A Manual of the Foochow Dialect In Twenty Lessons/Lesson I

by C. M. S. and A. E. Champness

LESSON I.

我 nguāi

I, me

奴 nù

I, me

儂家 nè̤ng-gă

I, me

汝 nṳ̄

thou, thee

伊 ĭ

he, she

其 gì

possessive particle

紙 cāi

paper

書 cṳ̆

book

嚽 cuòi

this

回 huòi

that

是 sê

the verb "to be"

錢 cièng

money, cash

哥 gŏ̤

elder brother

兄 hiăng

elder brother

仔 giāng

son, child

乇 nó̤h

thing

弟 diê

younger brother

兄弟 hiăng diê

brothers

兵丁 bĭng-dĭng

soldier

牧師 mŭk-sṳ̆

pastor

伲仔 niê-giāng

child

唐晡仔 dòng-buŏ-giāng

son, boy

諸娘仔 cṳ̆-niòng-giāng

daughter

筆 bék

pencil, pen

硯 ngiéng

inkslab

朋友 bèng-iū

friend

自家 cê-gă, 本身 buōng-sĭng

oneself, own (reflexive pronouns)

字典 cê-diēng

dictionary

先生 sĭng-săng

Sir, teacher

郞罷 nòng-mâ

father

郞奶 nòng-nā̤

mother

親戚 chĭng-chék

relatives

唐晡𠆧 dòng-buŏ-nè̤ng

man

諸娘𠆧 cṳ̆-niòng-nè̤ng

woman

1. One of the principal distinctions between the Chinese language with its various dialects and European languages, is the absence in the former of such changes as take place in English to indicate the difference between the singular and plural numbers of Nouns, or the various moods and tenses of Verbs. The Chinese language unlike western languages, has in fact no real grammatical construction, although a few rules may be formulated to help the student. All that inflections and conjugations help to make clear in western languages is indicated in Chinese either by auxiliary words or the general context in which the word is found. The student may compare the English noun "sheep", which the context alone can show to be singular or plural; and the verb "burst", to find the mood or tense of which we must look at the auxiliary word used with it.

2. The Possessive Case is formed by adding gì 其 to the noun or pronoun, as ĭ gì cāi 伊其紙, his paper; bĭng-dĭng gì giăng 兵丁其仔, the soldier's child. This particle is however frequently omitted when a pronoun is used in the Possessive Case, and especially so in the case of a double possessive. My elder brother's child, nè̤ng-gă gŏ̤ gì giāng 儂家哥其仔. Here gì 其 is only used once for the two possessives.

The words "my, mine, our, ours, your, yours, his, her, hers, its" etc. are commonly called pronouns in the Possessive Case, but as they also have a descriptive power, they partake of the character of adjectives, and have consequently been called possessive pronominal adjectives.

3. Chinese has no distinct word for "them" as applied to inanimate objects; it is either included in the verb, or the name of the article in question must be given.

4. Gaúk-nè̤ng 各𠆧, literally meaning "all men", indicates the personal plural. It is not used when a definite number of persons is to be expressed. We, nú-gáuk-nè̤ng 奴各𠆧 or nguāi-gáuk-nè̤ng 我各𠆧. You, nṳ̄-gáuk-nè̤ng 汝各𠆧. They, ĭ-gáuk-nè̤ng 伊各𠆧. Three men, săng ciáh nè̤ng 三隻𠆧, see Lesson III.

Nguāi 我, is the form of the First Personal Pronoun used in the Foochow colloquial New Testament, and in certain counties of the Prefecture of Foochow it is commonly used in the language of the people. It is very important however that the student should remember that in Foochow City and vicinity, the use of nguāi is considered very impolite indeed, and nè̤ng-gă or nù should be used instead. The best term for a missionary to use is nè̤ng-gă. Nù can be used when one wishes to be extra polite.

5. The word cê-gă 自家 or buōng sĭng 本身 may be added to Chinese pronouns in the same way in which "self" is added to English pronouns, and with the same force; either to impart emphasis, as "I myself", or to show that the action is turned back upon the agent, as "I hurt myself". Hence "Own" is indicated by the addition of gì to cê-gă.

6. Giāng 仔 is an expression used for the diminutive of persons or things; hence we have dòng-buŏ-giāng 唐晡仔 and cṳ̆-niòng-giāng 諸娘仔 literally "little man" and "little woman" meaning "boy" and "girl". Giāng 仔 by itself, means "child", and is generally used with the meaning of "son", though dòng-buŏ-giāng is the more accurate form. A Chinese generally only reckons his sons as his children, (girls not counting).

7. The name of a person generally precedes his title. Mr. Li, Lī Sĭng-săng 李先生. The last sounds are elided and pronounced sĭnăng.

8. There is nothing to indicate by the form of a noun itself, whether it is in the singular or plural. Thus nè̤ng-gă gì bék 儂家其筆 may mean either "my pencil or my pencils".

9. The verb "to be" is indicated by sê 是 but only by the context can we find whether the English equivalent should be "is", "was", or "were".

10. Nouns and pronouns have no inflexion to show number. Thus with the demonstrative pronouns cuòi 嚽 and huòi 回, cuòi sê nguāi gì cṳ̆ 嚽是我其書 may mean "this is my book" or "these are my books".

11. Cuòi and huòi are not used to indicate persons, but only inanimate objects. See Lesson II.

EXERCISE I.

子果 gūi-cī

fruit

甜 diĕng

sweet

酸 sŏng

sour

麫包 miêng-bău

bread

便宜 bèng-ngìe

cheap

寬容 kuăng-ṳ̀ng

to overlook a fault

腹老空 bók-lō̤-kĕ̤ng

hungry

罷奶 bâ-nā̤

parents

耳聾 ngê-lè̤ng

deaf

先生娘 Sĭng-săng-niòng

Mistress

牛乳油 ngù-nèng-iù

butter

利害 lê-hâi

severe, hurtful

Translate into English;—

1. Cuòi sê nè̤ng-gă gì nó̤h.
2. Ĭ sê nèng-gă gì bèng-iū.
3. Huòi sê Sĭng-săng gì cāi.
4. Uòng Mŭk-sṳ̆ gì diê sê nè̤ng-gă gì bèng-iū.
5. Huòi sê ĭ cê-gă gì cṳ̆.
6. Lì Sĭng-săng sê ngūai bèng-iū gì nòng-mâ.
7. Cuòi sê nè̤ng-gă nòng-nā̤ cê-gă gì nó̤h.
8. Lì Sĭng-săng sê ngê-lè̤ng.
9. Ĭ cē-gă gì cṳ̆.
10. Cuòi sê nè̤ng-gă gì mièng-bău.
11. Cuòi sê diĕng, huòi sê sŏng.
12. Huòi sê ĭ gì cê-diēng.
13. Lì Guăng-hŭng sê nè̤ng-gă gì diê.
14. Cuòi sê î giāng gì cièng.
15. Ĭ-gáuk-nè̤ng cê-gă gì cê-diēng.

Translate into Chinese;—

1. This is our money.
2. Bread is cheap.
3. This is Pastor Lau's book.
4. The children are hungry.
5. Those are my pens.
6. My fruit is sweet, yours is sour.
7. This is my child's paper.
8. Mr. Li is my relative.
9. That is my father's money.
10. That is the soldier's daughter.
11. My mother is deaf.
12. This is my pencil.
13. My father is related to (is a relative of) Mrs. Diong.
14. That is his book.
15. She is my mother's friend.