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!