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

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

LESSON XI.

野 iā

very

俊 cóng

fine, nice

和 huò

peace

倍 buôi

times

越 uŏk  莽 muōng

sign of comparative

樣 iông

a pattern, kind

及 gĭk

to reach to

雙 sĕ̤ng

double

深 chĭng

deep

淺 chiēng

shallow

高 gèng

high

矮 ā̤

low, of small stature

生 săng

to beget

生 chăng

raw, unseasoned

毛拿 mò̤-niăh  不如 bók-ṳ̀

not equal to

故輸 gó-siŏ -

loses by comparison

熟 sṳ̆k

ripe, familiar

圓 ièng

round

比 bī

compared with

如 ṳ̀

like

斤 gṳ̆ng

catty, a Chinese pound

尺 chióh

foot

寸 cháung

an inch

慈悲 cṳ̀-pĭ

merciful

清潔 táh-gáik

clean

清楚 chĭng-chū

clear

聰明 chŭng-mìng

clever

智慧 dé-hîe

wisdom

向換 hióng-uâng

in that manner

口音 kēu-ĭng

pronunciation

只滿 cī-muāng

so very

一㮼墻 siŏh-siéng chiòng

a wall

一㮼門 siŏh-siéng muòng

a door

贏去 iàng-kó̤

to surpass

毛乇比併 mò̤-nó̤h bī-piâng

incomparable

四角 sé-gáe̤k

square

1. In comparing persons or things we say that they are inferior, equal to, or superior to other persons or things. The quality or point of comparison is usually shown by some suitable word, generally an adjective or an adverb. English idiom places the object compared at the beginning or the end, and the descriptive word in the middle of the sentence, e.g. “This is not as good as that”, Chinese idiom places the descriptive word last. This is not as good as that, 嚽毛回好 Cuòi mò̤ huòi hō̤.

2. To express inferiority the following are used:— Have not, has not 毛 mò̤; not equal to, 不如 bók-ṳ̀; loses by comparison, 故輸 gó-siŏ; does not catch up to, 毛拿 mò̤-niăh, with or without the prefix, 故 gó, often followed by 樣 iông, manner, fashion. This pencil is not as long as that, 只一本筆毛許一本長 Ci siŏh-buōng bék mò̤ hṳ̄ siŏh-buōng dòng. This horse is not equal to that, 只一頭馬故輸許一頭 Cī siŏh-tàu mā gó-siŏ hṳ̄ siŏh-tàu. My pronunciation is not as good as his, 儂家其口音不如伊其口音 Nè̤ng-gă gì kēu-ĭng bók-ṳ̀ ĭ gì kēu-ĭng. Not comparable to him, 故毛拿伊樣 Gó mò̤-niăh ĭ iông.

3. The signs of comparison are omitted at times when the connection or the attendant circumstances clearly indicate which of the two degrees is intended. This is better than that, 嚽好 Cuòi hō̤. Longer by one foot, 長一尺 Dòng siŏh chióh.

4. In comparing things that are equal, in Chinese the word, 務 ô is used, one thing having the properties of the other. This door is the same size as that, 只一㮼門務許一㮼大 Ci siŏh-siéng muòng ô hū siŏh-siéng duâi.

5. Such sentences as “it is not as easy as that”, “make it as large as this”, presuppose some standard of comparison. This is expressed by ciŏng-nâng this sort, hiŏng-uâng that sort, or by 只滿 cī-muāng and 許滿 hṳ̄-muāng this fall, that full literally, but answering to, “so very” being placed before the descriptive word. He is not as clever as that 伊毛許滿大聰明 ĭ mò̤ hṳ̄-muāng duâi chŭng-mìng. My teapot is as large as that, 儂家其茶婆務許滿大 Nè̤ng-gă gì dà-bò̤ ô hṳ̄-muāng duâi.

6. Incomparability is expressed by, 毛乇比併 Mò̤-nó̤h bī-piâng. God is incomparably wise, 上帝其智慧毛乇比併 Siông-Dá̤ gì dé-hiê mò̤-nó̤h bī-piâng.

7. The idea of slight difference in quality is expressed by, niăh-no̤i, 一滴仔 siŏh-dék-giāng, siŏh dī-dĭ, with or without the comparative sign gó. A little better, Gó hō̤ niăh-nó̤i. A little larger, 大一滴仔 Duâi siŏh-dék-giāng.

8. The idea of passable quality is expressed by the phrase, iā-ô-hō̤ tolerably good. Is this paper good? It is passable. 者紙⿰亻鞋好賣 也務好 Ciā cāi â̤ hō̤ mâ̤? Iā-ô-hō̤.

