A Manual of the Foochow Dialect In Twenty Lessons/Lesson VI

by C. M. S. and A. E. Champness

LESSON VI

真 cĭng

true

假 gā

false

得 dáik

to obtain

的 dék

sign of potential mood

齋 că̤

a school

至 gáu

to arrive

紅 è̤ng

red

長 dòng

long

短 dōi

short

長 diōng

to grow, elder

新 sĭng

new

舊 gô

old

上 siông

above

寫字 siā-cê

to write

中國 Dṳ̆ng-gúok

China

外國 nguôi-guók

foreign countries

看見 káng-giéng

seen

外斗 ngiê-dāu

outside

裏勢 diē-sié

inside

祈禱 gì-dō̤

to pray

菩薩 bù-sák

idols

平正 bàng-ciáng

bad

講話 gōng-ûa

to speak

食飯 siăh buông

to eat (rice)

男 nàng

male

女 nṳ̄

female

禮 lā̤

in, at, sign of present participle

安 ăng

peace

平 bàng

even, level, smoothly

風 hŭng

wind

禮拜 lā̤-bái

worship

聽見 tiăng-giéng

heard

旁邊 bòng-biĕng

at the side of

仈曾 báik-cèng

sign of past tense

講道理 gōng dô̤-lī

to preach

挪乇 nò̤-nó̤h

why

了 lāu

sign of past tense

1. In speaking o a place by name the word “in” is expressed by diŏh alone. In speaking of heaven 上 siông above, is sometimes used with diŏh after the noun. I have a friend of China, 儂家務一隻朋友着中國 nè̤ng-gă ô siŏh ciáh bèng-iū diŏh Dṳ̆ng-guók.

2. One peculiarity to which nothing corresponds in English is the insertion of a noun or pronoun before an adverb of place. Your things are here with me 汝其乇着儂家只塊 Nṳ̄ gì nó̤h diŏh nè̤ng-gă cŭ-uái.

3. To express motion towards 至 gáu and 上 siông are used. Sometimes they are omitted as going to Foochow, 上福州 siô̤ng Hók-ciŭ. Where are you going? 去冬那 kó̤ dĕ̤ng-nē̤? I am going to Iong-kau, 去洋口 kó̤ Iòng-kāu. Where are you going? I am going to school, 汝去冬那 儂家上齋 Nṳ̄ kó̤ dĕ̤ng-nē̤? Nè̤ng gă siông că̤.

4. Adjectives are used distinctively and predicatively as in English, but sê is seldom used with them. He is a good man, 伊是好𠆧 ĭ sê hō̤ nè̤ng. This box is large, 者箱大 Ciā siŏng duâi.

5. In the sentence, I want three books, two large and one small, “large” and “small” are adjectives, qualifying the noun understood. In the translation of the above sentences, and that given in addition, gì is the equivalent of the nouns understood. 儂家欲直三本書，二本大其一本細其 Nè̤ng-gă ó̤i-dĭh săng buōng cṳ̆, lâng buōng duâi gì, siŏh buōng sá̤ gì. I want three red ones. 儂家欲直三隻紅其 Nè̤ng-gă ó̤i-dĭh săng ciáh è̤ng gì.

6. Adjectives such as 真 cĭng true, 假 gā false, and adjectives of colour, take sê when used predicatively. God is true 上帝是真 Siông-Dá̤ sê cĭng. Idols are false. 菩薩是假 Bù-sák sê gā.

7. Of the two forms “This is well done” and “this is done well”, Chinese idiom prefers the latter. In the examples given, 的 dék following the verb denotes completed action, and is also used euphonically. This is well done, 囋做的好 cuoi có̤-dék hō̤. This character is written badly, 者字寫的平正 ciā cê siā-dék bàng-ciáng.

8. Potential Mood. This mood is expressed by using ⿰亻鞋 â̤ combined with dék and the auxiliary verb 來 lì. I can do it, 儂家⿰亻鞋做的來 nè̤ng-gă â̤ có̤ dék lì. He can speak Chinese, 中國話伊⿰亻鞋講的來 Dṳ̆ng-guóh uâ ĭ â̤ gōng dék-lì. Can he speak Chinese? 中國話伊⿰亻鞋講的來賣 Dṳ̆ng-guók uá ĭ â̤ gōng dék-lì mâ̤?

9. Questions introduced by the expression 挪乇 nò̤-nó̤h always imply an affirmative answer. Have you not heard of this? 汝挪乇昧聽見者代 nṳ̄ nò̤-nó̤h muôi tiăng-giéng ciā dâi? “of course you have” being understood. A question containing nò̤-nó̤h is always spoken with a rising inflexion of voice.

