Lesson X. 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。俺】(Ún or nán) we. |
| 【汝】(Lṳ́) thou or you. | 【恁】(Nín) ye or you. |
| 【伊】(I) he, she, it. | 【因。伊儂】 (In 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.
- 【我來】(Uá lâi) I come.
- 【汝去】(Lṳ́ khṳ̀) You go.
- 【伊欲】(I àiⁿ) He wants.
- 【阮勿】(Ún màiⁿ) We don’t want.
- 【恁是我嘅朋友】(Nín sĩ uá kâi phêng-iú) You are my friends.
- 【因。伊儂是外儂】(In or i–nâng sĩ gūa-nâng) They are outsiders.
past tense.
The common signs of the Past Tense are 有 ũ and 曾 chêng, and are employed chiefly in asking questions and in giving answers, but seldom when a subject is simply being spoken of, viz.—
- 【伊分我】(I pun uá) He gave me.
- 【伊昨日來】(I tsa-jít lâi) He came yesterday.
- 【伊昨日有來亞無】(I tsa-jít ũ lâi a-bô?) Did he come yesterday or not?
- 【伊昨日毋曾來。伊昨日無來】(I tsa-jít m̃-chêng lâi, or i tsa-jít bô-lâi) He did not come yesterday.
- 【我昨日曾來。我昨日有來】(Uá tsa-jít chêng–lâi, or uá tsa-jít ũ–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.—
- 【伊來了】(I lâi–lō) He has come.
- 【阮知了】(Ún tsai–lō) We have known.
- 【因到了】(In kàu–lō) They have arrived.
Chiàⁿ 正 (just) and 識 pat (ever) can be used both to questions and answers, viz.—
- 【伊正來】(I chiàⁿ-lâi) He has just come.
- 【汝此時正來】(Lṳ́ chi-tsûn chìaⁿ-lâi?) Have you just now come?
- 【汝早識來此塊嗎】(Lṳ́ tsá pat-lâi–chié mē?) Have you ever been here before?
- 【我早毋識來此塊】(Uá tsá m̃-pat lâi–chié) 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.—
- 【伊有來亞未】(I ũ[2] lâi a-būe?) Has he come?
- 【伊未來】(I būe lâi) He has not come.
- 【因有去亞未】(In ũ[2] khṳ̀ a-būe?) Have they gone?
- 【因未去】(In būe khṳ̀) They have not gone.
future tense.
The chief signs of the Future Tense are àiⁿ, 正欲 chiàⁿ-àiⁿ, (want) 會 õi (can) and 袂 bõi (cannot.) viz.—
- 【伊明旦起欲來】(I màⁿ-khí àiⁿ-lâi) He will come to-morrow.
- 【霎時欲落雨】(Khiã-tiām àiⁿ-lóh-hõu) It will rain bye-and-bye.
- 【伊底當時正欲來】(I tiang-sî chiàⁿ-àiⁿ lâi?) When will he come?[3]
- 【伊霎時正欲來】(I khiã-tiām chiàⁿ-àiⁿ-lâi) He will come bye-and-bye.
- 【我下個月欲轉】(Uá ẽ-kâi-guêh àiⁿ-tńg) I shall go home next month.
- 【伊會死亞袂】(I õi sí a-bõi?) Will he die?
- 【伊袂死】(I bõi–sí) He will not die.
- 【伊將來會做大】(I chiang-lâi õi 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 毋孬 m̃-móⁿ.
Õi (can) 會 implies ability, and 袂 bõi (cannot) implies its opposite, inability.
- 【伊會泅】(I õi-siû) He can swim.
- 【伊袂走】(I bõi-tsáu) He cannot run.
Õi-tit (can) 會得 implies possibility, and 袂得 bõi-tit (cannot) implies impossibility.
- 【汝今夜回得來亞袂】(Lṳ́ ke-mêⁿ õi-tit lâi a-bõi?) Can you come to-night or not?
- 【我毋閒。我今夜袂得去】(Uá m̃-ôiⁿ, uá ke-mêⁿ bõi-tit khṳ̀) I am busy, I cannot go to-night.
- 【汝早時呾汝袂得來。汝只陣怎呢會得來】(Lṳ́ thâng-kùa tàⁿ-lṳ́ bõi-tit lái, lṳ́ chí-tsûn tsò-nîⁿ õi-tit lâi?) You said just now you could not come, how is it you can come now?
- 【我只陣閒。故此就會得來】(Uá chí-tsûn ôiⁿ, kù-tshṳ́ chiũ õi-tit lâi) I have leisure just now, and therefore I can come.
- 【汝若是無佮伊呾。伊袂得知】(Lṳ́ nāⁿ-sĩ bô kah i tàⁿ, i bõi-tit 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.
- 【我好去嗎】(Uá hó-khṳ̀ mē?) May I go?
- 【汝好去】(Lṳ́ hó-khṳ̀) You may go.
- 【我好呾嗎】(Uá hó-tàⁿ mē?) May I speak?
Tiéh 着 (must, ought, or should) implies obligation.
- 【汝着來】(Lṳ́ tiéh-lâi) You must, (ought to, or should) come.
