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292

Dictionary of the Swatow Dialect.

gân kùe lṳ́?

How can it be that he is wiser than you?
khá ŭ chṳ́ lí?: Whence such a rule?
lṳ́ thóiⁿ khá m̄ sĭ sie tâng;: you consider whether they can be otherwise than identical.
i khá káⁿ m̄ lâi?: How could he dare do otherwise than come?
khá jîak cìeⁿ-seⁿ kèng hó̤?: How can that be the better way?
hìeⁿ-seⁿ hó̤ khá chin-chĭeⁿ cìeⁿ-seⁿ hó̤?: If that way is good, why should not this be still better?

lûi khà sí ciah gû;: a cow was struck by lightning and killed.
khîeh ki tek-ko̤ khà i kâi thâu;: took a bamboo pole and struck him on the head.
khà kó kîⁿ;: beat the rim of a drum.
tṳ li khà m̄ tîeh, khà phùa cêk kâi koi cô̤;: struck at and did not hit the pig, but broke the fowls' tronghinstead.

khà mn̂g;: to knock at a door.
khà i kín;: drive it tight.
khà phùaⁿ;: break by hitting.
úaⁿ khṳt i khà phùaⁿ khṳ̀;: the bowl was broken by his knocking it against something.
khà phùa koi-n̆ng;: break an egg by hitting it upon something when holding it in the hand.
cêk ciah chíu khà sǹg-pûaⁿ, cêk ciah chíu sía jī;: reckoning on the abacus with one hand, and writing with the other.
tṳ̂ tīo jîeh cōi khà thâu?: How much is to be deducted for discount?
khà-tṳ̂;: strike off; cancel; reckon off.
khà tīo ngṳ̂n cúi;: deduct the amount allowed for dollars above standard weight.
i tó̤ ô̤h khà-sǹg;: he is learning to reckon on the abacus.
cí kò̤ sìo lṳ́ khà thóiⁿ tùi mē;: you reckon over this account (on the abacus) and see if it is correct.

‮及‬khà394292
Used only with a negative and denotes that the action referred to was impracticable; had not time for.

i bô̤ khà cîah cū khṳ̀;: he went off without stopping to eat.
méⁿ kàu m̄ khà cîah tê;: in such a hurry that he could not wait to take tea.
i m̄ khà thăi i, cò̤ i khṳ̀;: he could not wait for her, and went off without her.
cò̤-nî bô̤ khà táng i cò̤-pû lâi?: Why could you not wait for her to come along with you?
cē hiong-huh, bô̤ khà khîa hŏ-cia cū khṳ̀;: was in such a flurry that he went off without stopping to get his umbrella.
bô̤ khà siu thâu ūaⁿ kha;: had not time to comb her hair and dress her feet.
lṳ́ àiⁿ méⁿ, úa bô̤ khà siu-sîp cū lâi;: if you are in a hurry I will come without stopping to put things in order.

khah kûiⁿ;: too high.
khah kĕ;: too low.
īa bŏi khah tōa īa bŏi khah sòi, tú-tú hó̤;: is neither too large nor too small, but exactly the right size.
màiⁿ lô̤h khah cōi;: do not put in too much.
màiⁿ khah tōa lâk;: do not exert too much force.
màiⁿ cò̤ khah tn̂g;: do not make it too long.
màiⁿ kṳ̀ khah tó̤;: do not saw it off too short.
cí hûe khah cá;: it is now too early.
m̄ hó̤ lā khah ngân;: do not let it stand till it becomes too cold.
khah siap;: so tight as to move with too great friction.

tó̤ thó ĕ tŏ̤ khah;: rolling on the ground.
hwn lâi, khah khṳ̀;: to wallow.
cêk kâi îⁿ-îⁿ li-li khah;: a round object continually rolling.
kîu lìn-lìn khah;: the ball rolls over and over.
kîu khah kàu i sin piⁿ;: roll the ball to him.
pâi cū khah-bûa khṳ̀;: their shields rolled together.
khah khún;: to roll a hexagonal cylinder and see which face is upward when it stops.

sĭ àiⁿ sía khái cṳ a sĭ àiⁿ sía hâng cṳ?: Do you want it written in the square characters or in the running hand?
i kâi sòi khái sía khṳ̀ ngía;: his small square characters are well written.
jī tîeh sía twn-khái cē;: you must write your characters more regularly.
cí cho̤h jī sía kàu khái-khái;: these characters are written very precisely.