b. Enough and not enough are expressed by keu‘, veh tsóh, veh kûn zz‘, k’iöh ’sau and some verbs with the negative.
- 彀哩, 干事者 keu‘ ’lí, kûn zz‘ ’tsé, enough.
- 勿彀, 勿干事 veh keu‘, veh kûn zz‘, not enough.
- 有哩 ’yeu ’lí, it is enough.
- 勿足 veh tsóh, not enough.
- 勿到三十 veh tau‘ san seh, not so many as 30.
- 勿滿三十 veh ’mén san seh, ib.
- 勿缺少個 veh k’iöh ’sau kú‘, not insufficient.
- 第個裏少一錢 ti‘ kú‘ ’lí ’sau ih dien, this is deficient one cash.
- 第籃桶子裡缺十隻 ti‘ lan kiöh ’tsz ’lí k’iöh seh tsáh, this basket of oranges in ten short.
Obs. These words might be divided between adjectives and verbs, and no place reserved for them here, were it not that their equivalents in English and other languages are adverbs.
c. Much, more, many are all expressed by the adjective 多 tú. If tú precedes it is more (adv.): if it follows its word, it is much or many (adj.) Other words for more are 還 wan, 越 yöh, and the verbs ká, t’íen, ’tíen, etc.
- 多撥點 tú peh ’tíen, give more.
- 第袋米多二斤 ti‘ dé‘ ’mi tú ni‘ kiun, this bag of rice is two catties more (or over).
- 人多個 niun tú kú‘, the men are many.
- 越加勿好 yöh ká veh ’hau, much worse.
- 加點, 添點 ká ’tíen, t’íen ’tíen, give more.
- 一錢勿加 ih díen veh ká, I will not give one more cash.
- 勿罷一百 veh bá‘ ih páh, there are more than a hundred.
- 也勿罷 ’á veh bá‘, and more too.
- 銅錢還要 tóng díen wan yau‘, I want more cash.
Obs. For examples of such forms as 好幾 ’hau ’kí, 多許 tú hau‘, many. See section on pronouns. The only words here adduced that can claim to be adverbs are 越 still more, 也 too, and wan 還. Too is an adverb in English, but its equivalent 也 becomes by its position a conjunction, and wan when it is not an adverb of time still, may often fairly be considered a conjunction.
d. Less, few are represented by 少 ’sau, standing before its word, and by such borrowed phrases as veh siau, not necessary, less: ’yeu hien‘ k’ú‘, few, not much.
- 兩日勿消 ’liáng nyih veh siau, in less than 2 days.
- 少吃點 ’sau k’iuh ’tíen, eat less.
- 減脱點 ’kan t’eh ’tíen, take less, subtract a little.
- 勿能減少 veh nung ’kan ’sau, cannot take less.
- 人有限個 niun ’yeu híen‘ kú‘, of men there are few.
e. A little, any, are used sometimes adverbially in English. Their representatives in our dialect are liák sü, ’sau wé, sü ’sau with the auxiliary substantive forms ih ’ngan, ’tíen, etc.
- 畧須曉得 liák sü ’h’iau tuh, know it a little.
- 須為明白 sü wé ming báh, understand it a little.
- 須稍懂得 sü ’sau ’tóng tuh, ib.
- 些須加點 ’sí sü ká ’tíen, add a little.
- 稍為要個 ’sau wé yau‘ kú‘, I want it a little.
- 稍為便宜點 ’sau wé bien‘ ni ’tíen, a little cheaper.
- 脚有一眼酸 kiáh ’yeu ih ’ngan sûn, my feet are a little tired.
- 有點怕個 ’yeu ’tíen p’ó‘ kú‘, he is a little afraid.
- 一點點 ih ’tíen ’tíen, a very little.
- 有點𨅓跎 ’yeu ’tíen sá dú, I am a little tired.
- 有點會飛 ’yeu ’tíen wé‘ fí‘, can fly a little.