Primary Lessons in Swatow Grammar/Lesson VIII
Possessive Verb.
As the verb sĩ denotes chiefly that something exists or is, so ũ denotes possession. It is often used interchangeably with sĩ, and is often combined with it. Thus, i sĩ ũ, he is in possession of, or, emphatically, he has.
Ũ, to have; to possess; to have existence, and, hence, sometimes to be; is; e.g. tie̍h ũ-nâng chãu--i, chiàⁿ õi-tit-ũ, there must be some one to make it, and then it will have, or possess existence..
- ũ a-bô,
- have you or not?
- úa ũ,
- I have.
- úa m̄-chêng-ũ,
- I have not.
- lṳ́ ũ,
- you have.
- i ũ,
- he has.
- ũ-lí,
- has a reason; is reasonable.
- ũ-ēng,
- has a use; is useful.
- ũ-sṳ̄,
- has business.
- ũ-lói-mãu,
- has good breeding.
- būe-ũ,
- not yet has, or has had.
- būe-chêng-ũ,
- have not yet had.
- bũ-pit-ũ,
- certainly has.
- m̄-chêng-ũ,
- I have not had.
- bô-mih-ũ,
- have not much.
- tie̍h-ũ,
- certainly have, has, or must have.
- ũ-sî-ũ, ũ-sî-bô,
- sometimes have, and sometimes have not.
- só-ũ kâi mue̍h-kiãⁿ,
- the things which he has.
- ũ-kâi-hó, ũ-kâi m̄-hó,
- some are good, some are bad.
- ũ-kâi put-piẽn,
- some things are not expedient.
- hûan-iáu-ũ,
- there are still more.
- hũam-só-ũ,
- all which he has.
- i-ũ-ngṳ̂n,
- he has money.
- lṳ́ ũ phêng-an a-bô,
- are you at rest or not?
- lãi--tang ũ,
- inside have got.
- lãi-tói ũ,
- inside„ have„ got.„
- hán-ũ,
- seldom have.
- ũ chōi-chié,
- there are more or less.
- ũ ke-kâi a-bô,
- are there any more?
- i ũ, úa bô,
- he has I have not.
- i ũ sĩ-mih-pēⁿ,
- what disease has he?
- chiè-i só-ũ,
- according to what he has.
Although sĩ, and ũ are thus necessary in certain short sentences, yet in ordinary conversation they are commonly left out, as the following examples will show.
- mī-pau sng,
- the bread is sour.
- chúi tiâm,
- the water is sweet, i.e. fresh.
- chúi kiâm,
- the water is brackish.
- chúi nah-sap,
- the water is dirty.
- chúi lô,
- the water is roily.
- chúi sie,
- the water is hot.
- chúi chhim,
- the water is deep.
- chúi chhién,
- the water is shallow.
- chúi kún,
- the water is boiling.
- chúi lâ-lûn,
- the„ water„ is„ tepid.
- chúi chié,
- the„ water„ is„ limited.
- chúi m̄-kàu-chok,
- the„ water„ is„ not enough.
- chûn o̍ih,
- the boat is narrow.
- chûn tōa,
- the„ boat„ is„ large.
- chûn sòi,
- the„ boat„ is„ small.
- chûn phùa,
- the„ boat„ is„ broken.
- chûn khiàng,
- the„ boat„ is„ strong.
- chûn àu,
- the„ boat„ is„ rotted.
- chûn mé,
- the„ boat„ is„ swift.
- chûn mān,
- the„ boat„ is„ slow.
- lōu pêⁿ,
- the road is even.
- lōu khi-khu,
- the„ road„ is„ uneven.
- lōu lok-lok,
- the„ road„ is„ sloppy.
- thiⁿ ou-àm,
- the heavens are dark.
- suaⁿ kûiⁿ-kûiⁿ,
- the mountain is very high.
- huang tōa,
- the wind is high.
- éng chhou,
- the waves are rough.
- ne̍k jūn,
- the meat is tough.
- ne̍k chhò,
- the„ meat„ is„ tender.
- thôu sán,
- the soil is sterile.
- thôu pûi,
- the„ soil„ is„ rich.
- ì-sṳ̀ hũn-hũn,
- the ideas are confused.
- mue̍h-kiãⁿ jṳ̂-jṳ̂,
- things are disorderly.
- mue̍h-kiãⁿ iap-thiap,
- things are orderly.
- chhâ phàⁿ,
- the wood is brash.
- ke-húe lāi,
- the tools are sharp.