LESSON XXXI Polite Language

In the Chinese language there are a great many polite phrases used in conversation. The ability to use these is a sign of education. Every student of the language should become acquainted with the most common ones, for he will have occasion to use them constantly. Some of these phrases have been introduced and explained in these lessons already, but here an attempt will be made to gather together all those that would be ordinarily used is conversation.

When you meet any one for the first time, according to Chinese etiquette you are at liberty to ask him what his honorable name may be. The expression for this is Tsung sing° (尊姓), or Kwe°-sing° (貴姓). In answer he will tell you his surname, but in doing so he will refer to it as his humble name. Thus he will say Bi°-sing° Tsang (敝姓張) (if his surname is Tsang).

Next you might proceed to inquire what his other name was, that is, his private name in distinction from his surname. This you would ask by saying °Tshing kyau° da° ‘au° (請叫大號), “Please teach me your great appellation” or The °foo (台甫). In answer he might say °Tshau-z° Kya-foo (草字嘉甫), meaning “the grass characters are Kya-foo,” or he might say °Siau-ming (小名). (Kya-foo is taken as an example of a name).

Then you might proceed to ask his age. This you would do by saying Too-sau kwe°-kang (多少貴庚). The answer would be °Ngoo hyui doo° san seh soe° (我虛度三十歲). Lit. “I have vainly passed thirty years.” If you ask an old gentleman his age, you would say °Kyi-hau° kau-zeu° (幾化高壽). Lit. “What is your high longevity?”

If you ask a person how he is, as has been already intimated, you would say °Hau-la°-va° (好拉否). The answer might be Khau° fok (靠福), meaning “I depend upon you for my happiness.”

If a person asked you how many years you had been in China, he would say Tau°-ts bi°-kok °kyi z-tse (到之敝國幾時哉). You would answer °Ngoo tau°-ts kwe°-kok nyan nyien (我到之貴國念年). “I arrived in your honorable country twenty years ago” (or any length of time you had been in the country).

When you are asking a guest to take a seat, if he is at all an honorable guest, you must request him to take an honorable seat. This you do by saying °Tshing °zaung-deu °zoo (請上頭坐), meaning “Please sit up higher.”

In asking how many children you have your guest would say °Kyi-we °sau-kyuin (幾位少君), “How many little princes have you.” Your answer is San kuh °siau-koen (三個小干), or °san kuh °siau-noen (三個小囝), or san kuh °siau-°choen (三個小犬).

At table, if you finish before others, you raise your chop-sticks and say to the others Man°-yoong° (慢用), “use slowly.” Then place the chop-sticks on top of the bowl. Your host could answer Yoong°-°pau (用飽), meaning, “Take plenty.”

When a guest is leaving, in addition to saying Chi°-tse, he may say Kyung-tshau 驚吵), meaning, “I have troubled you.” Your answer may be De-man de-man (待慢), meaning, “I have treated you without proper respect.” Or he may say, as he is walking away °Tshing lieu kyung-boo° (請留經步), meaning, “Please restrain your orderly footsteps”; or simply Lieu-boo°, meaning “Don’t trouble to come out.” If you have to excuse yourself after a short stay, you should say Sau-be (少陪).

VOCABULARY

England, Iung-kok 英國.

America, °Me-kok 美國, or Hwo-ji-kok 花旗國. Lit., Kingdom of the Flowery Flag.

France, Fah-kok 法國.

Germany, Tuh-kok 德國.

Russia, Ngoo-kok 俄國.

Antiquity, anciently, °koo-z-kan 古時間.

Neighbor, ling-°so 鄰舍.

A godown, °dzan-vaung 棧房.

Inconceivable, °siang-’veh-tau 想勿到.

Lazy, °lan-phok 懶朴, or °lan-doo° 懶惰.

Tricky, diau°-bi 掉皮.

Communication, intercourse, le-°waung 來往.

Matches, z°-le-°hoo 自來火.

Next (juxtaposition), kah-pih 隔壁.

Promise, iung°-°hyui 應許.

Recently, °jung-le 近來.

To meet with misfortune, chuh °khoo 吃苦. Literally, “Eat bitterness.”

Comfortable, suh-i° 適意.

The earlier the better, yoeh-°tsau yoeh-°hau 越早越好.

To relax the mind, san° sing 散心.

Soap, bi-zau° 肥皂.

To strike a match, wak 劃.

EXERCISES

(Translate into English)

(1) Di°-foong sing° iau° noong° tan tau° yeu-tsung°-jok °li chi°.

(2) °Koo-z-kan Tsoong-kok tah-ts bih-kuh kok-doo° ih ngan ’veh le-°waung.

