Obs. Succession in time is frequently represented in English by repetition of a noun with an adverb inserted. Thus, day by day corresponds to 日日 nyih nyih. Such phrases as year after year, one after another are other examples, and have their Chinese equivalents in the next article.
Order and Succession. 293. Succession of periods of time is represented by repetition, and the intervention of the verb 過 kú‘, pass (English adverb after).
- 一世過一世 ih sz‘ kú‘ ih sz‘, age after age.
294. The particles and, after, by, in one by one, two and two, in rows, etc. are not represented, succession being expressed by mere repetition of the numeral and its particle.
- 一個一個出去者 ih kú‘ ih kú‘ t’seh k’i‘ ’tsé, one after another they went out.
- 要種個一行一行個 yau‘ tsóng‘ kú‘ ih hong ih hong kú‘, plant them in rows.
Obs. For the repetition of verbs, in phrases such as 站一站 dzan‘ ih dzan‘, stand waiting a little; 研一研 níen ih níen, rub a little ink; 冷個冷 ’láng kú‘ ’láng, cool it a little; 調個調 diau kú‘ diau, stir it a little; 淘個淘 dau kú‘ dau, wash it (of rice); 净個净 zing‘ kú‘ zing‘, wash it (of clothes); 我要辨個辨清爽 ’ngú yau‘ bíen‘ kú‘ bíen‘ t’sing ’song, I wish to distinguish clearly; see also [Art. 232].
295. Gradual increase by little and little, is expressed by repeating the auxiliary phrases ih ’ngan, ih ’tíen, with the adjective in the centre. When the gradual change is in time, words of time form similar phrases.
- 一眼高一眼 ih ’ngan kau ih ’ngan, to become gradually higher.
- 一點大一點 ih ’tíen dú‘ ih ’tíen, grow gradually greater.
- 一歇大一歇 ih h’ih dú‘ ih h’ih, greater every moment.
- 一日小一日 ih nyih ’siau ih nyih, grow less every day.
296. Many adverbial phrases are formed by verbs and other words. Thus, the adverb when is often supplied by a noun of time following the verb with the connecting particle 個 kú‘.
- 覺個辰光 kau‘ kú‘ zun kwong, when you awake.
- 出門個時候 t’seh mun kú‘ zz heu‘, when on a journey.