上平聲Upper Bing-sung.Tau,刀Pa,叭Si,犀
下平聲Lower Bing-sung.Dau,桃Ba,排Zi,徐
上上聲Upper Zang-sung.°Tau,禱°Pa,擺°Si,死
下上聲Lower Zang-sung.°Dau,道°Ba,罷°Zi,薺
上去聲Upper Chui-sung.Tau°,倒Pa°,拜Si°,壻
下去聲 Lower Chui-sung.Dau°,導Ba°,敗Zi°,謝
上入聲Upper Zeh-sung.Tauh,沰Pah,八Sih,息
下入聲Lower Zeh-sung.Dauh,度Bah,拔Zih,蓆

The student should practise upon the sounds illustrating the different tones. The columns should be read from the top down. The teacher can guide him by first pronouncing the Chinese characters.


LESSONS IN THE SHANGHAI DIALECT


LESSON I
The Classifier

A or an is translated into Chinese by the numeral ih (一) one, and a classifier placed between the numeral and the noun. There are over forty classifiers, different nouns taking different ones, according to the class to which they belong. Nouns being generally used with classifiers accounts for the fact that in Pidgin English we have the oft recurring expression, “one piecee.”

Most concrete nouns take classifiers, but not all. Exceptions will be pointed out later on. Sometimes when the object spoken of is quite definitely known, the noun is used without the classifier.

In this lesson, the two most common classifiers will be introduced, and in succeeding lessons the others will appear gradually.