10. One way of indicating the Past Tense is by the use of the phrase 仈會 báik-cèng with lāu at the end of the sentence. I have already spoken to you about this, nè̤ng-gă báik-cèng gâe̤ng nṳ̄ gōng lāu.

11. A common way of expressing the price of articles, or enumerating them, in the case of low numbers, is by the use of the Possessive particle gì following the cardinal numeral. How much are these oranges a piece? Two cash. 者桔箬壞錢一粒 Ciā gék niŏh-nâi cièng siŏh lăk? 二其 Lâng gì. One and a half cash. 其半 Gì buáng.

Note (1) 𠋡飯 Siăh-buông to eat cooked rice, is the phrase used most frequently by the Chinese for taking a meal. (2) The word 拜 bái used to express the meaning of the worship of God, originally possesses no spiritual meaning whatever. It only signifies the outward act of bowing. In a similar way the expression 禮拜 lā̤-bái the name generally given to Christian worship, literally means “ceremonial bowing”. That these words have any spiritual significance is only an account of Christian associations. Addressed to the heathen Chinese, they convey no spiritual meaning.

EXERCISE VI.

柑 găng

coolie oranges

桔 gék

mandarin oranges

上齋 siông că̤

to attend school

偷躲齋 tău-diō că̤

to play truant

男齋 nàng că̤

boys’ school

女齋 nṳ̄ că̤

girls’ school

飽了 bā lāu

satisfied with food

刷 sáuk

to scrub

品行 pīng-hâing

conduct

請安 chiāng ăng

pay respects

扣 káiu

to deduct money due, cut wages &c.

Translate into English:—

1. Nè̤ng-gă muôi tiăng ĭ gōng Dṳ̆ng-guók uâ.
2. Nṳ̄ â̤ káng-dék-giéng má̤?
3. Séng-Gĭng gì dô̤-lī ĭ gōng-dék hō̤.
4. Nâ ô sá̤ gì, mò̤ duâi gì, né̤ng-gă cêu káiu ĭ gì cièng.
5. Ĭ kó̤ gă-dŏng gōng dô̤-lī.
6. Hṳ̄ siŏh-ciáh sĭng-săng cê siā-dék hō̤, nâ ĭ gì hŏk-sĕng cê siā-dék bàng-ciáng.
7. Nè̤ng-gă ô káng-giéng nṳ̄-că̤. Hŏk--sĕng uâ ô nê-sĕk nè̤ng.
8. Diŏh cŭ-uái mò̤ sié-nó̤h gōng dô̤-lī gì nè̤ng. Ciŏng-gì nṳ̄ nō̤-nô̤h muôi tiăng-giéng Lī Mŭk-sṳ̆ gōng dô̤-lī nĭ?
9. Dṳ̆ng-guók gì cê ĭ â̤ siā mâ̤? Mâ̤, ĭ nâ â̤ siā Lò̤-mā cê.
10. Gâe̤ng có̤-diò gōng ô nê-sĕk nè̤ng lì siăh dà.
11. Cṳ̆-că̤ nâ ô gūi ciáh hŏk-sĕng. Siŏh-màng ĭ-gàuk-nè̤ng lâng-ciáh tău-diō că̤ kó̤ lāu.
12. Siăh bā-lāu muôi? Siăh bā-lāu.
13. Nè̤ng-gă ó̤i nṳ̄ gì dōng-buŏ-giāng lièng cṳ̆-niòng-giāng lì siông că̤.
14. Gă̤-dŏng ô è̤ng cāi mâ̤ â mò̤?
15. Ngiê-dāu ô nè̤ng â mò̤?

Translate into Chinese:—

1. I can hear his words, but do not understand his meaning.
2. He speaks Chinese fluently.
3. He has come to worship.
4. These oranges were bought on the street.
5. Have you seen him? No, I have not seen him.
6. How many people are there in the chapel? Between six and seven hundred.
7. I want you to go to the street and buy me twenty mandarin oranges.
8. Who is outside? The girls and women have come to greet you.
9. He does not speak Chinese well. He is a newcomer.
10. Please bring me the oranges which are on the table.
11. I cannot see any oranges. There are only eggs.
12. These two large characters are badly written.
13. I want to write well, but my pen is bad.
14. There are three foreigners on the street. They want to come here.
15. Ask them to come in and eat rice.