Primary Lessons in Swatow Grammar/Lesson III

by William Ashmore

Short sentences.

chí-ki-to,

this knife.

hṳ́-ki tê-sî,

that tea-spoon.

hṳ́ nõ-ki-pit,

those two pencils.

chí-hue hó,

these are good.

hṳ́-hue bô-nâng-àiⁿ,

those nobody wants.

chí-iēⁿ chōi,

of this kind are many.

chí-iēⁿ chié,

of that kind are few.

chí-hō-mue̍h oh-chhūe,

this sort of thing is hard to find.

chiá sĩ,

this is it.

hiá m̄-sĩ,

that is not it.

pa̍t-hō bô,

any other kind (have) not (got).

pa̍t-iēⁿ ũ,

(we) have other kinds.

pa̍t-mue̍h bô-ēng,

any other kind (is) of no use.

lú só-siẽⁿ,

what you think.

lṳ́ só-khie̍h--kâi,

the one which you brought.

lṳ́ só-tàⁿ kâi-ūe,

the words which you said.

i tàⁿ, sĩ-i só-chai--kâi,

what he says is what he knows.

m̄-chai tî-nâng,

don’t know which man.

m̄-chai tî-sî,

don’t know what time, i.e. when.

m̄-hiáu mih-sṳ̄,

does not understand anything.

bô-mih-sṳ̄,

no business whatever; no matter.

put-lũn mih-sṳ̄,

no matter whatsoever business.

bô-mih-ôiⁿ,

no leisure whatever.

mih-mue̍h tou-hó,

anything whatever will do.

huãm-nâng-lâi,

whosoever comes.

huãm-nâng-tõ,

whoseover„ (is) here.

huãm-nâng-àiⁿ,

whoseover„ wants it.

huãm-nâng-bói,

whoseover„ buys.

huãm-nâng-khie̍h,

whoseover„ brings.

huãm sĩ-mih-nâng,

what man soever.

bô-pa̍t-nâng,

no other person.

bô-tî-tiàng,

nobody.

chṳ̃-sĩ kâi-nâng,

a self-sufficient man.

chṳ̃-lâi-húe,

self-producing fire (matches).

ka-kī chṳ̃-ũ--kâi,

something that exists of itself, i.e. natural.

bô-sĩ-mih pa̍t-nâng,

no other man whatever.

bô pa̍t-mih-kâi,

nothing else whatever.