LESSON XXVI Family Relations

The relations in Chinese are exceedingly complex. Here only the simplest will be given. To be able to understand the complicated ramifications will take a long time, and can only be learnt by long experience.

It must be noted that different words are used when one speaks of his own relations from what are used when another person is referring to them. In the latter case more polite language is employed.

Thus the following words for “father” are used: If you yourself are speaking of your father, you might call him Ya (爺), or °Lau-nyang-ka (老娘家), or Kya-°voo (家父), or °Voo-tshing (父親), or Kya-nyien (家嚴). Other people would refer to your father if they were polite as Tsung-da°-zung (尊大人) Lit. “The honorable great man.” Kya (家) or Ling°-tsung (令尊). Children often call their father Tia-tia (爹爹), or Ya-ya (爺爺), or Pak-pak (伯伯).

So in regard to mother. If you speak of her you say Nyang (娘), or Kya-°moo (家母), or °Moo-tshing (母親), or Kya-dz (家慈). If you speak of the mother of another person you may say Ling°-daung (令堂).

Brother is different as to whether you refer to an older or a younger one. An older brother is Ak-koo (阿哥). A younger brother is Hyoong-°di (兄弟). Brothers (plural) is Di°-hyoong or hyoong-°di (弟兄). A familiar term for a younger brother is °Di-°di (弟弟). An older sister is Ah-°tsi (阿姊). A younger sister is Me°-me° (妹妹). °Tsi-me° (姊妹) means sister or sisters.

In referring to a son a father would call him Nyi-°ts (兒子) or °Siau-noen (小囝); others would refer to your son by saying Ling°-laung (令郞) or (公郞) Koong-laung. In speaking of one’s own daughter you would say °Siau-°nyui (小女); others would refer to her as Tshien-kyung (千金) Lit. “A thousand catties of gold,” or Ling°- e° (令嬡).

VOCABULARY

To love, e° 愛.

To love reciprocally, siang-e° 相愛.

To injure, ‘e° 害.

To be injured, °zeu-‘e° 受害.

To begin, °chi 起.

A beginning, °chi-deu 起頭, or khe-dzang 開塲.

To repair, sieu 修, or seu-tsauh 收作.

Repairs, sieu-°li 修理.

To take hold of, to grasp, nyah 揑.

To receive or accept, °zeu 受.

To suffer, °zeu-°khoo 受苦, or °zeu-nan° 受難.

To hand, to deliver in person, dzeu° 授.

To save, be economical, °sang 省, or tsoo° nyung-ka 做人家.

To save time, °sang koong-foo 省功夫.

To waste, to be extravagant, saung 傷.

To seal officially, or to seal an envelope; to deify; to exalt to a high station, foong 封.

To rely upon, to entrust, khau° 靠, khau°-thauh 靠托, or thauh 托.

A battery or a fort, ih kuh phau°-de 一個礮台.

A deer, ih tsak lok 一隻鹿.

To hunt, °tang-lih 打獵.

A hare, ih tsak thoo°-°ts 一隻兔子.

A fox, ih tsak ‘oo-li 一隻狐狸.

A wolf, ih tsak za-laung 一隻豺狼.

A squirrel, ih tsak soong-°su 一隻松鼠.

A weasel, ih tsak waung-laung 一隻黄狼.

A pheasant, ih tsak °ya-kyi 一隻野鷄.

A goose, ih tsak ngoo 一隻鵝.

A set of dice, ih foo° deu°-°ts 一副骰子.

To gamble with cash, °too doong-dien 賭銅錢.

To gamble with dice, zak deu°-°ts 擲骰子.

A set of dominoes, ih foo° ba 一副牌.

To gamble with dominoes, teu° ba 鬭牌.

Again, tse° 再.

Medicine, yak 藥.

Tobacco, ien 烟.

A gun, ih °kwen yang-tshiang 一桿洋槍.

