Dictionary of the Swatow dialect/chai

by Adele Marion Fielde

chai

• 猜chai942948
• Conjecture; doubt; to guess.

chai-gî;

doubt.

chai mĭⁿ;

to guess riddles.

lṳ́ chai cē;

you guess at it.

lṳ́ chai-thóiⁿ sĭ sĭm-mûeh?

What do you conjecture it to be?

chai m̄ tîeh;

cannot conjecture.

chai tit tîeh;

can guess it.

kìⁿ chai kìⁿ tîeh;

seeing is divining.

lâng chai;

difficult to divine.

teng chai;

to apprehend.

• 採chái994648
• To pluck; to gather; to sip.

chái bói;

buy the choicest.

chái tê;

to pick tea.

chái tê kua;

ballads chanted by the tea pickers.

chái sng;

to gather mulberry leaves.

chái hue;

to gather flowers.

chái cheⁿ;

to gather herbs.

n̂g-phang chái hue;

the wasp flits from flower to flower.

chái hue tèng kâi bît;

sip honey from the flowers.

chú-chái;

to gather from different places.

thiⁿ-sî lô̤h hŏ̤ bô̤ thang hó̤ khṳ̀ chṳ́-chái;

when the weather is bad one cannot go about to earn money.

cêk nî chú-chái saⁿ sì peh ngṳ̂n cū kàu ēng;

if one could earn three or four hundred dollars a year, that would just meet expenses.

cí kò̤ bô̤ hó̤ chú-chái li khṳ̀ pât kò̤ chú-chái;

if this is not a place for earning money, go elsewhere and earn it.

• 彩chái943598
• Variegated; ornate; lucky.

kuang-chái;

brilliant.

bûn-chái;

ornate.

ngō chái;

the five colors, blue, yellow, carnation, white, and black.

hó̤-chái;

fortunate; a good chance.

thâu-chái hó̤;

a lucky hit.

phòng tîeh hó̤ thâu-chái;

met with a capital chance.

bô̤ chái căi;

most unfortunate.

ŭ chái kâi;

opportune.

thóiⁿ kàu toah chái;

beheld it with such delight that they applauded the actors.

cîah kàu toah chái;

so pleased with the feast as to clap and applaud the cook.

kak chái;

an amulet.

chái bâi;

a gay festoon.

chái kî;

a variegated flag.

châi koi;

to adorn a street with gay devices.

chái sîn chíang;

a platform prepared for the gods to sit upon.

chái sîn pêⁿ;

an elevated and gayly decked seat for the gods to repose upon at a play.

lṳ́ tîeh khṳt úa cò̤ chái;

you must make a suitable apology to me.

chái kàu ngía căi;

gayly decked out.

kim hue chái âng;

tinsel and glitter.

âng chái;

showy.

cheng-chái căi;

very beautiful.

cò̤ chái cē;

make it rather gay.

• 癇chái19810412
• Convulsions; fits.

tṳ-bó̤ chái;

fits.

tîeh îeⁿ-chái;

has convulsions.

• 睬chái9441098
• To notice; to pay attention to.

màiⁿ chái i;

pay no attention to him.

i m̄ chái úa;

he gave me no heed.

úa tōa siaⁿ hàm, i chŵn m̄ chái;

I called loudly to him, but he paid no attention to me.

m̄ ciu m̄ chái;

took no notice of it.

lṳ́ cò̤-nî hàm m̄ chái?

Why do you not mind when you are told?

• 啐chái828308
• An exclamation of disgust or displeasure.

chái! kîaⁿ khui khṳ̀;

ugh!

get out of the way with you.

• 釆chái9431650
• A betrothal present.

nâp chái;

to receive betrothal gifts.

• 菜chài9441408
• Vegetables; edible herbs; viands.

keⁿ chài;

garden vegetables.

cheⁿ chài;

greens in general.

tōa chài;

a large white turnip; the chief dishes.

síe chài;

condiments, relishes, the smaller side dishes.

hái-chài;

food obtained from the sea.

hái-chài phò;

a stall where shell fish is sold.

chài phò;

a green-grocer's stall.

phang chài;

sweet scented herbs, parsley, or sweet basil.

ce chài;

lenten herbs.

àiⁿ bói sĭm-mih chài sek?

What sort of vegetables do you wish to

buy?

hó̤ chài;

delicacies.

khṳ̀ bói chài;

go marketing.

cò̤ chài

get the meal ready.

sàng chài;

a present of food.

mîaⁿ-ke pa-lói chài;

skillful in making relishes, deserts, or side dishes.

chài, taⁿ lâi hŭe;

put the viands on to cook now.

kîam chài;

sour-krout; pickled greens.

pêh chài thâu, âng chài thâu, n̂g-chài thâu;

turnips, beets and carrots.

khṳ̂n-chài;

celery.

ku-chài;

cives.

khah-nâ chài;

cabbages.

chài-hn̂g;

a vegetable garden.

taⁿ cúi khṳ̀ èng chài;

carry water and water the vegetables.

kău-hâh-chài;

a coarse kind of cabbage.

