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

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

LESSON IX.

差 chă

to differ

前 sèng

formerly, in front

分 buŏng

to divide

半 buáng

one half

份 hông

a share

初 chĕ̤

the beginning, prefix used before the first ten days of the month

正 ciăng

the first month

正 ciáng

correct, upright

死 sī

dead

晡 buŏ

evening

暗 áng

late, dark

鈴 līng

bell

春 chŭng

spring

夏 hâ

summer

秋 chiŭ

autumn

冬 dĕ̤ng

winter

暝晡 màng-buŏ

evening

上⿰日罩 siông-dáu

forenoon

安息日 Ăng-sék-nĭk

Sunday

暝 màng

evening meal

⿰日罩 dáu

mid-day meal

刻 káik

a quarter, 1/4 of hour

乞 ké̤ṳk

to give to, sign of passive voice

分 hŭng

one tenth, minute

點 dēng

a point, an hour

小 siēu

small

仱 dăng

now

現在 hiêng-câi

at present, now

曉的 hiēu-dék

to know, understand

年 sŏ̤h-nièng

year before last

早起 cā-kī

morning

伓通 ng-tĕ̤ng

do not, a negative imperative

十字架 Sĕk-cê-gá

the Cross

山 săng

a hill

氣 ké

vapour, air

本份 buōng-hông

duty

下⿰日罩 â-dáu

afternoon

鐘 cṳ̆ng

clock

1. In and around Foochow, and among all Christian converts 禮拜 lā̤-bái has a well-known technical meaning for the week and the days of the week. Sunday, 禮拜日 安息日 lā̤-bái-nĭk or ăng-sék-nĭk. Monday, 拜一 bái-ék. Tuesday, 拜二 bái-nê. etc. A week. 一禮拜 siŏh lā̤-bái. Two weeks, 二禮拜 lâng lā̤-bái. This week, 只一禮拜 cī siŏh lā̤-bái. Next week, 下禮拜 â lā̤-bái. Last week, 上一禮拜 siông siŏh lā̤-bái. This Monday, 只一拜一 cī siŏh bâi-ék. Last Tuesday, 上一拜二 siông siŏh bái-né. Next Wednesday, 下拜三 â bái-săng. A few weeks since, 前幾禮拜 sèng gūi lā̤-bái. What is the day of the week to-day? 今旦拜幾 gĭng-dáng bái-gūi? In less than a week, 昧至一禮拜 muôi gáu siŏh lā̤-bái. In a few weeks time, 過幾禮拜 guó gūi lā̤-bái. 上 Siông and 下 â apply to days, weeks and months, but not to years.

2. The introduction of watches and clocks have brought into use the following expressions relating to hours and minutes. What is the time? 幾點鐘 幾點 gūi dēng-cṳ̆ng or gūi dēng. One o’clock, 一點 siŏh dēng. Half past one, 一半點 點半 siŏh-dēng buáng, or dēng buáng. Five minutes past two, 二點過五分 Lâng-dēng guó ngô-hŭng. A quarter past three, 三點過一刻 săng-dēng guó siŏh-káik.

3. 少 “Ciēu” and 差 chă are used for “less than”, “short of”: 7.45 o’clock, may be 七點過三刻 chék-dēng guó săng-káik, or 差一刻八點 chă siŏh-káik báik-dēng. Two less than a hundred cash, 一百錢差二隻 一百錢少二隻 siŏh-báh cièng chă lâng ciáh, or, siŏh-báh cièng ciēu lâng-ciáh.

4. In the example given above, “half past one”, half qualifies hour; so used it stands alone, but if followed by no other word it takes 一 siŏh before it. Half a dollar, 半塊錢 buáng-dó̤i cièng. I only want a half, 那欲一半 nâ ó̤i siŏh-buáng. The greater part, 大半 duâi buáng. The smaller part, 小半 siēu buáng.

5. Before noon, 上⿰日罩 siông-dáu. After-noon, 下⿰日罩 â-dáu. Monday after-noon, 拜一下⿰日罩 bái-ék â-dáu. Half a day, 半日 buáng nĭk. 半日 Buáng-nĭk, is often used with the idiomatic meaning “a long time”. I talked to him for a long time, 儂家共伊講論務半日 Nè̤ng-gă gâe̤ng ĭ gōng-lâung ô buáng-nĭk.

