Handbook of the Swatow Vernacular modernized/Grammar

Lesson 10 Grammar Substantives and Adjectives are not declined: the same word expresses both the singular and the plural. Pronouns hove a plural form. Singular. Plural. 我 Uá, I. 阮。咱 Ún or nán, we. 爾 Lṳ́, thou or you. 恁 Nín, ye or you. 伊 I, he, she, it. 因。伊人 I or i--nâng, they, them. The distinctions of moods, tenses, numbers and persons are shown by the addition of certain auxiliary verbs or particles, as follows:— indicative mood. present tense. + Pêng'im TL Characters English ua2lai5úa-lâi I come. le2 ke3lúr khùr You go. i1 ain3i àinn He wants. ung2 main3úng màinn We don't want. ning2 si6(7) ua2 gai5(7) pêng5(7)iu2níng sĭ úa-kâi phêng-íu You are my friends. ing1/i1nang5 si6(7) ghua7nang5ing / i-nâng sĭ gūa-nâng They are outsiders. past tense. The common signs of the Past Tense are 有 ũ and 甞 chêng, and are employed chiefly in asking questions and in giving answers, but seldom when a subject is simply being spoken of, viz.— + Pêng'im TL Characters English i1 bung1 ua2i pung úa He gave me. i1 za1rig8 lai5i tsa-zîk lâi He came yesterday. i1 za1rig8 u6(7) lai5 a1bho5i tsa-zîk ŭ lâi a-bô? Did he come yesterday or not? i1 za1rig8 m7zêng5(7) lai5 *or* i1 za1rig8 bho5(7)lai5i tsa-zîk m̆-tsêng lâi / i tsa-zîk bô-lâi He did not come yesterday. ua2 za1rig8 zêng5(7)lai5 *or* ua2 za1rig8 u6(7)lai5úa tsa-zîk tsêng-lâi / úa tsa-zîk ŭ-lâi I did come yesterday. perfect tense. The chief signs of the Perfect Tense are 了 lióu, 正 chiàⁿ, 識 pat, 有 ũ, 未 būe, and 亞未 a-būe. Lióu[1] 了 (finish) can only be used to subjects being spoken of, and cannot be used in asking questions, viz.— + Pêng'im TL Characters English i1 lai5-lo7i lâi-lō He has come. ung2 zai1-lo7úng tsai-lō We have known. ing1 gao3-lo7ing kàu-lō They have arrived. Chiàⁿ 正 (just) and 識 pat (ever) can be used both to questions and answers, viz.— + Pêng'im TL Characters English i1 zian3(2)-lai5i tsìann-lâi He has just come. le2 zi2(6)zung5 zian3(2)-lai5lúr tsí-tsûng tsìann-lâi Have you just now come? le2 za2 bag4(8)lai5-ziê3 mê7lúr tsá pak lâi tsìe mē? Have you ever been here before? ua2 za2 m7bag4(8) lai5(7)-ziê2úa tsá m̆-pak lâi tsíe I have never been here before. Ũ (have) 有 in the Perfect Tense, generally followed by the interrogative sign 亞未 a-būe, is used for questions only, and 未 būe (not yet) is used for answers, viz.— + Pêng'im TL Characters English i1 u6(7) lai5 a1bhuê7?i ŭ lâi a-būe Has he come? i1 bhuê7 lai5i būe lâi He has not come. ing1 u6(7) ke3 a1bhuê7ing ŭ khùr a-būe? Have they gone? ing1 bhuê7 ke3ing būe khùr They have not gone. future tense. The chief signs of the Future Tense are àiⁿ, 正要 chiàⁿ-àiⁿ, (want) 會 õi (can) and 袂 bõi (cannot.) viz.