只一位貴姓 Cī siŏh-ôi gói-séng?. It is well, however, for the student to know that in asking a child or uneducated person his name the following expression will be found more easily understood than the polite and elegant phrases given above. What is your name? 汝姓世乇 Nṳ̄ sáng sié-nó̤h?
7. The Chinese idiom for “how long ago?” is “early how long,” (years, months, days). How many years ago? 早幾年 Cā gūi nièng? Three years since, 早三年 Cā săng nièng.
8. 日 Nĭk and 年 nièng are repeated for “every day”, “every year”. He will come every day, 伊日日⿰亻鞋來 ĭ nĭk-nĭk â̤ lì. He goes back every year, 伊年年轉去 ĭ nièng-nièng diōng kó̤.
9. Apropos of politeness it is well to know the expression, 莫拘 mŏ̤h-gṳ̆ “don’t insist”, “don’t stand on ceremony!” The Chinese have very strict rules of etiquette with regard to the position of themselves and their guests, and if they are reluctant to take the seat offered, it may safely be assumed that they consisder it to be too exalted a place, and the expression mŏ̤h-gṳ̆ is then used.
N. B. It is always difficult in one’s dealings with the Chinese to impress upon them the fact that one is talking in their own tongue, and these little details of etiquette and politeness, if observed, help to bring the fact home to them. There is a tendency at the beginning of one’s missionary career to use a vocabulary that depends upon the knowledge of Christian phraseology alone for its elucidation, and which, while easily understood by such Church members, pastors, and servants who are constantly in the company of the newly arrived missionary, remains a foreign tongue to the average Chinaman.
EXERCISE VIII.
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