6. The question “what is the day of the month?” is asked in Chinese in three different ways. This arises from the fact that all the days of the month from the first to the tenth inclusive, have the word 初 chĕ̤ prefixed. What is the day of the month? (1st to 10th), 今旦初幾 Gĭng-dáng chĕ̤ gūi. What is the day of the month? (11th to 20th), 今旦十幾 Gĭng-dáng sĕk-gūi? (20th to 30th) 今旦二十幾 Gĭng-dáng nê-sĕk gūi? To-day is the six, 今旦初六 Gĭng-dáng chĕ̤ lĕ̤k. To-day is the twelfth, 今旦十二 Gĭng-dáng sĕk-nê. To-day is the twenty-sixth, 今旦二十六 Gĭng-dáng nê-sĕk-lĕ̤k.

7. English idiom in speaking of time begins with the lowest denomination, and ends with the highest; as days, months, years. Chinese idiom reverses this and says years, months, days. The third day of the fifth month of the twenty-sixth year of Tau Kuang, 道光二十六年五月初三 Dô̤-guōng né-sĕk-lĕ̤k nièng ngô nguŏk chĕ̤ săng.

8. The first month has its own special name, 正月ciăng-nguŏk, but the other months are spoken of by their numbers. No word corresponding to “on” or “in” is needed when the day of the month is definitely given.

9. 天 Tiĕng takes the place of the word “time” in such expressions as “winter-time, summer-time”. In the winter of last year, 去年暝冬天 kó̤-nièng-màng dĕ̤ng-tiĕng.

10. 仱 Dăng “now” is often used in introducing instructions and commands. This garment is not mine, take it to Mr. Diong over there, 只一件衣裳伓是我其仱掏去張先生許塊 cī siŏh-iòng ĭ-siòng ng-sê nguāi gì, dăng dò̤ kó̤ Diŏng Sĭng-săng hṳ̆-uâi.

EXERCISE IX.

憑據 bìng-gé̤ṳ

evidence

竹 dé̤ṳk

bamboo

古早 gū-cā

ancient times

駛性 sāi-sáng

to get angry

答應 dák-éng

to reply, answer

身體 sĭng-tā̤

body

呢 nì

flannel

脫 táung

undress, take down curtains and scrolls

泎 ciák

spill

giŭ

to shrink

áung

to tend, take care of

ó̤h

wise

Translate into English:—

1. Nè̤ng-gă nĭk-nĭk cā-kī báik-dēng-cṳ̆ng có̤ lā̤-bái.
2. Ĭ mìng-dáng-buŏ â̤ lì.
3. Mŏ̤h ké̤ṳk ĭ hiēu-dék.
4. Nè̤ng-gă hiêng-câi gōng ké̤ṳk nṳ̄ tiăng.
5. Ĭ mò̤ niŏh-òng cêu â̤ diōng lì.
6. Guó siŏh-káik cêu-sê siŏh-dēng-cṳ̆ng, nù-gáuk-nè̤ng siăh dáu.
7. Hiêng-câi kò̤ gó hō̤. Màng-buŏ sê áng.
8. Ià-Sŭ lŏ̤h lì géu nè̤ng.
9. Ĭ miêng-âu â̤ gáu? Ciăng-nguŏk chĕ̤ săng.
10. Gĭng-dáng gó liòng, chiāng guó lì siăh màng.
11. Gĭng-dáng â-dáu ngô-dēng-cṳ̆ng, nè̤ng-gă sê chiāng Lì Sĭng-săng-niòng lì siăh dà.
12. Nṳ̄ gūi-dēng gók-kī? Nè̤ng-gă gĭng-dáng-cā lŏ̤h chék-dēng-cṳ̆ng gók-kī.
13. Dĕ̤ng-tiĕng ciā dê-huŏng chéng, lŏh hâ-tiĕng sê kák iĕk.
14. Nù-gaúk-nè̤ng ô bìng-gé̤u ĭ gì pīng-hâing sê bàng-ciáng.
15. Dè̤ng gì nó̤h diŏh laé̤, dó̤h diŏh gāng.

Translate into Chinese:—

1. It was Friday yesterday.
2. I know he does not want it.
3. This butter is salt. I want fresh butter and fresh milk.
4. He went the evening of the day before yesterday.
5. Is this chair too large? Just right!
6. I want to say a few words to you.
7. Please give me a little bread.
8. I have not yet eaten my dinner.
9. It is your duty now to study. In a few years you may preach.
10. When did Mr. Li start? He started at eight a. m. today.
11. Please divide this pumelo. Give me one half and my brother one half.
12. Where is the bell? I do not know, I have not seen it.
13. Who has spilt this water?
14. I want to buy some fresh eggs. How much are they apiece?
15. The children are poorly today and must not go to school.
16. This rope is poor. Where did you buy it?