Next you might proceed to inquire what his other name was, that is, his private name in distinction from his surname. This you would ask by saying °Tshing kyau° da° ‘au° (請叫大號), “Please teach me your great appellation” or The °foo (台甫). In answer he might say °Tshau-z° Kya-foo (草字嘉甫), meaning “the grass characters are Kya-foo,” or he might say °Siau-ming (小名). (Kya-foo is taken as an example of a name).

Then you might proceed to ask his age. This you would do by saying Too-sau kwe°-kang (多少貴庚). The answer would be °Ngoo hyui doo° san seh soe° (我虛度三十歲). Lit. “I have vainly passed thirty years.” If you ask an old gentleman his age, you would say °Kyi-hau° kau-zeu° (幾化高壽). Lit. “What is your high longevity?”

If you ask a person how he is, as has been already intimated, you would say °Hau-la°-va° (好拉否). The answer might be Khau° fok (靠福), meaning “I depend upon you for my happiness.”

If a person asked you how many years you had been in China, he would say Tau°-ts bi°-kok °kyi z-tse (到之敝國幾時哉). You would answer °Ngoo tau°-ts kwe°-kok nyan nyien (我到之貴國念年). “I arrived in your honorable country twenty years ago” (or any length of time you had been in the country).

When you are asking a guest to take a seat, if he is at all an honorable guest, you must request him to take an honorable seat. This you do by saying °Tshing °zaung-deu °zoo (請上頭坐), meaning “Please sit up higher.”

In asking how many children you have your guest would say °Kyi-we °sau-kyuin (幾位少君), “How many little princes have you.” Your answer is San kuh °siau-koen (三個小干), or °san kuh °siau-noen (三個小囝), or san kuh °siau-°choen (三個小犬).

At table, if you finish before others, you raise your chop-sticks and say to the others Man°-yoong° (慢用), “use slowly.” Then place the chop-sticks on top of the bowl. Your host could answer Yoong°-°pau (用飽), meaning, “Take plenty.”

When a guest is leaving, in addition to saying Chi°-tse, he may say Kyung-tshau 驚吵), meaning, “I have troubled you.” Your answer may be De-man de-man (待慢), meaning, “I have treated you without proper respect.” Or he may say, as he is walking away °Tshing lieu kyung-boo° (請留經步), meaning, “Please restrain your orderly footsteps”; or simply Lieu-boo°, meaning “Don’t trouble to come out.” If you have to excuse yourself after a short stay, you should say Sau-be (少陪).

VOCABULARY