— + Pêng'im TL Characters English i1 man3(2)ki2 ain3(2)lai5i mànn-khí àinn-lâi He will come to-morrow. kia6(7)diam7 ain3(2) loh8(4)hou6khĭa-tīam àinn lôh-hŏu It will rain bye-and-bye. i1 diang1si5 zian3(2) ain3(2)lai5?i tiang-sî tsìann àinn-lâi When will he come?[3] i1 kia7diam7 zian3(2) ain3(2)lai5i khīa-tīam tsìann àinn-lâi He will come bye-and-bye. ua2 ê6(7)gai5(7)ghuêh8 ain3(2)dng2úa ĕ-kâi-gûeh àinn-dńg I shall go home next month. i1 oi6(7) si2 a1bhoi6?i ŏi sí a-bŏi? Will he die? i1 bhoi7 si2i bŏi sí He will not die. i1 ziang1lai5 oi6(7) zo3(2)dua7i tsiang-lâi ŏi tsò-tūa He will be great in the future. potential mood. The signs of the Potential Mood are 會 õi, 袂 bõi, 會得 õi-tit, 袂得 bõi-tit, 好 hó, 着 tiéh, and 不可 m̄-móⁿ. Õi (can) 會 implies ability, and 袂 bõi (cannot) implies its opposite, inability. + Pêng'im TL Characters English i1 oi6(7) siu5i ŏi sîu He can swim. i1 bhoi6(7) zao2i bŏi tsáu He cannot run. Õi-tit (can) 會得 implies possibility, and 袂得 bõi-tit (cannot) implies impossibility. + Pêng'im TL Characters English le2 gê1mên5 oi6(7)dig4(8) lai5 a1bhoi6lúr ke-mênn ŏi-tik lâi a-bŏi? Can you come to-night or not? ua2 m7oin5, ua2 gê1mên5 bhoi6(7)dig4(8) ke3úa m̆-ôinn, úa ke-mênn bŏi-tik khùr I am busy, I cannot go to-night. le2 tang5(7)gua3(2) dan3(2) le2 bhoi6(7)dig4(8) lai5, le2 zi2(6)zung5 zo3(2)ni5(7) oi6(7)dig4(8) lai5?lúr thâng-kùa tànn lúr bŏi-tik lâi, lúr tsí-tsûng tsò-nî ŏi-tik lâi? You said just now you could not come, how is it you can come now? ua2 zi2(6)zung5(7) oin5, gu3(2)ce2(6) ziu6(7) oi6(7)dig4(8) lai5úa tsí-tsûng ôinn, kù-tshúr tsĭu ŏi-tik lâi I have leisure just now, and therefore I can come. le2 nan7si6(7) bho5(7) gah4 i1 dan3, i1 bhoi6(7)dig4(8) zai1lúr nā-sĭ bô kah i tànn, i bŏi-tik tsai If you did not tell him, he could not know it. Hó 好 is very nearly the same as the English auxiliary verb may, and implies liberty. + Pêng'im TL Characters English ua2 ho2(6)ke3 mê7?úa hó-khùr--mē? May I go? le2 ho2(6)ke3lúr hó khùr You may go. ua2 ho2(6)dan3 mê7?úa hó-tànn mē? May I speak? Tiéh 着 (must, ought, or should) implies obligation. + Pêng'im Characters English le2 diêh8(4)lai5 You must, (ought to, or should) come. ham3(2) i1 diêh8(4) diam7diam7 Tell him he ought to be silent. ua2 diêh8(4)hiam5(7) le2 I must blame you. le2 diêh8(4)ring7 le2 gai5(7) m7diêh8 You should admit your fault. M̄-móⁿ (don't) 不可 implies the opposite of 着 tiéh, viz. must not, ought not, and should not. + Pêng'im TL Characters English le2 m7mon2(6) ke3lúr m̆-mó khùr You must not go. ning2 m7mon2(6) bung1 i1 ke3níng m̆-mó pung i khùr You ought not to let him go. ning2 m7mon2(6) a3ning m̆-mó à You should not argue. The Passive verb is formed by the use of the words 分 pun, 乞 khoih (to give) and 分人 pun--nâng (give people.) + Pêng'im TL Characters English le2 koih4(8) di1diang5 pah4?lúr khoih ti-tîang phah? By whom were