9. The comparative degree of adjectives is expressed by:—(a). Prefixing 故 gó or 更 gáing. This character is larger, 者字故大 Ciā cê gó duâi. This is better, 嚽更好 Cuòi gáing hō̤. (b). The use of such words as: 贏 iàng to win, or the full idiomatic term iàng-kó̤, with or without the comparative sign 故 gó. Dai Seng’s writing is far better than Ting Hua’s, 得信寫其字是故贏去丁華寫其字 Dáik Sèng siā gì cê sê gó iàng-kó̤ Dĭng Huà siā gì cê. (c). The use of 倍 buôi so many times, with dék following the adjective. Twice as good, 好的雙倍 Hō̤-dék sĕ̤ng buôi. (d). A similar use of, 一滴仔 siŏh-dék-giāng a little. This teapot is a little more expensive. 只一隻茶婆貴一滴仔 Cí siŏh-ciáh dà-bò̤ gó̤i siŏh-dék-giāng. Examples: This is better than that, 只一隻贏去許一隻 Ci siŏh-ciáh iàng-kó̤ hṳ̈ siŏh-ciáh. He is more accustomed to it now, 伊現在故熟 ĭ hiêng-cûi gó sṳ̆k. This water is deep, that is deeper. 者水深那水故深 Ciā cūi chĭng, hiā cūi gó chĭng.

10. Two comparatives are sometimes used together. In this case 越 uŏk and 莽 muōng are used before the adjectives. The more horses the better, 馬越⿰亻西越好 Mä uŏk sâ̤ uŏk hō̤. The larger the worse, 莽大莽平正 Muōng duâi muōng bàng-ciáng.

11. “According to this”, “as this is so”, is expressed by 學將換 ŏ̤h ciŏng uâng. According to this, the book is not mine, 學將換者書伓是儂家其 ŏ̤h ciŏng uâng ciā cṳ̆ ng sê nè̤ng-gă gì.

EXERCISE XI.

米 mī

uncooked rice

糴米 diăh mī

to buy rice

布 dōng buó

buy to cloth

布簾 buó-lièng

curtains

唯獨 mì-dŭk

but

啜 chióh

to drink

堅固 giĕng-gó

safe, stable, firm

記念 gé-niêng

to remember

客調 káh-dièu

to play

𠆧仔 nè̤ng-giāng

doll

kā-lák

repair

便了 biêng-laū

ready prepared

Translate into English:—

1. Giéu ī cā siŏh-dék-giāng lì.
2. Ĭ lì gì sì-hâiu nè̤ng-gă mâ̤-gé dék-kó̤.
3. Gĭng-nièng-màng gì dà-niŏh bī kó̤-nièng-màng gì gó hō̤.
4. Séng Gĭng gì dô̤-lī ĭ mâ̤ sṳ̆k.
5. Hiā lâng-ciáh nè̤ng gōng huò lāu.
6. Baí Siông-Dá̤ bī baí bù-sák hō̤-dék uângbuôi.
7. Có̤-diò diăh mī ng gáu.
8. Ciā dĭng-mā lūng-cūng ó̤i kā-lák, mìng-dáng diŏh sāi-e̤ṳ̂ng lā̤-bái-dòng gì bō̤-hiēng. Nâ kā-lák ciā dò̤-guóng mò̤ sié-nó̤k gék.
9. Nè̤ng-gă gì guō cī bī nṳ̄ gì guō cī gaíng sṳ̆k, mì-dŭk chăng gì ng-tĕ̤ng siăh.
10. Gĭng-dáng bṳó-lièng diŏh táung kó̤ saúk, ī-hâiu cêu káung diù lā̤.
11. Cī siŏh-siéng chiòng mâ̤ giĕng-gó.
12. Ĭ lì cī-muāng dì, nè̤ng-gā diŏh kaíu ì gì cièng.
13. Sô̤i sùng mò̤ sô̤i giêu hṳ̄-muāng ká̤.
14. Hiā nó̤h cêng cóng, nè̤ng-gă ó̤i dái kó̤ keṳ́k né̤ng-gă gì nòng-nā̤ káng.
15. Nṳ̄ diŏh saú ciā bùng-diē cêng táh-gáik. Chió-diē ô tĭ-tṳ̆-măng mò hō̤-káng.

Translate into Chinese:—

1. Do not talk to him.
2. The soul is more important than money.
3. My little girl is playing with her doll.
4. This table is very dear. It was $2.20.
5. Tomorrow I am inviting six guests to come to supper.
6. This pen is a little better than that, but neither are very good.
7. Cook has gone on the street to buy rice–I wanted him to buy cloth but forgot to tell him.
8. This cloth is better than that.
9. He is mistaken. The round box is larger than this one.
10. How many more pounds does he want to buy?
11. We had better invite Mr. Le to supper.
12. His pronunciation is not clear.
13. He wants to use my money to buy a house.
14. This wall is longer than that.