A Manual of the Foochow Dialect In Twenty Lessons/Lesson XVIII
LESSON XVIII.
- 驚 giăng
- to fear
- 睏 káung
- to sleep
- 准 cūng
- to permit
- 想 siōng
- to think
- 當 dáung
- to represent, to pawn
- 漢的 háng-dék
- to suppose
- 仈字 báik cê
- to recognise characters
- 好愛 hō̤-tiáng
- amiable
- 止 cī
- to stop
- 店 dáing
- shop
- 相 sŏng
- mutual
- 板 bēng
- boards
- 鑼 lò̤
- gong
- 定 diâng
- to fix, determine, decide
- 難 nàng
- difficult
- 分別 hŭng-biék
- to differentiate
- 別 bĕk
- different, another
- 齊 cà̤
- together
- 該當 găi-dŏng
- ought
- 多的多 dŏ̤-dék-dŏ̤
- for the most part
- 大畧 dâi-liŏk
- probably, mostly
- 大凡 dâi-huàng
- everyone
- 老實 lō̤-sĭk
- well-disposed, honest
- 大概 dâi-kái
- for the most part
- 現成 hiêng-siàng
- ready made, in current use
- 看待 káng-dâi
- to behave towards, treat
- 隨便 sùi-biêng
- as you please
- 上勢 siông-sié
- on the top
- 務意 ô-é
- of purpose
- 或且 hĕ̤k-chiā
- perhaps
- 到底 dó̤-dā̤
- finally
- 記才 gé-cài
- memory
- 透底 táu-dā̤
- at the last, right to the end
1 當 Dŏng originally means “ought”, but when read 當 dáung it means “to represent”. Hence a pawnshop is called a 當店 dáung-dáing as the pledge left behind represents the money loaned. 當 Dŏng has the meaning of bearing responsibility, hence the head of a family is called 當家 dŏng gă. Hence also the phrase “Jesus bears our sorrows” 耶穌是當奴各𠆧其苦 Ià-Sŭ sê dŏng nù-gáuk-nè̤ng gì kū. Dŏng also means “at the time in question”. In that year Confucius taught his disciples, 當年仲尼教伊其門生 Dŏng-nièng Dê̤ṳng-nà̤ gá ĭ gì muòng-sĕng. Dê̤ṳng-nà̤ was the “given” name of Confucius, and is largely used by Chinese scholars in speaking of the sage Treat him as a child, 將伊當做伲仔看待 Ciŏng ĭ dáung có̤ niê-giāng káng-dâi. He has gone to the pawnshop to redeem a pledge, 伊去當店討當 I kó̤ dáung-dáing tō̤ dáung. He makes a false stand for the true and the true for the false, 伊當真做假假做真 I dáung cĭng có̤ gā, gā có̤ cĭng.
2. The word “think” is used in a double sense, meaning either to revolve in the mind, or to express irresolution and uncertainty. There are two words used in Foochow Colloquial with the meaning of “to think” 想 siōng is most commonly used to denote an opinion given, while 漢的 háng-dék is used to denote a supposition which may be correct or incorrect. I think he can read, 儂家想伊⿰亻鞋仈字 Nè̤ng-gă siōng ĭ â̤ báik cê. This is unexpected happiness, 嚽是想賣至其福氣 Cuòi sê siōng mà-gáu gì hók-ké. Supposing that he had gone with the other children, 漢的伊共別隻伲仔齋去了 Háng-dék ĭ gâe̤ng bĕk-ciáh niê-giāng cà̤ kó̤ lāu.
3 To forget, is 賣記的去 mâ̤ gé-dék kó̤. My memory is bad, I cannot recall it, 儂家其記才平正賣記的去 Nè̤ng-gă gì gé-cài bàng-ciáng, mâ̤ gé-dék kó̤
4. The following sentences express probabilities and generalities. It is most likely so, 大概是將換 Dâi-kái sê ciŏng-uâng. Men in general are not willing to worship God, 𠆧多的多伓肯拜上帝 Nè̤ng dŏ̤-dék-dŏ̤ ng-kīng bái Siông-Dá̤.
5. The results of actions are expressed by the use of the adverbs, such as 完 uòng, 成 siàng, 盡 cêng, 定 diâng following the verb. 定 Diâng is in certain cases prefixed to the verb, and answers to the meaning of “made to order”: Did you buy this gong ready made? No, it was made to order. 只一面鑼是現成買其毛 伓是是定做其 Ci siŏh-miêng lò̤ sê hiêng-siàng mā̤ gì mò̤. Ng sê, sê diâng có̤ gì. The bargain is completed, 價錢定着了 Gá-cièng diâng-diŏh lāu. When we have finished reading we will go down, 書讀完了奴各𠆧就落去 Cṳ̆ tĕ̤k uòng lāu, nù-gáuk-nè̤ng cêu lŏ̤h kó̤. One box cannot hold all, 一隻箱貯賣去 Siŏh-ciáh siŏng diō mâ̤ kó̤. He used up his money, 伊其錢駛完了 I gì cièng sāi uòng-lāu.
