AMAH (阿媽).
Reading edition
Take baby out. 領小囝到外頭去 Ling siau-noen tau nga-deu chi.
Go to the Gardens. 領小囝到花園裡去 Ling siau-noen tau hwo-yoen-li chi.
If it is too cold, come home. 若是忒冷, 就轉來 Zak-z thuh lang, zieu tsen-le.
Don’t sit in the wind. 勿要坐拉風裡 ’Veh iau zoo la foong-li.
Don’t get in the sun. 勿要到日頭裡去 ’Veh iau tau nyih-deu-li chi.
Baby’s clothes you can wash. 小囝个衣裳要儂淨 Siau-noen-kuh i-zaung iau noong zing.
[You can] also iron them. 也要燙 ‘A iau thaung.
This you can give to the washerman. 第个可以撥汏衣裳个人淨 Di-kuh khau-i peh da-i-zaung-kuh nyung zing.
Use hot water to wash flannel. 𠵽㘓絨用熱水淨 Fah-lan-nyoong yoong nyih-s zing.
This water is too cold. 第个水忒冷 Di-kuh s thuh lang.
Wring dry. 要絞來乾點 Iau kau le koen tien.
Hang them up (as on a line to dry or air). 要晾起來 Iau laung-chi-le.
Shake well and hang up in the sun. 要抖抖咾晒拉日頭裏 Iau teu-teu lau so la nyih-deu-li.
[When] ironing clothes, do not have them too dry. 衣裳要燙, 勿要忒乾 I-zaung iau thaung, ’veh iau thuh koen.
Mend this. 第个要補 Di-kuh iau poo.
Mend these stockings. 第雙襪要補 Di-saung mah iau poo.
[I] want you to knit stockings. 要儂結一雙襪 Iau noong kyih ih-saung mah.
I want you to sew this. 我要儂做 (or 縫) 第个 Ngoo iau noong tsoo (or voong) di-kuh.
I cannot sew. 我縫勿來个 Ngoo voong-’veh-le-kuh.
Then you must learn. 蓋末儂要學 Keh-meh noong iau ‘auh.
My children are not very small; so, therefore, I want you to sew and knit and help me (lit., help in hand work). 我个小囝勿算頂小, 所以要儂相帮我做手裡生活 Ngoo-kuh siau-noen ’veh soen ting siau, soo-i iau noong siang-paung ngoo tsoo seu-li sang-weh.
Put on (baby’s) outdoor clothes and take him out. 著之外罩衣裳咾領伊到外頭去 Tsak-ts nga-tsau-i-zaung lau ling yi tau nga-deu chi.
Don’t buy anything and give her to eat. 勿要買啥物事撥伊吃 ’Veh iau ma sa meh-z peh yi chuh.
Don’t give him anything to eat unless I say so. 若是我勿告訴儂末, 儂勿要撥啥伊吃 Zak-z ngoo ’veh kau-soo noong meh, noong ’veh iau peh sa yi chuh.
Because she is sick she cannot eat this. 爲之伊有毛病, 所以勿能吃第个 We-ts yi yeu mau-bing, soo-i ’veh nung chuh di-kuh.
My wages are too small, please increase them. 我个工錢勿彀, 請儂加點 Ngoo-kuh koong-dien ’veh keu, tshing noong ka-tien.
Just now I cannot increase; afterwards I will give you more. 現在我勿能加, 後首咾加儂 Yien-dze ngoo ’veh nung ka, ‘eu-seu lau ka noong.
If you cannot give more now, I must leave you. 若是儂現在勿能加, 我只得停 (or 離開儂) Zah-z noong yien-dze ’veh nung ka, ngoo tsuh-tuh ding (or li-khe noong).
Beginning with next month I promise to increase one dollar; next year I will again raise you one dollar. 下个月起頭我應許加儂一塊, 到開年我再加儂一塊 ‘Au-kuh-nyoeh chi-deu ngoo iung-hyui ka noong ih-khwe, tau khe-nien ngoo tse ka noong ih-khwe.