Obs. ii. These particles may in many cases be omitted without affecting the sense. 勿落雨百姓要苦惱 veh loh ’u pák sing‘ yau‘ ’k’ú ’nau, if it does not rain, the people must suffer.
Obs. iii. In any two connected clauses, whether the former be conditional or not, these particles are frequently used; e.g. k’ön‘ kíen‘ tsz ’t’au van‘ kú‘ meh, dzieu‘ ’táng ’k’í lé ’tsé. 看見之討飯 個末就打起來者 when he saw the beggars, he began beating them. Both these clauses are in the past time.
Obs. iv. An indicative clause standing alone often takes 者 ’tsé. Thus 來者 lé ’tsé, I am come, or I come; 去者 k’i‘ ’tsé, I go.
243. Another particle found in conditional sentences, is 之 tsz, appended to the verb. This marks the past participle of the verb.
- 吾吃之飯就來者 ngú k’iuh tsz van‘ dzieu‘ lé ’tsé, having dined I came at once.
244. A potential mood is formed by many of the groups already illustrated. Both kinds of ability, absolute or natural, and limited or moral, are found in them. For examples of the former kind:—
- 寫勿來 ’siá veh lé, I cannot write.
- 講究得來 ’kong kieu‘ tuh lé, I can discuss it.
- 彎勿轉 wan veh ’tsén, cannot turn round.
Obs. 會 wé‘, prefixed to verbs makes them potential 念勿來 nian‘ veh lé, I cannot read, is equivalent to veh wé‘ nian‘.
245. The limited potential mood is formed by 起’k’í, e.g.
- 當勿起 tong veh ’k’í, I do not deserve to receive it.
- 牽勿起 k’íen veh ’k’í, not able to pull.
- 磨勿起 mú veh ’k’í, will not bear rubbing.
- 吃勿起 k’iuh veh ’k’í, cannot afford to eat it.
- 打勿起 ’táng veh ’k’í, cannot bear beating.
- 手硬勿起 ’seu ngáng‘ veh ’k’í, could not use my hand roughly.