Obs. i. In English to is omitted or not at pleasure. Such datives as occur in Gloria Patri, dedicated to the interests of truth, my love to you cannot be expressed.
Obs. ii. In the example peh ’ngú ih kú‘, the dative comes next to the verb, while in the following sentence, the object precedes it. These differences of position are occasioned by the rhythmus.
134. To a place is expressed by 到 tau‘, usually with a verb of motion following the substantive.
- 到蘇州去者 tau‘ Sú-tseu k’i‘ ’tsé, gone to Sú-cheú.
- 幾時到上海 ’kí zz tau‘ Zóng‘ ’hé, when did you come to Shánghái?
- 到此地来做啥 tau‘ ’t’sz dí‘ lé tsú‘ sá? what do you come to do?
135. Motion from or by (ablative) is expressed by 自 zz‘, 從 zóng, 由 yeu or 打, ’táng. The last of these is most frequently employed.
- 打啥户堂來 ’táng sá‘ ú dong lé? whence do you come?
- 打故邊走 ’táng kú‘ píen ’tseu, go that way.
- 從第搭到屋裡 dzóng dí‘ dah tau‘ óh ’lí, from hence home.
136. The sense of for, instead of is given by several particles, 替, 代, 代替, 忒, 爲, t’í, dé, dé t’í, t’uh and wé‘, are all in use.
- 忒我去買 t’uh ’ngú k’í‘ ’má, go and buy for me.
- 爲之我咾 wé‘ tsz ’ngú lau— on my account—.
- 替儂做生活 t’í‘ nóng tsú‘ sáng weh, do work instead of you.
137. In and at (locative case) are expressed by 勒拉 leh ’lá and 拉 ’lá before, and 裏 ’lí or 裏向 ’lí h’iáng‘, after the substantives, (m. 在 tsai‘ prefixed, 裏, 内, 中, ’lí, núi‘, chóng suffixes).
- 勿拉屋裏 veh ’lá óh ’lí, not at home.
- 勿拉上海 veh ’lá Zóng‘ ’hé, not at Shánghái.
- 勒拉勿勒拉 leh ’lá veh leh ’lá, at home or not?
- 勿勒裏 veh leh ’lí, not at home.
- 嘴裏工夫 tsz‘ lí kúng fú, mere words.
- 心裏向 sing ’lí h’iáng, in the mind.