- (1) In the fifth sentence of the First Exercise notice the use of Soong° °tien. °Tien means “a few things.”
- (2) In the ninth sentence of the First Exercise kwha° too-hau° means “very much faster.”
- (3) In the sixteenth sentence of the First Exercise the expression Kheh-deu refers to the most formal salute of the Chinese. It is used by an inferior before a superior. The usual polite salutation is to clasp the hands together and move them from the feet to the forehead. This is called Tshaung° zo° (唱喏) or Tsauh-ih (作揖).
- (4) In the nineteenth sentence of the First Exercise we have the expression °Seu kwe-°kyui (守規矩). This is very frequently used. It means to act according to the laws of propriety. It is a command frequently given to children.
LESSON XXIII
The Points of the Compass
The four cardinal points of the compass in Chinese are expressed: Toong, nen, si, pok (東, 南, 西, 北) East, South, West, North. Thus it will be seen that they do not follow the same order as we. North East is Toong-pok (東北), lit. East North. North West is Si-pok (西北), lit. West North. South East is Toong-nen (東南) , and South West is Si-nen (西南).
The word pien (邊) is generally added when direction or place is indicated. Thus we have for the North Pok-pien, for the West Si-pien. Pien literally means “side,” and is a shortened form of pien-deu (邊頭).
In giving directions as to locality, the Chinese make very frequent use of the points of the compass.If you wish a person to go towards the North you say dzau pok (朝北) “towards the North.”
VOCABULARY
- To break, smash, se° 碎, °tang-se° 打碎, or khau-se° 敲碎.
- To beget to nourish, °yang 養, or sang °yang 生養.
- To lose, to forfeit, seh 失, or seh-theh 失脫.
- To arrange, to attend to matters, to direct ban° 辦.
- A Compradore, °ma-ban° 買辦.
- To consult, saung-liang 商量, tsung-tsak 斟酌.
- To point with the hand, °tien 點, or °ts-°tien 指點.
- To separate, fung 分, or fung-khe 分開.
- To hinder, oppose, °tsoo 阻, or °tsoo-taung° 阻檔.
- To answer, we-deu 回頭, or we-tah 回答.
- To exchange, to barter, wen° 換, or diau° 調.
- To attend to a thing to make it right, loong° 弄, or loong°-°hau 弄好.
- To distinguish, fung-pih 分別.
- A difference, ih kuh fung-pih 一個分別.
- Wages, koong-dien 工錢.
- Salary, sok-sieu 束脩, sing-foong° 薪俸, or sing-°soe 薪水.
- Misery, °khoo-nau° 苦腦.
- Rain, °yui 雨,
- To rain, lauh °yui 落雨.
- Coolie, tsheh-tien° 出店.
- A duck, ih tsak ah 一隻鴨.
- A broom, ih °po °sau-°tseu 一把掃箒.
- A snake, ih diau zo 一條蛇.
- A stick of bamboo, ih kung tsok-deu 一根竹頭.
- Glass, poo-li 玻璃.
- A glass (for the table), ih tsak poo-li pe-°ts 一隻玻璃杯子.
°Doong (桶) is the classifier for casks, tubs and buckets.
- A bucket of water, ih °doong °s 一桶水.