Obs. When the predicate is a verb, the copula may be always considered as included in it. It is when the predicate is an adjective that a vacuum becomes obvious to a foreign ear.
377. The subject may consist of a substantive, or a substantive group, a pronoun, a verb or a verb group, or adverbs of place and time, construed as nouns.
- 日頭勿出來 nyih deu veh t’seh lé, the sun does not come out.
- 菴堂寺院秃有燒香 én dong zz‘ yön‘ t’oh ’yeu ’sau h’iáng, in all convents and monasteries there is incense burning.
- 第個是好點個 tí‘ kú‘ ’zz ’hau ’tíen kú‘, this is better.
- 買是勿能 ’má ’zz veh nung, to buy is impossible.
- 挑咾扛勿會個 t’iau lau kong veh wé‘ kú‘, to act as porter alone or with others, is what I cannot do.
- 此地有雪 ’t’sz dí‘ ’yeu sih, it snows here.
- 明朝初六 ming tsau t’sú lóh, to-morrow is the sixth.
Obs. i. Sometimes the subject is understood; e.g. 總要立定主意 ’tsóng yau‘ lih ding‘ ’tsû í‘, (you) must be resolute.
Obs. ii. Adjectives also sometimes form a predicate. 好有好報, ’hau ’yeu ’hau pau‘, goodness has a good reward; 善咾惡總要辨出來 ’zén lau oh ’tsóng yau‘ bíen‘ t’seh lé, virtue and vice must be distinguished.
Obs. iii. Any word that qualifies a noun may be removed from its place in apposition, and become a predicate. Thus, 第座房子是拉個 tí‘ zú‘ vong ’tsz ’zz ’lá kú‘, this house is the right one, may become, 是第座房子 ’zz dí‘ zú‘ vong ’tsz, it is this one; 兩條橋有, ’liáng diau giau ’yeu, there are two bridges, or 橋有兩條 kiau ’yeu ’liáng diau, of bridge there are two.
378. When the copula is used, it takes the forms of 是 ’zz, 得 tuh, 來得 lé tuh, and 來 lé before adjective predicates, while 做 tsu‘, and in some groups 爲 wé‘ and 作 tsoh precede substantives.
- 道理是勿差個 ’tau ’lí ’zz veh t’só kú‘, the doctrine, is right.
- 心裏來得笨 sing ’lí lé tuh pun‘, in mind he is stupid.
- 我勿做兵 ’ngú veh tsú‘ ping, I am not a soldier.
- 我勿為官 ’ngú veh wé kwén ’fú, I am not a mandarin.
- 寫來好看 ’siá lé ’hau k’ön‘, it is well written.
- 寫得勿好 ’siá tuh veh ’hau, it is written badly.
Obs. Educated men appear to avoid the use of 來 lé, as a substitute for 得, but it is extremely common among the lower classes.
379. In the predicate are found, a substantive, adjective, verb, or adverb, or a group of either.