- (1) In the third sentence of the First Exercise the expression °kaung ding° (講定) means “to settle the price.” Literally it signifies declaiming to a fixed point.
- (2) In the sixteenth sentence of the First Exercise °Soo (數) is added after °li (里) for the sake of euphony.
- (3) In the twenty-third sentence of the First Exercise suh (識) is used. This is always used of knowing characters in the Chinese language. Sometimes it is used in the expression Suh hoo° kuh (識貨個), meaning “to understand affairs.” A man who does not suh hoo° is a stupid fellow.
LESSON XX
More Verbal Idioms
Tuk dzu° (得住) and ’veh dzu° (勿住) are often used after the verb Lih (立) to stand, and give the sense of “able to stand,” or “unable to stand.” Thus Lih-tuh-dzu° (立得住) means “able to stand,” and Lih-’veh-dzu° (立勿住) unable to stand. The same words are used after other verbs also. Thus we have Khau°-tuh-dzu° (靠得住), meaning “Worthy to be trusted” and Khau°-’veh-dzu° (靠勿住), meaning “Unworthy to be trusted.”
Tuh-koo° (得過) is also used after verbs, and ’Veh-koo° (勿過). Thus we have °Tang-tuh-koo° (打得過), meaning “Able to beat him.” Literally “Beat, obtain surpass.” °Tang-’veh-koo° (打勿過) means “Unable to beat him.” Literally “Beat, not surpass.”
The expressions I°-tuh-koo° (意得過) and I°-’veh-koo° (意勿過) are also idiomatic. The former means, “Within the range of pity;” the latter “Beyond the range of pity,” or “greatly to be commiserated.”
VOCABULARY
- Year, nyien 年, or soe° 歲.
- To steal, theu 偷.
- To beg, °thau 討.
- A beggar, °thau-van°-kuh 討飯個. Lit. “To beg rice,” or kau°-hwo°-°ts 告化子.
- To marry a wife, °thau-nyang-°ts 討娘子. Lit. “To beg for a wife.” See note.
- To tie (as a small parcel), tsah 紥.
- To bind with a cord, °paung 綁
- To command, fung-foo° 分付.
- Price, ka°-dien (價錢) or ‘aung-dzing 行情. Most frequently used is the market.
- How much is it, or what is the price? Sa° ka°-dien? 啥價錢 or sa° ‘aung-dzing?
- A soldier, ih kuh ping-ting 一個兵丁.
- A thief, ih kuh zuh 一個賊.
- A robber, ih kuh °jang-°dau 一個強盜.
- A magistrate or mandarin, ih kuh kwen-°foo, or ih kuh kwen 一個官府. ih we° (一位) is often used as the classifier.
- Mandarin dialect, kwen wo° 官話 or kok-nyui° 國語.
- Shanghai dialect, °Zaung-°he °thoo-bak 上海土白.
- A Buddhist priest, ih kuh oo-zaung° 一個和尙.
- A Taoist priest, ih kuh dau°-z 一個道士.
- A nun, ih kuh nyi-koo 一個尼姑.
- Number, soo°-mak 數目.
Tsang (張) is the classifier used for sheets of things.
- A newspaper, ih tsang sing-vung-°ts 一張新聞紙.
- A proclamation, ih tsang kau°-z° 一張告示.
- A sheet of paper, ih tsang °ts-deu 一張紙頭.