Powder, °hoo-yak 火藥. Lit Fiery medicine.

Tide flowing out, lauh-°s 落水.

Tide coming in, tsang°-°s 漲水.

Firmly, lau 牢.

As, ziang 像.

All (collective), thok 秃.

EXERCISES

(Translate into English)

(1) Zauh-nyih °ngoo tan-°ts yang-tshiang tau° san laung° chi° °tang-lih, °tang-dzak-ts san tsak lok lau s° tsak thoo°-°ts °lau ih tsak soong-°su.

(2) °Ngoo °bang-dzak-°ts ih kuh nyung la° °tang °tiau, yi °i-kyung °tang-dzak-°ts s° tsak °ya-kyi °lau ih tsak °ya-ngoo.

(3) Teu° ba °lau zak deu-°ts thok °z ’veh °hau.

(4) Di°-kuh phau°-de °yeu °ng tsung phau° °lau too-°hau °hoo-yak.

(5) Zauh-ya°-deu °yeu waung-laung theu kyi, ’veh hyau°-tuh °z waung-laung nyi wan-°z ‘oo-li, kyung-ya°-deu °ting °hau °tung yi le °lau yoong° yang-tshiang °tang-sah yi.

(6) °Ngoo la° yi han-deu °zeu-°ts too-hau° meh-z°, iau° soong°-°tien sa° la° yi.

(7) Di°-foong sing° iau° foong-°hau dzeu° peh la° i-sung.

(8) Seu-tsauh vaung-°ts zieu° iau° °chi-deu, iung-we° °yeu too-hau° di°-faung iau° sieu-°li, zak-zen °tse an° meh °khoong-pho° le-’veh ji°.

(9) Too chuh °tsieu °lau too chuh ien° °z saung sung-°thi.

(10) Di°-kuh bing° °dzoong-tuh-juh, chuh yak °‘a m-yoong°-deu.

(11) Tsoo° nyung-ka meh, °khau-°i nyih-nyih °sang doong-dien.

(12) Di°-kuh si-°tse hwen-°hyi °too doong-dien °lau chuh °tsieu, zeh-dze khau°-’veh-dzu° kuh.

(13) °Ngoo thauh noong° tsoo° ih tsaung z°-thi, noong° we°-sa° ’veh zung tsoo°?

(14) Zeh-°ke tsoo°-deu saung koong-foo, iau° tsau° °ngoo wo° meh °hau.

(15) Di°-hyoong iung-ke da-ka siang-e°, ’veh iau° siang-mo° °lau siang-°tang.

(16) Tsung-da°-zung °hau-la°-va? Zia°-zia°, °lau-nyang-ka °hau-la°.

(17) Ya-nyang °i-kyung tsheh mung, pih-koo° ak-koo la° ok-°li.

(18)°Ngoo °yeu ih kuh ah-°tsi °lau °liang-kuk me°-me°.

(19) °Kyi-z iau° khe zen? Lauh-°s zieu° khe.

(20) Za-laung °z ’man hyoong-kuh °ya-seu°, hwen-°hyi chuh yang.

(21) Di°-kuh ih pe yak iau° peh la° bing° nyung chuh.

(22) Noong° °yeu °kyi-we° °ling-laung? °Yeu °liang-kuh °siau-noen.

(一) 昨日我担之洋槍到山上去打獵, 打着之三隻鹿佬四隻兔子佬一雙松鼠.

(二) 我掽着之一個人拉打窵, 伊已經打着之四隻野雞佬一隻野鵝.

(三) 鬥牌佬擲骰子禿是勿好.

(四) 第個砲台有五尊炮佬多化火藥.

(五) 昨夜頭有黃狼偷雞, 勿曉得是黃狼呢還是狐狸, 今夜頭頂好等伊來佬用洋槍打殺伊.

(六) 我拉伊壗頭受之多化物事, 要送點啥拉伊.

(七) 第封信要封好授撥拉醫生.

