THE MERCHANT.

Have you any business to-day? 今朝儂有啥事體否 Kyung-tsau noong yeu sa z-thi va?

Do you wish to order anything to-day? 今朝儂要定啥貨色否 Kyung-tsau noong iau ding* sa hoo-suh va?

Yes, I want to order.* 我要定个 Ngoo iau ding kuh. * Ding (定) and Ta (帶) are commonly used in Shanghai as equivalents for “order.” Ding actually contains the idea of contract and money paid; Ta actually contains the idea of bringing the goods with you; but they each have a wider significance.

I do not want to order. 我勿要定啥貨 Ngoo ’veh iau ding sa hoo.

I want to purchase. 我要買 Ngoo iau ma.

I want to sell. 我要賣脫 Ngoo iau ma-theh.

It cannot be bought (i.e., Can not sell at that price). 買勿動 Ma ’veh doong.

It can be bought (i.e., Can sell at that price). 買得動 (or 可以買) Ma tuh-doong (or Khau-i ma).

What do you want to buy? 儂要買啥物事 Noong iau ma sa meh-z?

Will you sell? 儂要賣脫否 Noong iau ma-theh va?

What is the price of this? 第个啥價錢 Di-kuh sa ka-dien?

[This] price is too dear. 價錢忒貴 Ka-dien thuh kyui.

When will the goods come? 貨色幾時到 Hoo-suh kyi-z tau?

If too late I cannot use them. 若是忒慢我用勿著 Zak-z thuh man, ngoo yoong-’veh-dzak.

These goods are worse than last time. 第回个貨色比上次恘 (or 退班) Di-we kuh hoo-suh pi zaung ths cheu (or the-pan).

To-day I have goods to be imported. 今朝我有貨色進口 Kyung-tsau ngoo yeu hoo-suh tsing-kheu.

To-day I have goods to export. 今朝我有貨色出口 Kyung-tsau ngoo yeu hoo-suh tsheh-kheu.

To-day I have goods to tranship. 今朝我有貨色過船 Kyung-tsau ngoo yeu hoo-suh koo-zen.

To-day I have goods to re-export. 今朝我有貨色轉口 Kyung-tsau ngoo yeu hoo-suh tsen-kheu.

How much duty on these goods? 第个貨色要完幾化稅 Di-kuh hoo-suh iau wen kyi-hau soe?

Has the Duty Memo come? 稅單有來否 Soe-tan yeu le va?

Have you received the Duty Memo? 稅單儂收着末 Soe-tan noong seu-dzak meh?

[Duty Memo] has not come yet. [稅單]還勿曾到 Wan ’veh-zung tau.

Duty has been paid. 稅已經完拉哉 Soe i-kyung wen la tse.

Duty has not been paid. 稅勿曾完過 Soe ’veh-zung wen-koo.

Please pay your duty. 請完儂个稅 Tshing wen noong-kuh soe.

Make out the Import application. 要預備進口單 Iau yui-be tsing-kheu-tan.

Make out the Export application. 要預備出口單 Iau yui-be tsheh-kheu-tan.

Take delivery of the goods at once. 貨色就要提轉來 Hoo-suh zieu iau di-tsen-le.

Put these goods in the godown. 貨色可以寄拉棧房裡 Hoo-suh khau-i kyi la dzan-vaung-li. When one’s own godown is meant, 上 zaung is used in place of 寄 kyi.

Is there any storage? 要啥棧租否 Iau sa dzan-tsoo va?

How much storage is there? 要幾化棧租 Iau kyi-hau dzan-tsoo?

Among them, four bales are damaged by water; I cannot receive them. 內中四件有水濕个, 我勿能收 Ne-tsong-s-jien yeu s sah-kuh; ngoo ’veh-nung seu.

You brought the delivery order too late, therefore I cannot pay storage. 儂提單送來忒晏, 所以我勿能付棧租 Noong di-tan soong le thuh-an, soo-i ngoo ’veh-nung foo dzan-tsoo.

The goods are now at Pootung. 貨色現在拉浦東 Hoo-suh yien-dze la Phoo-toong.

Do you want a Customs Pass? 儂要派司否 Noong iau pha-s va?

Yes, I want one. 要个 Iau-kuh.

No, I do not want any. 勿要 ’Veh iau.

How many passes do you want? 儂要幾張派司 Noong iau kyi tsang pha-s?

I want one pass. 我要一張派司 Ngoo iau ih-tsang pha-s.

I want two passes. 我要兩張派司 Ngoo iau liang-tsang pha-s.

Please put my goods through the Customs quickly. 我个貨色請儂快點報關 Ngoo-kuh hoo-suh tshing noong khwa-tien pau kwan.

Has the steamer arrived? 輪船到末 Lung-zen tau meh?

When will the steamer arrive? 輪船幾時到 Lung-zen kyi-z tau?

