tuk-kuh.

(7) Tuh-dzak° °phoo-thien-‘au° °lau se-theh-°ts z°-ka-kuh sing°-ming° meh °yeu sa° iuh-tshu° nyi?

(8) Di°-tsak °mo la° dien °li bau-le-bau-chi°, van-nan tsauh-dzak kuh.

(9) Di° °boo su °yeu °kyi °pung? °Yeu nyan° °pung.

(10) Kyi° zen zeh-ke°-nung, nan-meh °ngoo ’veh °hau wo° sa°.

(11) ‘Auh-sang-°ts °tang-se° poo-li °z °yeu-i° nyi wan-z °ngeu-zen kuh z°-°thi?

(12) I-kuh nyung tih la° pang °li, °kyi-‘oo dzung-sah, dan°-°z °yeu ih kuh nyung le thoo yi chi°-le.

(13) °‘Au-pen°-nyih hweh-zen fah-°chi doo° foong le.

(14) ‘Auh-daung-°li °loong-°tsoong °yeu °kyi-kuh ‘auh-sang-°ts? Da°-iak °yeu san pak kuh.

(15) °Ngoo kyau° yi lih-khuh °doong-sung.

(16) Tsoong-kok ji-‘au° °z ’man °hau khoen°.

(17) Di°-kuh nyung °pung-le °z auh nyung, yien°-°dze hwe°-°ke-tse.

(18) °Ngoo au-lau° °ma-°ts di°-diau mau-°than, we°-ts °than la° khak-daung °li thuh °siau.

(19) Noong° seu-tsing°-le °lau foo-°tsheh-chi°-kuh °loong-°tsoong iau° kyi° la° tsang°-°boo laung°.

(20) Di°-kuh ‘auh-sang-°ts iau° the°-theh, iung-we° su dok-’veh °zaung.

(一) 儂實蓋做末恐怕一生一世要懊憦哉.

(二) 我白白裏對伊話伊仍舊勿聽.

(三) 先生將要去伊對我話去哉我對伊話慢去.

(四) 儂應該立定主意勿做實蓋坍銃個事體.

(五) 天主是無所不能無所不在佬無所不知.

(六) 人要看自家面孔末一面鏡子是罷勿得個.

(七) 得着普天下佬失脫之自家個性命末有啥益處呢.

(八) 第隻馬拉田裏跑來跑去煩難捉着個.

(九) 笫部書有幾本? 有念本.

(十) 旣然實蓋能難末我勿好話啥.

(十一) 學生子打碎玻璃是有意呢還是偶然個事體.

(十二) 伊個人跌拉浜裏幾乎沉殺但是有一個人來拖伊起來.

(十三) 下半日忽然發起大風來.

(十四) 學堂裏攏總有幾個學生子? 大約有三百個.

(十五) 我叫伊立刻動身.

(十六) 中國旗號是蠻好看.

(十七) 第個人本來是惡人現在悔改哉.

(十八) 我懊憦買之第條毛毯爲之攤拉客堂裏忒小.

(十九) 儂收進來佬付出去個攏總要記拉帳簿上.

(二十) 第個學生子要退脫因爲書讀勿上.

(Translate into Chinese)

(1) The man is very sick, even at the point of death.

(2) One should not only think how to get profit for oneself, but how to give advantage to others.

(3) In the evening the master gave the servants their wages.

(4) I think that he offended me purposely, and therefore I am angry.

(5) A student should not only learn while in school, but should be learning all his life.

(6) I saw a dragon come up suddenly out of the water.

(7) Truly all men under heaven are brethren, and ought to love one another.

(8) A business man can see from his account book how much he has gained in his business or how much he has lost.

(9) If you really ran very fast, how is it that you did not arrive sooner?

(10) I have looked over this book in a general way, but I have not read it carefully.

(11) If you wish to repent and become a good man, the first thing is to make up your own mind.

(12) I knew the boat was a Chinese one, because they hoisted the Chinese flag.

(13) A man’s life is most precious, so he ought to take care of his body.

(14) When I had finished the work I found he had already done the same thing, and so I had wasted my time to no purpose.

(15) The children like to run about and play in the garden.

(一) 第個人毛病蠻重幾乎要死.

(二) 人勿但要想到自家個益處也要想到別人個益處.

(三) 拉夜快主人發工錢拉伊個用人.

(四) 我想伊有意得罪我所以我動氣.

(五) 學生子勿但拉學堂裏要學, 一生一世應該學個.

(六) 我看見一條龍從水裏忽然上來.

(七) 普天下人實在是弟兄應該大家相愛.

(八) 生意人從帳簿上可以看伊賺之幾化或者失脫之幾化.

(九) 旣然儂跑來快爲啥佬勿早點到?

(十) 我大略看過第本書但是勿曾仔細看.

(十一) 若然儂要悔改成功好個人, 頭一要自家立定主意.

(十二) 我曉得第隻船是中國船因爲伊扯拉個是中國旗.

(十三) 人個性命是頂寶貝個所以應該當心自家個身髓.

(十四) 我做好之第個生活我看別人搭我一樣個所以我白白裏廢脫第個工夫.

(十五) 小囝拉花園裏歡喜跑來跑去勃相.

Notes.

(1) Thien-°tsu is the term used for God by the Romanists and by some Protestants. The other terms used for God are Zung (神), Lit. “a Spirit” and °Zang-ti° (上帝), Lit. “The Celestial Ruler.”

(2) In the fourteenth sentence of the Second Exercise for “to no purpose,” one can say Bak-bak-li-fi°-theh, or the bak (白) can be used with the verb. Thus we can say Bak fi°-theh (白廢脫). Bak is often need in this way with verbs. Thus Bak-tsoo° (白做), “to do in vain.” Bak °siang (白想), “to think in vain, to no purpose,” etc.

(3) In the eleventh sentence of the First Exercise Wan°-z may be translated “or.”