(八) 收作房子就要起頭, 因爲有多化地方要修理, 若然再晚末恐怕來勿及.

(九) 多吃酒佬多吃烟是傷身體.

(十) 第個病重得極吃藥也無用頭.

(十一) 做人家末可以日日省銅錢.

(十二) 第個西崽歡喜賭銅錢佬吃酒實在靠勿住個.

(十三) 我托儂做一樁事體爲啥勿曾做.

(十四) 實蓋做頭傷工夫要照我話末好.

(十五) 弟兄應該大家相愛勿要相駡佬相打.

(十六) 尊大人好拉否? 謝謝, 老娘家好拉.

(十七) 爺娘已經出門必過阿哥拉屋裏.

(十八) 我有一個阿姊佬兩個妹妹.

(十九) 幾時要開船? 落水就開.

(二十) 豺狼是蠻凶個野獸歡喜吃羊.

(廿一) 第個一杯藥要撥拉病人吃.

(廿二) 儂有幾位令郞? 有兩個小囝.

(Translate into Chinese)

(1) You should do to others as you would they should do to you.

(2) If we do not call the carpenter and mason to repair this house, we shall not be able to live in it.

(3) When I began I considered the study of Chinese very difficult; now I consider it easier.

(4) The younger brother should listen to the older brother’s words.

(5) You should love others as yourself.

(6) On the other side of the river there are many forts.

(7) This man wastes his money in drinking wine.

(8) Where did you get the money to buy these clothes? I saved it from my wages.

(9) The deer can run faster than the dog, but gets tired sooner.

(10) The father is head of the house.

(11) Hand this bowl of tea to the guest.

(12) I trust to you to help me do the work.

(13) The fox comes at night to steal chickens.

(14) Pheasants are fine birds to look at and are very good to eat.

(15), Geese and ducks like to remain in the water.

(16) The older sister takes care of her little sister.

(17) Take hold of it firmly in your hand and do not let it fall on the ground.

(18) According to what Chinese say, to become a good man you must repair your heart.

(一) 儂要人那能待儂儂也應該那能待別人.

(二) 若然伲勿叫木匠佬泥水匠來修房子, 我伲勿好住拉化.

(三) 我起頭讀個晨光我算中國書是煩難讀個, 現在算是容易點.

(四) 弟兄應該聽阿哥個說話.

(五) 儂應該愛別人像愛自家.

(六) 垃拉河過邊有多化砲台.

(七) 第個人吃酒佬傷脫伊個銅錢.

(八) 買第個衣裳儂那裏頭來個銅錢? 我工錢上省下來個.

(九) 鹿比之狗可以跑來快點, 但是鹿先要弛瘏.

(十) 爺末是一家個主.

(十一) 笫個一碗茶授撥拉客人.

(十二) 我托儂相幫我做第樁事體.

(十三) 狐狸是夜頭來偷雞.

(十四) 野雞是蠻好看個窵也是蠻好吃個.

(十五) 鵝佬鴨歡喜垃拉水裏向.

(十六) 阿姊是當心伊個小妹.

(十七) 揑牢拉手裏勿要放伊落拉地上.

(十八) 照中國人話成功好個人終要修儂個心.

Notes.

(1) In the sixth sentence of the First Exercise notice the expression Soong°-°tien-sa° 送點啥, meaning “to make a small present.”

(2) In the eighth sentence of the First Exercise notice the expression °Tse an° (再晚). Lit. “again late;” the idea is “if we wait any longer.”

(3) In the fourteenth sentence of the First Exercise notice the expression Tsau° °ngoo wo° meh °hau (照我話末好), Lit. “Follow my saying then good.”

(4) In the first sentence of the Second exercise the sentence would be turned round in Chinese, and we would say, Noong° iau° nyung na°-nung °de noong°, noong° °a iung-ke na°-nung °de bih nyung (儂要人那能待儂, 儂也應該那能待別人).