What is the name of the steamer? 輪船个名頭呌啥 Lung-zen-kuh ming-deu kyau sa?

To what Company does the steamer belong? 啥人家行裡个輪船 Sa-nyung-ka ‘aung-li-kuh lung-zen?

At what wharf is she discharging? 拉那裏一个碼頭缷貨 La ‘a-li ih-kuh mo-deu sia-hoo?

At Hongkew (Jardine’s) Wharf. 拉虹口怡和碼頭 La ‘Oong-kheu Yi-woo Mo-deu.

At Pootung Wharf. 拉浦東碼頭 La Phoo-toong Mo-deu.

At China Merchants’ Lower Wharf. 拉招商局北棧碼頭 La Tsau-saung jok Pok-dzan Mo-deu.

At Yangtze Wharf. 拉揚子碼頭 La Yang-ts Mo-deu.

At Old Ningpo Wharf. 拉老甯波碼頭 La Lau Nyung-poo Mo-deu.

What are your shipping marks? 㑚个記號 [or 墨頭] 是啥 Na-kuh kyi-‘au [or muh-deu] z sa?

To-day exchange (shilling) is good. 今朝先令行情蠻好 Kyung-tsau sien-ling ‘aung-dzing ’man-hau.

To-day exchange is rising. 今朝先令行情漲者 Kyung-tsau sien-ling ‘aung-dzing tsang-tse.

How is exchange (native) to-day? 今朝个釐頭是那能 Kyung-tsau kuh li-deu z na-nung?

Exchange has gone up. 釐頭漲哉 Li-deu tsang-tse.

Exchange has gone down. 釐頭跌哉 Li-deu tih tse.

Silver is strong to-day. 今朝个銀根寬 Kyung-tsau-kuh nyung-kung khwen.

Silver is weak to-day. 今朝个銀根緊 Kyung-tsau-kuh nyung-kung kyung.

What is your opinion of exchange? 儂个意思釐頭那能 Noong-kuh i-s li-deu na-nung?

I cannot say. 我勿能話 Ngoo ’veh nung wo.

I think it will go up. 我想要漲點 Ngoo siang iau tsang-tien.

I think it will go down. 双想要跌點 Ngoo siang iau tih-tien.

How is business to-day? 今朝个生意那能 Kyung-tsau-kuh sang-i na-nung?

Is your business good? 儂个生意好否 Noong-kuh sang-i hau va?

Is there any improvement? 有啥起色否 Yeu sa chi-suh va?

No, about the same. 差勿多 Tsho-’veh-too.

How is the market? 市面那能 Z-mien na-nung?

The market is steady. 市面是穩當个 Z-mien z ’wung-taung-kuh.

Prices are high to-day. 今朝个價錢貴哉 Kyung tsau-kuh ka-dien kyui-tse.

Prices are low to-day. 今朝个價錢 [C1]哉 Kyung-tsau-kuh ka-dien jang tse.

The market is much stronger. 市面寬子多化哉 Z-mien khwen-ts too-hau tse.

The market is much weaker. 市面緊子多化哉 Z-mien kyung-ts too-hau tse.

How is the cotton market to-day? 今朝棉花市面那能 Kyung-tsau mien-hwo z-mien na-nung?

This year’s tea business is better than last year’s. 今年茶葉市面此舊年好點 Kyung-nien dzo-yih z-mien pi jeu-nien hau-tien.

At present trade in foreign goods is not very remunerative. 近來做洋貨生意勿能賺銅錢个 Jung-le tsoo yang-hoo sang-i veh-nung dzan doong-dien-kuh.

Call the compradore. 請賬房 (or 買辦) 來 Tshing tsang-vaung (or ’ma-ban) le.

Call the shroff. 呌收賬个 (or 式老夫) 來 Kyau seu-tsang-kuh (or seh-lau-fu) le.

Call the coolie. 呌出店 (or 小工) 來 Kyau tsheh-tien (or siau-koong) le.

Take this letter to the Chinese Post office. 第个信送到郵政局去 Di-kuh sing soong tau Yeu-tsung-jok chi.

British Post Office. 大英書新館 Da-iung Su-sing-kwen.

United States Post Office. 花旗書信館 Hwo-ji Su-sing-kwen.

German Post Office. 德國書信館 Tuk-kok Su-sing-kwen.

French Post Office 法國書信館 Fah-kok Su-sing-kwen.

Japanese Post Office. 東洋書信館 Toong-yang Su-sing-kwen.

Russian Post Office. 俄國書信館 Ngoo-kok Su-sing-kwen.

Just now I am very busy; come again. 現在我忙來死,後首再來 Yien-dze ngoo maung-le-si; ‘eu-seu tse le.

Come back to-morrow. 明朝再來 Ming-tsau tse le.

Come back this afternoon. 下半日再來 ‘Au-pen-nyih tse le.