6. “To make into” is expressed by 成 siàng placed between the verb and its object. He made four pieces of wood into a box, 伊掏四塊板做成一隻箱 I dò̤ sé-dó̤i bēng có̤ siàng siŏh-ciáh siŏng.
7. “Not only” followed by “but also” is expressed by 不止 bók-cĭ; followed by iâ or beng-chiā (Lesson XIV. 2.) We must not only repent, but we must also believe in Jesus, 奴各𠆧不止着悔改 也着信耶穌 Nù-gáuk-nè̤ng bók-cī diŏh huói-gāi, iā-diŏh séng Ià-Sŭ.
8 Mutual action is indicated by 相 sŏng. Life and death are connected, 生死是相連其 Săng sī sê sŏng-lièng gì. Disciples of Jesus ought always to agree with one another, 耶穌其門生該當常常相和 Ià-Sŭ gì muòng-sĕng găi-dŏng siòng-siòng sŏng-huò.
EXERCISE XVIII.
- 睶 chūng
- sleepy
- 盤 buàng
- plate
- 收 sĭu
- receive (as a letter)
- 寄 gié
- send, despatch, (as a letter)
- 便急 biêng-gék
- convenient
- 決斷 giók-duáng
- decide
- 中意 de̤ṳ́ng-é
- satisfactory
- 簽字 chiĕng-cê
- to append initials
- 郵政局 lù-céng-guŏh
- Post-office
- 老爹 lō̤-diă
- Mandarin
- 禁止 géng-cī
- to prohibit
- 某 mū
- a certain (place, thing, man)
Translate into English:—
- Mò̤ bĕk-ciáh Géu-Ciō.
- Nè̤ng-gă siŏh-buŏ káung mâ̤ diŏh.
- Cuòi â̤ biêng-gék mâ̤?
- Ĭ lì-ng-lì mò̤ diâng-diŏh.
- Nṳ̄ cūng-diŏh diōng chió. Nè̤ng-gă ô tiăng-giéng nṳ̄ gì nòng-mâ kŭo-daúng, nṳ̄ kó̤ bŏng-câe̤ ĭ bī tĕ̤k cṳ̆ gó hō̤.
- Tiĕng sàng muōng dái ṳ̄-sāng, dâung ṳ̄ cêu sùi biêng.
- Gĭng-dáng kó̤ mâ̤ biêng-gék nâ sê mò̤-huák.
- Ĭ ng báik-cê gó-chṳ̄ nè̤ng-gă ng chiáng ĭ.
- Ciā ĭ-siòng sê có̤ hiêng-siàng gì mò̤? Ciâng sê, sê hiêng-siàng gì.
- Hṳ̄-siŏh-ciáh niê-giāng cêng kó̤ hō̤-tiáng.
- Hĕ̤k-chiā hiā tō̤ mâ̤-diŏh gì cṳ̆ sê lŏ̤h diù siông-sié lā̤. Nṳ̄ ô kó̤ hŭ-uái tō̤ mò̤?
- Ciā buàng cêng bō̤-buói, ng-tĕ̤ng ciŏng siŏh-dó̤i páh-mò̤ kó̤.
- Ciā bău ng tĕ̤ng áik kák gīng, giăng diē-sié gì nó̤h pàh-puái kó̤.
- Ciā bēng cêng áuk-cháuk, găi-dŏng sā̤ táh-gáik.
- Ià-Sŭ éng gōng, nṳ̄ hàng-dék ciā Gă-lé-lé nè̤ng bī cé̤ṳng Gă-lé-lé nè̤ng cô̤i gó dâe̤ng, gó chṳ̄ sêu ciā hâi mŏ̤?
Translate into Chinese:—
- O Lord, grant our petition.
- Just as he pleases.
- Is he honest?
- You children are sleepy, go to bed.
- Although this is not satisfactory, there is certainly no other possible way.
- Take this parcel to Mr. Diong and bring back an initialled receipt.
- I sent a letter to my mother last week, and have received a letter from her today asking me why have I not written to her this year.
- I fear the letter is lost. You had better notify the Imperial Post Office.
- You ought to decide at once.
- This method of doing business is very unsatisfactory.
- I forgot to notify him about that matter, but after all it is not very important.
- I think that they will probably arrive to-night.
- Read the twenty-seventh chapter from the first to the thirtieth verse.
- His memory is bad. No matter what you tell him he always forgetes.
- Jesus called his twelve disciples to him, and sent them forth two by two.