- 生果子勿此熟果子甜個 sáng ’kú ’tsz veh ’pí zóh ’kú ’tsz díen kú‘, unripe fruit cannot be compared to ripe fruit in sweetness.
- 做生意勿此念書個好 tsú‘ sáng í‘ veh ’pí nian‘ sû kú‘ ’hau, to engage in trade is not so good as studying books.
- 儂比之我年紀大 nóng‘ ’pí tsz ’ngú níen ’kí dú‘, you are older than I.
Obs. i. 又 í‘ is sometimes prefixed to the attribute; e.g. 伊比我又好 í ’pi ngú‘ í‘ hau, he is still better than I.
Obs. ii. 又 í‘ with the negative is thus seen to have the force of a separative particle, while in the examples of the preceding article it is clearly connective (both—and—) in one case, and separative in the other (neither— nor—).
413. Propositions introduced by the adversative particles only, but, yet, etc. (v. [Art. 310]), form another class of coordinate sentences.
- 小道理聖人賢人勿屑為但是平常人全要曉得個 ’siau ’dau ’lí sung‘ niun híen niun veh sih wé tan‘ ’zz bing dzáng niun zén yau‘ ’h’iau tuh kú‘, small matters are not attended to by the wise and learned, but ordinary people must know them.
- 好人該當親近個倒要遠開伊 ’hau niun ké tong t’sing ’giun kú‘ ’tau yau‘ yön k’é í, you ought to attach yourself to good men, but on the contrary you avoid them.
- 爺娘個棺材勿可以常停拉家裏恐防火燒 yá niáng kú‘ kwén zé‘ veh ’k’ó ’í dzáng ön ’lá ká ’lí ’k’óng bong ’hú sau, your parents coffins must not be long retained in the house, lest a fire should break out.
414. Illative and causal sentences form another class of coordinate sentences.
- 故此嘸沒出頭個日子 kú‘ ’t’sz m meh t’seh deu kú‘ nyih ’tsz, therefore there is no day of escape.
- 半個身體三個時辰浸拉水裏所以怪勿得有點勿自在 pén‘ kú‘ sun ’t’í san kú‘ zz zun tsing ’lá ’sz ’lí ’sú ’í kwá‘ veh tuh ’yeu ’tíen veh zz‘ ’zé, his body was up to the waist in water for 6 hours, and therefore it is not to be wondered at that he feels a little uncomfortable.
415. In causal sentences, the causal conjunctions are used, or the word for “cause” at the end of the sentence; sometimes both are employed.
- 勿能得勝兵丁勿好個緣故 veh nung tuk sung‘, ping ting veh ’hau ku‘ yön kú‘, he cannot conquer, because the soldiers are bad.
- 文理爲哈勿好因爲讀書少 vun ’lí wé‘ sá‘ veh ’hau yung wé‘ dók sû ’sau, why is his style of writing bad? because he has read but little.
Obs. The answer to a question requiring “because,” is very often ended with 咾 lau, which then takes that sense. But this is an irregular colloquialism, since lau as connective conjunction ought to be followed by another clause. 船吹壞脫哉風大咾 zén t’sz wá‘ t’eh ’tsé fóng dú‘ lau, the boat was broken to pieces, the wind being high.