• 裁châi9431456
• To cut or fashion garments; to trim down; to plan.

châi-hông;

a tailor.

châi kíam cē;

reduce it somewhat.

tăi-cóng-chai;

the curator of essays at an examination.

tōa châi, sòi châi;

a full or a scant pattern.

châi tīo;

to reduce by cutting off.

châi cíe lío thiet tīo;

to diminish the size by trimming off.

châi-ciak;

to calculate and plan.

hó̤ cài kio nâng châi-ciak cē;

go over the calculations again with the persons concerned.

cē châi-ciak tīaⁿ-tieh cū kîaⁿ;

after making a fixed plan we will then execute it.

lṳ́ hó̤ cú-châi;

decide for yourself.

cí kĭaⁿ sṳ̄ sĭ tī-tîang tó̤ cú-châi?

Who is the one that is to decide in this matter?

táng i châi-ciak hó̤;

wait till he has come to a decision about it.

• 財châi9431543
• Wealth; property; profits.

hwt châi;

become rich.

tit tîeh châi;

obtain wealth.

ŭ châi-khì;

substantial; portly; an appearance of being well fed and prosperous.

châi-cú; châi-cú láu;

a rich man.

tōa châi-cú;

a very wealthy man.

châi-tong;

a capitalist.

thien châi;

a windfall.

châi sîn îa;

the god of wealth.

phùa châi;

to lavish wealth.

cŭ châi;

to accumulate property.

hwt tōa châi;

become very wealthy.

tōa hwt châi;

makes money rapidly.

thau-ke-châi;

a thief of a cook.

nâng ûi châi sí;

men lose their lives in pursuit of wealth.

châi khó̤ thong sîn;

money can move the gods.

put ngĭ cṳ châi;

unjust gains.

mông châi kù suah;

contemplate murder on account of a bribe.

tit chi ke châi;

get a wife and money to boot.

phien châi;

ill-gotten gains.

cìaⁿ châi;

honest gains.

m̄ tham châi;

not covetous of gain.

ì gūa kâi châi;

unexpected gains.

seⁿ châi;

make a profit.

seⁿ châi ŭ tău;

there is a correct way of becoming rich.

mông châi hāi mīaⁿ;

lose life in the pursuit of gain.

tǹg-cáu ke châi;

to abstract and pass over to others what belongs to the family served.

• 材châi942753
• Materials of which things are made; nature or qualities.

châi-līo;

materials.

hó̤ sin châi;

well formed; personable.

in châi jṳ̂ tok;

cut the coat according to the cloth.

lṳ́ thó̤iⁿ i kâi châi-cieh hó̤ a m̄ hó̤?

What do you think of his qualities?

• 才châi942640
• Talents; mental capacity; endowments.

châi cṳ́;

a man of parts.

châi ńng;

a talented woman.

siu-châi;

a graduate; a Bachelor of Arts.

hîen châi;

a man of genius.

cêk pío nâng châi;

a fine looking man.

ŭ châi kàng;

possessing great executive ability.

hó̤ châi-chêng;

fine tact.

bûn-châi;

literary ability.

sam châi;

the three powers, heaven earth and man, who are supposed to rule all things.

put châi;

incompetent.

khut tîeh lṳ́ kâi châi;

make use of your intellectual gifts for my humble purposes.

bô̤ châi bô̤ chêng;

incompetent.

seⁿ lâi nâng-chai chut cèng;

excelling others in good looks.

hó̤ nâng-châi;

has a distinguished appearance.

pa-hì bô̤ cin, sìu-châi bô̤ ké;

there are no real jugglers, and no fictitious graduates.

tău chut nâng châi kâi sî-hāu;

a time when genius thrives.

• 纔châi94612017
• An adverb of time; at hand; then.

úa huang-châi kàu;

I have just arrived.

tîeh cìeⁿ-seⁿ, châi sĭ tŏ̤-lí;

it must be thus, and then it will be in accordance with correct principles.

thóiⁿ kú huang-châi mêng-pêh;

after long consideration you will then understand it.

cìeⁿ-seⁿ châi hó̤;

now then, it will do.

huang-châi khṳ̀ lio;

has just now gone.

kàu móng sî huang-châi ŏi tit hó̤;

at that time it may be about done.

• 豺châi111533
• A ravenous beast.

châi-lâng;

a wolf.

hṳ́-kò̤ kâi châi-lâng hóⁿ pà cōi căi;

there are many wolves, tigers and panthers there.