(3) °Jung-le Ngoo-kok tah-ts Toong-yang da°-ka °tang-tsang°.

(4) Dzu° la kah-pih kuh nyung °z kyau° ling-°so.

(5) Di°-kuh nyung ’veh ba° °z °lan-phok, ‘a-z diau°-bi.

(6) Sang-i°-nyung la° °dzan-vaung °li tsaung-ts too-hau° hoo°-suh.

(7) °Tshing °zoo la° bih-kuh iui°-°ts laung°, °i-tsak ’veh da° suh-i°.

(8) °Ngoo iung°-°hyui °ngoo kuh si-tse, zak-zen tsoo° le °hau meh iau° ka yi-kuh koong-dien.

(9) I-kuh nyung we°-ts chuh °tsieu, °too doong-dien, °lau ’veh °lau-zeh °i-kyung chuh-ts too-hau° khoo.

(10) Tsoong-kok tah °Me-kok tsho-’veh-too ih yang° doo°-°siau.

(11) °Pung-le °Me-kok nyung °z dzoong Iung-kok le kuh.

(12) Di°-foong sing° °kyi-z iau° °ngoo °sia kuh? Yoeh-°tsau yoeh-°hau.

(13) I-kuh nyung zeh-ke° diau°-bi zeh-°dze °siang-’veh-tau°-kuh.

(14) °Seu °lau mien°-khoong iau° kha le koen-zing meh °tsoong iau° yoong° bi-zau°.

(15) Iau° wak z°-le-°hoo tsoong iau° wak la° ‘ah-°ts laung°, ’veh zen meh ’veh we° yaung.

(一) 第封信要儂担到郵政局裏去.

(二) 古時間中國搭之別個國度一顔勿來往.

(三) 近來俄國搭之東洋大家打仗.

(四) 住拉隔壁個人是叫鄰舍.

(五) 第個人勿罷是懶朴也是掉皮.

(六) 生意人拉棧房裏裝之多化貨色.

(七) 請坐拉別個椅子上伊隻勿大適意.

(八) 我應許我個西崽若然做來好末要加伊個工錢.

(九) 伊個人爲之吃酒賭銅錢佬勿老實已經吃之多化苦.

(十) 中國搭美國差勿多一樣大小.

(十一) 本來美國人是從英國來個.

(十二) 第封信幾時要我寫個? 越早越好.

(十三) 伊個人實蓋掉皮實在想勿到個.

(十四) 手佬面孔要揩來乾淨末終要用肥皂.

(十五) 要劃自來火終要劃拉匣子上勿然末勿會旺.

(Translate into Chinese)

(1) You should love your neighbor as yourself.

(2) All over China now there are post offices, and you can send a letter to any part of China for three cents.

(3) America is called the Kingdom of the Flowery Flag, because its flag is very beautiful.

(4) A lazy man likes to get up late in the day, and during the day he likes to go to sleep.

(5) Germany and France are next to one another on the map.

(6) The fox is one of the most tricky of all the animals.

(7) How long have you been in my humble country? I arrived in your honorable country only about one year ago.

(8) Since I have promised it, I will certainly do as I said.

(9) In ancient times most men were unable to read and write; now a large portion of the people can do so.

(10) Children should not play with matches because they might set the house on fire.

(11) Men can not always be using their minds; they must at times relax their minds.

(12) Yesterday I felt very wretched, and was in bed all day; to-day I am more comfortable.

(一) 儂應該愛鄰舍像愛自家.

(二) 垃拉中國各處地方有郵政局三分洋錢可以送一封信到隨便那裏頭.

(三) 美國是叫花旗國因爲伊個旗是蠻好看.

(四) 懶朴個人是歡喜晚碌起來日裏也要睏.

(五) 德國搭之法國垃拉地理圖上是隔壁.

(六) 拉中牲當中狐狸蠻掉皮個.

(七) 到之敝國幾時哉? 到之貴國不過年把.

(八) 我旣然應許個一定要照我話個佬做.

(九) 拉古時間攏總人勿會讀書佬寫字現在大一半人可以個.

(十) 小囝勿應該拿自來火來弄勃相恐怕要弄開火來.

(十一) 人勿可以常莊用心有常時末終要散心.

(十二) 昨日我一顔勿好一日睏拉床上今朝稍爲適意點.

Notes.

(1) In the third sentence of the First Exercise da-ka (大家) means “together.”

(2) In the fifteenth sentence notice the ’Veh zen meh (勿然末), meaning, “If not so.”

(3) In the tenth sentence of the Second Exercise “to set the house on fire,” may be translated Loong khe °hoo le 弄開火來.

(4) In the eleventh sentence of the Second Exercise Yoong°-sing (用心) and San°-sing (散心) are just the opposite of one another.