Notes.

LESSON XVIII
More Verbal Idioms

Siang (相) is often placed before transitive verbs and usually gives the idea of mutual or reciprocal. In some cases it is reflexive. As instances of reciprocal action we have siang-°tang (相打), “to fight with one another.” Siang-mo° (相駡), “to revile one another.” siang-lien (相聯), “to be connected together.” Siang-paung (相幫), “to help one another.”

Khe (開) or Khe-le (開來) is used with many verbs to give the idea of spreading wide open. Thus Than-khe-le (攤開來) means “to unroll a bundle.” Hyih-khe-le (揭開來) means “to open a box.” Fung-khe (分開), “to divide,” san°-khe (散開), “to scatter wide cast.” Tshih-khe (切開) or tshih-khe-le (切開來) means “to cut open, etc.”

Not inclined to do a thing is expressed by the phrase ’veh kau-hyung° (勿高興). Thus ’Veh kau-hyung° chi° (勿高興去), “not inclined to go.”

VOCABULARY

Mien° (面) is used as the classifier for flat objects.

Tsung (尊) is the classifier denoting idols or cannon.

Khoo (顆) is the classifier used with plants, trees and flowers.

EXERCISES

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Notes.

LESSON XIX
Asking Questions, Expecting Negative and Affirmative Answers

In addition to the interrogative forms already given there are ways of asking questions when a negative, or when an affirmative answer is expected.

Thus when the negative answer is expected, the clause begins with °chi (豈) and ends with nyi (呢). Thus °Chi °yeu sa° yoong°-deu nyi (豈有啥用頭呢). “Is it of any use?” It implies that it is not of any use and expects the negative answer. °Chi (豈) corresponds to the Latin num, and implies No, or a negative of the proposition conveyed.

When the affirmative answer is expected the clause begins with °chi ’veh (豈吥) and ends with the usual interrogative va° (否).

Thus °Chi ’veh iung-ke tsoo° va° (豈吥應該做否), “Ought you not to do it?” Implies that you ought to do it and expects the affirmative answer.

It will be seen that in this case also the °chi (豈) expects the negative of the proposition conveyed, that is, the negative of a negative proposition which is an affirmative. In other words the answer is, “That you ought not not to do it,” or “You ought to do it.”

VOCABULARY

Phih (疋) is the classifier denoting whole pieces of dry goods.

EXERCISES

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Notes.

LESSON XX
More Verbal Idioms

Tuk dzu° (得住) and ’veh dzu° (勿住) are often used after the verb Lih (立) to stand, and give the sense of “able to stand,” or “unable to stand.” Thus Lih-tuh-dzu° (立得住) means “able to stand,” and Lih-’veh-dzu° (立勿住) unable to stand. The same words are used after other verbs also. Thus we have Khau°-tuh-dzu° (靠得住), meaning “Worthy to be trusted” and Khau°-’veh-dzu° (靠勿住), meaning “Unworthy to be trusted.”

Tuh-koo° (得過) is also used after verbs, and ’Veh-koo° (勿過). Thus we have °Tang-tuh-koo° (打得過), meaning “Able to beat him.” Literally “Beat, obtain surpass.” °Tang-’veh-koo° (打勿過) means “Unable to beat him.” Literally “Beat, not surpass.”

The expressions I°-tuh-koo° (意得過) and I°-’veh-koo° (意勿過) are also idiomatic. The former means, “Within the range of pity;” the latter “Beyond the range of pity,” or “greatly to be commiserated.”

VOCABULARY

Tsang (張) is the classifier used for sheets of things.

Pau (包) is the classifier used for bales of things.

Te (堆) is the classifier used for piles of things.

°Kwen (管) is the classifier for tubular things.

EXERCISES

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Notes.

LESSON XXI
Verbal Idioms, Ordinals, and Remarks on the Expression of Time

To express the idea of “about to do a thing” in Chinese you can use the words tsiang-iau° (將要). Tsiang-iau°-chi° (將要去) means “about to go.” Tsiang-iau° °si (將要死) means “about to die.” Another way of expressing the same idea is by adding kwha° tse after the verb. Kwha° means “fast.” Chi° kwha° tse (去快哉) means “I will go fast,” that is, in a moment. Le kwha° tse (來快哉) means “will come fast,” that is, in a few minutes. Thih-°tsung is often used, meaning “just on the point of doing a thing.” Thus °Ngoo thih-°tsung iau° chi° (我貼準要去) means “I was just going.”

The expression “According to,” or “as it seems to me,” is expressed in Chinese by the words tsau° °ngoo khoen° (照我看). Tsau° °ngoo (照我) used alone would mean “Follow me,” “Follow my example.”

The Ordinals are formed from the Numerals in a very simple way. The word deu (頭) is prefixed before the first numeral and di° (第) before all the others. Thus “the first” is deu ih (頭一), the second is di° nyi° (第二), the third is di° san (第三), and so on. When first is used with the verb in the sense of the action being prior to some other action the word sien (先) is used. Thus we have Noong° veh zung tsheh chi° kuh zien-deu °ngoo sien iau° kau°-soo° noong° ih tsaung z°-°thi (儂勿曾出去個前頭我先要告訴儂一莊事體), meaning, “Before you go I first want to tell you something.” Again Sien tsoo° di°-yang° nan-meh tsoo° i-yang° (先做第樣難末做伊樣) means “First do this and then do that.” Again we have for the same expression Sien tsoo° di° kuh, man° tsoo° i-kuh (先做第個慢做 伊個), “First do this, slowly do that.”

REMARKS ON TIME

EXERCISES

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Notes.

LESSON XXII
On Comparison

The usual way of forming the Comparative Degree of Adjectives has already been stated.

When two things are compared with one another in Chinese the words °pi (比) or °pi-ts (比之) are used between them. Thus °Mo °pi-ts °keu doo° (馬此之狗大) means, “the horse is larger than the dog.” Yi °pi noong° °hau (伊此儂好), “He is better than you.”

There are a good many other ways of expressing comparison. Thus ’Veh jih (勿及) means, “not equal to.” Also we have ’Veh zu (勿如), meaning, “not equal to, or not up to.”

VOCABULARY

Te° (一對) is the classifier denoting a pair or a brace.

°Kheu (口) is the classifier for some articles of furniture, and for a well.

EXERCISES

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