- 【喊伊着恬恬】(Hàm i tiéh tiām-tiām) Tell him he ought to be silent.
- 【我着嫌汝】(Uá tiéh-hiâm lṳ́) I must blame you.
- 【汝着認汝嘅毋着】(Lṳ́ tiéh-jīn lṳ́ kâi m̃-tiéh) You should admit your fault.
M̃-móⁿ (don’t) 毋孬 implies the opposite of 着 tiéh, viz. must not, ought not, and should not.
- 【汝毋孬去】(Luú m̃-móⁿ khṳ̀) You must not go.
- 【恁毋孬分伊去】(Nín m̃-móⁿ pun i khṳ̀) You ought not to let him go.
- 【恁毋孬詏】(Nín m̃-móⁿ à) You should not argue.
The Passive verb is formed by the use of the words 分 pun, 乞 khoih (to give) and 分儂 pun–nâng (give people.)
- 【汝乞底誰拍】(Lṳ́ khoih tî-tiâng phah?) By whom were you beaten?
- 【我分伊拍】(Uá pun i phah) I was beaten by him.
- 【伊分儂刣】(I pun–nâng thâi) He was killed.
- 【分底誰刣】(Pun tî-tiâng thâi?) Was killed by whom?
- 【是分伊刣亞毋是】(Sĩ pun i thâi a m̃-sĩ?) Was he kileld by him or not?
- 【伊分雷公敲死】(I pun lûi-kong khà-sí) He was struck to death by lightning.
- 【伊袂分儂騙】(I bõi pun–nâng phièn) He cannot be deceived by people.
- 【伊嘅名聲乞儂呵咾】(I kâi miâⁿ-siaⁿ 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 欲 àiⁿ (want.)
- 【小兒在耍】(Nouⁿ-kiáⁿ tõ sńg) The boys are playing.
- 【我在寫字】(Uá tõ siá-jī) I am writing.
- 【阿孥在哭】(A-nôuⁿ tõ khàu) The child is crying.
- 【伊呾伊欲去】(I tàⁿ i àiⁿ-lâi) He says he is coming.
- 【伊欲轉去】(I àiⁿ-tńg–khṳ̀) He is going home.
comparison of adjectives.
the comparative degree.
The words employed in the comparative degree are 愈 zú, 敬 kèng, (more) 稍 ióu, (a little) 過 kùe, (over) 贏 iâⁿ (to be superior, to defeat,) and 輸, (to be inferior, to be defeated.)
- 【愈㩼愈好】(Zú-tsōi zú-hó) The more the better.
- 【此個稍大】(Chí–kâi ióu-tūa) This is a little larger.
- 【伊有愈㩼我】(I ũ zú-tsōi uá) He has more than I.
- 【此個敬長過彼個】(Chí–kâi kèng-tn̂g kùe hṳ́-kâi) This is longer than that.
- 【汝嘅好。我嘅愈敬好】(Lṳ́–kâi hó, uá–kâi zú-kèng hó) Yours is good, (but) mine better.
- 【伊會走猛過我】(I õi-tsáu méⁿ-kùe uá) He can run faster than I.
- 【伊行猛過伊走】(Lṳ́ kiâⁿ méⁿ-kùe i tsáu) You walk faster than he runs.
- 【潮州府會贏過汕頭亞袂】(Tiê-chiu-hú õi iâⁿ-kùe Suaⁿ-thâu a-bõi?) Is Ch’ao-chow-fu better than Swatow?
- 【汝寫嘅字贏我嘅】(Lṳ́ siá kâi jī iâⁿ uá kâi) Your writing is better than mine.
- 【伊作事贏汝】(I tsò-sṳ̄ iâⁿ lṳ́) He does things better than you.
- 【汝無用。輸伊】(Lṳ́ bô-ēng su i) You are no use, and are surpassed by him.
- 【汝會走贏伊嗎】(Lṳ́ õi tsáu-iâⁿ i mē?) Can you over take him in running?
- 【袂。我輸伊】(Bõi, uá su i) No, I am behind him in running.
the superlative degree.
The words employed in the superlative degrree are 上 siãng and 上頂 siãng-téng (supreme); the latter generally refers to the qualities of goods, viz.—
- 【有上大嘅嗎】(Ũ siãng-tūa–kâi mē?) Have you the largest one?
- 【此個就是上大嘅】(Chí–kâi chiũ-sĩ siãng-tūa kâi) This is the largest one.
- 【我欲上頂好嘅】(Uá àiⁿ siãng-téng-hó–kâi) I want the best (quality.)
[1] This word is so unaccented, that it is always sounded lō instead of lióu, when it comes after a Double hyphen.
[2] In every case ũ may be omitted if preferred.
[3] Chiàⁿ-àiⁿ is nearly the same as the auxillary verb will, and is employed thus, e. g. I tiang-sî chiàⁿ-àiⁿ lâi? when will he come? that is to say, he is not coming now, but when will he come? and the answer is I khiã-tiām chiàⁿ-àiⁿ lâi, He will come bye and bye, that is to say, he will come, but not before the time when he intends to come.