Obs. i. Compare In English “the theory of the beautiful,” etc.
Obs. ii. Sometimes 處 t’sû‘ is added to the adjective, as also 頭 deu and fah 發, compound substantives are thus formed; cf. [Art. 110]. The same words also form substantives from verbs.
b. Adjectives are frequently the objects of transitive verbs, and in consequence are necessarily translated in such cases as substantives.
- 學好 hoh ’hau, to grow good (to learn good).
- 講和 ’kong hú, treat for peace.
- 學壞 hoh wá‘, to grow bad.
Obs. These examples differ from compounds, such as 加大 ká dú‘, make larger; 開闊 k’é k’weh, to extend in width (see [Art. 219]), which in their combined form, constitute transitive verbs with a regimen. These on the other hand contain the verb and its object within them.
- 勿論大咾小, 全是一樣個 veh lun‘ dú‘ lau ’siau, dzén ’zz ih yáng‘ kú‘, without taking account of the great and the small, all are the same.
- 勿要話別人個長短 veh yau‘ wó‘ bih niun kú‘ dzáng ’tön, do not speak
of the faults of others.
Obs. 短處 ’tön t’sû‘ is also used for faults. - 第條河開多少闊 tí‘ diau hú k’é tú ’sau k’weh, how wide is this river?
Obs. Adjectives with the interrogatives how much? how many? preceding them, the verb being understood, are in common use; e.g. 幾許深淺 ’kí hó‘ sun ’t’síen, how much depth is there? or how deep is it? 多少深 tú ’sau sun ib.; 勿知多少高低 veh tsz tú ’sau kau tí, I do not know how high it is.
c. When one adjective is qualified by another, it becomes a substantive; with this, English usage agrees, as in the following names of colours.
| 濃黑 nióng huh, deep black. | 淡紅 ’tan hóng, light red. |
| 老黃 ’láu wong, faded yellow. | 嫩黃 nung‘ wong, fresh yellow. |
| 重藍 ’dzóng lan, deep blue. | 淺藍 ’t’síen lan, light blue. |
Verb as Substantive. 342. Construing verbs as substantives is common to many languages. The infinitive and gerund forms are used for this purpose, as also the present participle. In Chinese these are all identical, being the root itself.