you beaten? ua2 bung1 i1 pah4úa pung i phah I was beaten by him. i1 bung1nang5(7) tai5i pung-nâng thâi He was killed. bung1 di5(7)diang5 tai5pung ti-tîang thâi? Was killed by whom? si6(7) bung1 i1 tai5 a1 m7si6?sĭ pung i thâi a m̆-sĭ? Was he kileld by him or not? i1 bung1 lui5(7)gong1 ka3(2)si2i pung lûi-kong khà-sí He was struck to death by lightning. i1 bhoi6(7) bung1nang5 piêng3i bŏi pung-nâng phìeng He cannot be deceived by people. i1 gai5(7) mian5(7)sian1 koih4(8)nang5(7) o1lo2i-kâi mîann-siann khoih-nâng o-ló His name is praised by the people. The Progressive Form is formed by the use of the word 在 tõ (in the act of) and 要 iàⁿ (want.) + Pêng'im TL Characters English noun1gian2 do6(7) sng2nou-kíann tŏ sńg The boys are playing. ua2 do6(7) sia2(6)ri7úa tŏ sía-zī I am writing. a1noun5 do6(7) kao3a-nôu tŏ khàu The child is crying. i1 dan3(2) i1 ain3(2)lai5i tànn i àinn-lâi He says he is coming. i1 ain3(2) dng2(6)ke3i àinn tńg-khùr He is going home. comparison of adjectives. the comparative degree. The words employed in the comparative degree are 愈 zú, 敬 kèng, (more) 𢰳 ióu, (a little) 過 kùe, (over) 贏 iâⁿ (to be superior, to defeat,) and 輸, (to be inferior, to be defeated.) + Pêng'im TL Characters English ru2(6)zoi7 ru2(6)ho2zú-tsōi zú-hó The more the better. zi2(6)gai5 iou2(6)dua7tsí-kâi ióu-tūa This is a little larger. i1 u6(7) ru2(6)zoi7 ua2i ŭ zú-tsōi úa He has more than I. zi2(6)gai5 gêng3(2)dng5(7) guê3(2) he2(6)gai5tsí-kâi kèng-tn̂g kùe húr-kâi This is longer than that. le2-gai5 ho2, ua2-gai5 ru2(6)gêng3(2) ho2lúr-kâi hó, úa-kâi zú-kèng hó Yours is good, (but) mine better. i1 oi6(7)zao2(6) mên2-guê3(2) i1 zao2i ŏi-tsáu ménn-kùe i tsáu He can run faster than I. le2 gian5 mên2-guê3(2) i1 zao2.lúr kîann ménn-kùe i tsáu You walk faster than he runs. diê5(7)ziu1hu2(6) oi6(7) ian5(7)guê3(2) suan1tao5 a1bhoi6?tîe-tsiu-hú ŏi iânn-kùe suann-thâu a-bŏi? Is Ch'ao-chow-fu better than Swatow? le2 sia2(6) gai5(7) ri7 ian5(7) ua2 gai5lúr sía kâi zī iânn úa-kâi Your writing is better than mine. i1 zo3(2)se3 ian5(7) le2i tsò-sùr iânn lúr He does things better than you. le2 bho5(7)êng7, su1 i1lúr bô-ēng, su i You are no use, and are surpassed by him. le2 oi6(7) zao2(6)ian5 i1 mê7?lúr ŏi tsáu-iânn i mē? Can you over take him in running? bhoi6, ua2 su1 i1bŏi, úa su i No, I am behind him in running. the superlative degree. The words employed in the superlative degree are 上 siãng and 上頂 siãng-téng (supreme); the latter generally refers to the qualities of goods, viz.— + Pêng'im TL Characters English u6(7) siang7-dua7-gai5 mê7?ŭ sīang-dūa kâi mē? Have you the largest one? zi2-gai5(7) ziu6(7)si6(7) siang7dua7tsí-kâi tsĭu-sĭ sīang-tūa This is the largest one. ua2 ain3(2) siang7dêng2(6)ho2-gai5úa àinn sīang-téng-hó kâi I want the best (quality.)