Dictionary of the Swatow dialect/lai

by Adele Marion Fielde

lâi

• 梨lâi515757
• Pears or apples.

cheⁿ phûe lâi;

large green pears.

suaⁿ tang lâi;

northern pears.

hwn-lâi;

pine-apples.

hwn-lâi ko̤;

pine-apple preserves.

cío-lâi;

dwarf pears.

âng phûe lâi;

russet pears or apples.

cío-lâi pó;

dried pears.

lâi châi cò̤ ìn-póiⁿ sĭang hó̤;

the wood of the pear tree is excellent for making blocks to print upon.

• 來lâi49896
• To come; to reach; to get; to bring about; to induce; coming, and thus making a form of the future; coming times; prosperity; after other verbs it often indicates a present action.

lâi ā!

Come along!

úa lâi lío;

I am here.

i m̄ cêng lâi;

he has not come.

būe lâi;

has not yet come.

lṳ́ tùi tī-kó̤ lâi?

By which route did you come?

lṳ́ chông tī-kò̤ lâi? lṳ́ tŏ̤ tī-kò̤ lâi?

Whence came you?

hàm i màiⁿ lâi;

tell him not to come.

ke bô̤ lăng-tăng cṳ́, kuaⁿ chông hô̤ chù lâi?

If the family had no truant sons, where would the officials come from?

chì-mn̄g i kâi sin chông-hô̤ chù lâi;

ask him where his body came from; suggest that he has duties toward his parents.

ín-chūa i lâi;

conduct him here.

àiⁿ lâi cò̤-nî nē?

What object have you in coming?

úa kîaⁿ m̄ lâi;

I cannot walk that distance.

àiⁿ lâi khṳ̀ a būe?

Are you going now or later?

chíaⁿ i lâi cŏ̤;

ask him to come and sit down.

úa àiⁿ lâi khṳ̀ cò̤ nâng-kheh;

I am going out to pay a visit.

cò̤ m̄ lâi;

cannot do it.

cò̤ tit lâi;

it is feasible.

i kio i ŭ lâi úang a bò̤?

Does he exchange visits with him?

cin-jit lâi-lâi úang-úang kâi nâng sĭm cōi;

many persons are coming and going all day long.

lâi jît;

in the future.

ŭ lâi jît;

there is a future for it.

ciang-lâi;

in the future.

ău-lâi;

afterward.

i kâi sĭ ŭ sĭm-mih lâi-thâu?

What brought it about?

i kâi lâi-in cò̤-nî?

What are the causes which lead to it?

cía tīaⁿ-tîeh sĭ ŭ sĭm-mih tŏa lâi-thâu;

this has certainly some important cause.

ngŵn-lâi sĭ cìeⁿ-seⁿ;

it was so originally.

úa íⁿ-keng mn̄g chut i kâi lâi-îu;

I have already found out by inquiry what is the reason for it.

lâi-lêh;

the circumstances in the past.

hó̤, hó̤, hó̤, lṳ́ tú-tú lâi!

How fortunate it is that you have come so opportunely!

tńg lâi;

to return.

i tī-tiang sî tńg lâi?

When did be come back?

lâi hûe jîeh cōi cûn co?

What is the boat fare for the round trip?

chíaⁿ i lâi cîah pn̄g;

invite him to dinner.

it-lâi sĭ ûi-tîeh cía sṳ̄, jī-lâi sĭ ûi-tîeh hía sṳ̄;

firstly it is on this account, and secondly it is on that.

chông-lâi;

heretofore.

lói-sĭang úang lâi;

courtesy requires to be reciprocated.

i tàⁿ lâi tîeh;

be speaks rightly.

i cò̤ lâi hó̤;

he has done it well.

i kâi lâi sìu hṳ́ tói cò̤-nī tàⁿ?

What was said in his letter which has just arrived?

cêk-ki-līu, lâi-lâi khṳ̀-khṳ̀ kâi sìo-bâk sĭm cōi;

their correspondence with each other is always going to and fro, with no intermission.

lâi put kîp; lâi m̄ hù;

did not arrive in time.

khîeh lâi;

bring it here.

lâi kàu cí-kò̤ ŭ saⁿ nî lío;

we arrived here three years ago.

lâi kàu taⁿ û jieh kú?

How long is it since you arrived?

úa chṳ́ lâi bô̤ pât in;

for this journey I had no other reason.

phah lâi phah khṳ̀;

striking repeatedly.

mēⁿ lâi mēⁿ khṳ̀;

bandying harsh words.

bâi lâi ngán khṳ̀;

winked at each other.

