In expressing the carrying of the action of the verb into effect dzak (着) is often used after it. Thus: zing-dzak (尋着) means that a thing has been actually found. Zing means ‘to find’. There are a great many active verbs which can take the dzak after them. For example we have tuh-dzak (得着), meaning a thing has been obtained. Tuh means ‘to get’. Bang°-dzak (掽着) means a person or thing has been met. Bang° (掽) means ‘to strike against’.
Verbs are often repeated for emphasis. We have had an example of this in the expression °zoo °zoo, meaning “sit down” Thus khoen° khoen° (看看) means “Look, look.”
In many cases ih (一) is inserted between the verbs, as khoen° ih khoen°. In such cases the last verb is changed into a verbal noun. Literally it would be “Look a look.”
The Reflexive Personal Pronouns hardly require any explanation. They are formed by adding z°-ka (自家) after the Personal Pronouns. Thus “I myself” would be °ngoo z°- ka (我自家). “You yourself” would be noong° z°-ka (儂自家) and so on for the rest.
VOCABULARY
- To teach, kau° 敎.
- To write, °sia 寫.
- To ask, mung° 問.
- To pay, foo° 付.
- To build, °zau 造.
- To look for, zing 尋.
- To hear, thing 聽 or thing kyien° (heard) 聽見.
- To know a Chinese character, suh 識.
- To strike against, bang° 掽.
- To get, tuh 得.
- A mason, ih kuh nyi-°s ziang° 一個泥水匠.
- A water buffalo, ih tsak °s-nyeu 一隻水牛.
- An apple, ih tsak bing °koo 一隻蘋果.
- A dining table, ih tsak chuh-van°-de-°ts 一隻吃飯檯子.
- An office desk, ih tsak °sia-z°-de-°ts 一隻寫字檯子.
- A Chinese character, ih kuh z° 一個字.
- A drawer of a table, ih tsak tsheu-thi 一隻抽屜; ih tsak tsheu-teu 一隻抽斗.
- An unmarried woman, ih kuh °siau-°tsia 一個小姐.
- Tea, dzo 茶.
- Now, yien°-°dze 現在.
- Not yet, ’veh zung 勿曾.
- Still not yet, wan ’veh zung 還勿曾.
- Why? we°-sa° 爲啥 or we°-sa°-°lau 爲啥佬.
- Because, iung-we° 因爲 or we°-ts 爲之.
In using iung-we° the particle °lau (佬) is generally added at the end of the clause. Thus: “Why did you not go? Because I did not want to go” is noong° we°- °sa ’veh chi°? Iung we° °ngoo ’veh iau° chi° °lau (儂爲啥勿去? 因爲我勿要去佬.)
EXERCISES
(Translate into English)
- (1) °Tshing sien-sang kau° °ngoo dok Tsoong-kok su.
- (2) Yien°-°dze °ngoo iau° ‘auh °sia Tsoong-kok z°.
- (3) Noong° °ma-°ts ih tsak °sia-z°-de, doong-dien foo° meh? ’Veh zung.
- (4) Di°-kuh z° °ngoo ’veh suh.
- (5) Zak-zen noong° ’veh suh meh °khau-°i mung° sien-sang.
- (6) Vaung-°ts °zau °hau meh? Wan ’veh zung.
- (7) °Ngoo kuh sen°-°ts °tshing noong° theh °ngoo zing zing-khoen°.
- (8) Sen°-°ts °i-kyung zing-dzak tse.
- (9) Noong° we°-sa°-°lau ’veh zung chi°? Iung-we° °ngoo iau° dok su °lau.
- (10) °Tshing sien-sang chuh dzo.
- (11) °Tshing sien-sang yoong° dzo.
- (12) Zak-zen nyung m-meh °nyi-°too, yi-la ’veh nung-keu° thing.
- (13) °Ngoo ’veh zung tau° Tsoong-kok le, °s-nyeu ’veh zung khoen°-kyien° hyih.
- (14) Nyi-°s-ziang° bang°-dzak hyih meh? ’Veh zung.
- (15) °Sia-°z-de-°ts laung° kuh su °z sa° nyung kuh? °Z °ngoo-z°-ka kuh.
- (16) °Ngoo kyau° noong° faung° °ngoo-kuh i-zaung la° tsheu-thi °li, noong° we°-sa° ’veh zung faung° kuh?
- (17) Chi° khoen° khoen° sien-sang le meh.
- (18) °Ngoo kuh san° noong° zing-dzak meh? Zing-’veh-dzak.
- (19) Zak-zen m-meh sien-sang meh, noong° z°-ka °khau-°i dok su.
- (20) Iau° °ngoo foo° doong-dien meh, kyau° yi-la z°-ka le nau.