ŭ cah lâi mē?

Did you bring it with you?

ôiⁿ tîang-sî lâi cŏ̤;

when you have leisure come and sit here.

nán lâi phûeh cē;

let us talk it over.

kîaⁿ lâi kîaⁿ khṳ̀;

walk to and fro.

i sueh lâi căi-seⁿ?

How did he explain it?

i lí hàm i cĭeⁿ lâi, i li hàm i lô̤h lài;

the one told him to come up, and the other told him to come down.

cán-khí lâi cū sói mīn;

when you get up, wash your face.

káng-kìu lâi hó̤;

it is well explained.

i cò̤ mih sṳ̄ kha lâi chíu lâi;

in whatever he does, he makes his hands and feet fly.

khĭa khí lâi;

stand up.

i kha thìaⁿ, bŏi lâi;

he has a sore foot and cannot come.

khṳt úa thóiⁿ lâi li m̄-hó̤;

as it appears to me, it is not good.

sĭeⁿ m̄ lâi;

I cannot think it out.

i sĭeⁿ lâi sĭ cìeⁿ-seⁿ;

he thought it so.

i po̤h lâi tîeh;

his criticism is correct.

bói lâi kâi;

what was bought.

i seⁿ lâi chin-chĭeⁿ i âi;

he is like his mother.

cía ūe lâi khah cho;

this is too coarsely drawn.

cía ìn lâi cū hīn nō̤

this imprint is very distinctly made.

• 內lăi618112
• Within; inner; inside; internal in distinction from external; interior; in the court or palace; that which is enclosed or within; near to; personal; among; in the midst of; the internal organs or viscera; the inner rooms of a house.

lăi tī;

in the interior; in the country.

chim jîp lăi tī;

gone far into the interior.

ke lăi;

the family; the wife.

lăi cwt;

my wife.

lăi tîet;

my own nephew.

i ŭ lăi châi;

he has natural ability, but is not learned.

lăi tang ŭ kúi kâi?

How many are there on the inside?

sĭ lăi sieⁿ, a sĭ gūa kám?

Is it an internal injury or an external wound?

sìn lăi cò̤-nî tàⁿ?

What was said in the letter?

i tŏ̤ pâng lăi;

she is in her room.

bô̤ tŏ̤ hṳ́ lăi;

he is not in there.

i tâng sòi-sòi cū ŭ tó lăi;

from his infancy he has been thoughtful.

cîah kàu hìeⁿ tōa kâi bô tó bô̤ lăi;

is so well grown, and yet has so little judgment.

cò̤ cai i tó lăi cò̤-nĭ sĭeⁿ?

How can you know what his thoughts are?

it-tit tŏ̤ sim lăi;

keep it in mind.

i lăi-tói ŭ sĭm-mih ŵn-kù mē?

Has he any personal reason for so doing?

cía sĭ i hūn lăi eng-kai kâi;

this is what properly belongs to his functions.

i tì kâi lăi-siang pēⁿ;

he has an internal disease.

i sĭ ui lăi khue, a sĭ ui gūa khue?

Does he treat internal or skin diseases?

• 利lāi521185
• Sharp; acute; interest on money.

i kâi to̤ lāi căi;

his knife is very sharp; he is very eager for gain.

úa cá-jît cìaⁿ bûa kàu nĕ lāi-lāi, cò̤-nî cū tun khṳ̀;

I ground it very sharp yesterday, why has it become dull.

sio thóiⁿ i sin tèng ŭ lāi khì a bô̤;

search his person to see if he carries concealed weapons.

cêk kâi gûeh jîeh cōi lāi-sek?

How much does the interest amount to per month?

hám lāi cîⁿ;

the amount of the interest.

nî-nî tó̤ lâp lāi;

is paying interest yearly, at stated times.

lāi khí bó̤, bó̤ khí lāi;

interest increases capital, and capital increases interest.

kàu tang ĕ cū sìa lāi;

during the last quarter of the year, the rate of interest diminishes.

i ki chùi lāi căi;

he is very sharp in repartee.

• 俐lāi52197
• Clever, talented.

i kâi nâng lāi căi;

he is very shrewd.

lêng-lāi;

astute; quick witted; clever.

thóiⁿ tîeh i kâi mīn-tîeⁿ seⁿ lâi to ho̤h lêng-lāi, cò̤-nî tó lăi hìeⁿ ṳ̀-cṳ̀?

His face looks very intelligent, bow is it that he is really so stupid?

lêng-lêng lāi-lāi, kuai-kuai khío-khío;

bright and knowing.