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Handbook of the Swatow Vernacular modernized/Grammar

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Lesson 10

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Grammar

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Substantives and Adjectives are not declined: the same word expresses both the singular and the plural. Pronouns hove a plural form.

Singular. Plural.

我 Uá, I. 阮。咱 Ún or nán, we.

爾 Lṳ́, thou or you. 恁 Nín, ye or you.

伊 I, he, she, it. 因。伊人 I or i--nâng, they, them.

The distinctions of moods, tenses, numbers and persons are shown by the addition of certain auxiliary verbs or particles, as follows:—

indicative mood.

present tense.

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Pêng'im TL Characters English
ua2lai5 úa-lâi I come.
le2 ke3 lúr khùr You go.
i1 ain3 i àinn He wants.
ung2 main3 úng màinn We don't want.
ning2 si6(7) ua2 gai5(7) pêng5(7)iu2 níng sĭ úa-kâi phêng-íu You are my friends.
ing1/i1nang5 si6(7) ghua7nang5 ing / i-nâng sĭ gūa-nâng They are outsiders.



past tense.

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The common signs of the Past Tense are 有 ũ and 甞 chêng, and are employed chiefly in asking questions and in giving answers, but seldom when a subject is simply being spoken of, viz.—

Pêng'im TL Characters English
i1 bung1 ua2 i pung úa He gave me.
i1 za1rig8 lai5 i tsa-zîk lâi He came yesterday.
i1 za1rig8 u6(7) lai5 a1bho5 i tsa-zîk ŭ lâi a-bô? Did he come yesterday or not?
i1 za1rig8 m7zêng5(7) lai5 *or* i1 za1rig8 bho5(7)lai5 i tsa-zîk m̆-tsêng lâi / i tsa-zîk bô-lâi He did not come yesterday.
ua2 za1rig8 zêng5(7)lai5 *or* ua2 za1rig8 u6(7)lai5 úa tsa-zîk tsêng-lâi / úa tsa-zîk ŭ-lâi I did come yesterday.


perfect tense.

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The chief signs of the Perfect Tense are 了 lióu, 正 chiàⁿ, 識 pat, 有 ũ, 未 būe, and 亞未 a-būe.

Lióu[1] 了 (finish) can only be used to subjects being spoken of, and cannot be used in asking questions, viz.—

Pêng'im TL Characters English
i1 lai5-lo7 i lâi-lō He has come.
ung2 zai1-lo7 úng tsai-lō We have known.
ing1 gao3-lo7 ing kàu-lō They have arrived.

Chiàⁿ 正 (just) and 識 pat (ever) can be used both to questions and answers, viz.—


Pêng'im TL Characters English
i1 zian3(2)-lai5 i tsìann-lâi He has just come.
le2 zi2(6)zung5 zian3(2)-lai5 lúr tsí-tsûng tsìann-lâi Have you just now come?
le2 za2 bag4(8)lai5-ziê3 mê7 lúr tsá pak lâi tsìe mē? Have you ever been here before?
ua2 za2 m7bag4(8) lai5(7)-ziê2 úa tsá m̆-pak lâi tsíe I have never been here before.


Ũ (have) 有 in the Perfect Tense, generally followed by the interrogative sign 亞未 a-būe, is used for questions only, and 未 būe (not yet) is used for answers, viz.—

Pêng'im TL Characters English
i1 u6(7) lai5 a1bhuê7? i ŭ lâi a-būe Has he come?
i1 bhuê7 lai5 i būe lâi He has not come.
ing1 u6(7) ke3 a1bhuê7 ing ŭ khùr a-būe? Have they gone?
ing1 bhuê7 ke3 ing būe khùr They have not gone.


future tense.

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The chief signs of the Future Tense are àiⁿ, 正要 chiàⁿ-àiⁿ, (want) 會 õi (can) and 袂 bõi (cannot.) viz.—

Pêng'im TL Characters English
i1 man3(2)ki2 ain3(2)lai5 i mànn-khí àinn-lâi He will come to-morrow.
kia6(7)diam7 ain3(2) loh8(4)hou6 khĭa-tīam àinn lôh-hŏu It will rain bye-and-bye.
i1 diang1si5 zian3(2) ain3(2)lai5? i tiang-sî tsìann àinn-lâi When will he come?[3]
i1 kia7diam7 zian3(2) ain3(2)lai5 i khīa-tīam tsìann àinn-lâi He will come bye-and-bye.
ua2 ê6(7)gai5(7)ghuêh8 ain3(2)dng2 úa ĕ-kâi-gûeh àinn-dńg I shall go home next month.
i1 oi6(7) si2 a1bhoi6? i ŏi sí a-bŏi? Will he die?
i1 bhoi7 si2 i bŏi sí He will not die.
i1 ziang1lai5 oi6(7) zo3(2)dua7 i tsiang-lâi ŏi tsò-tūa He will be great in the future.

potential mood.

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The signs of the Potential Mood are 會 õi, 袂 bõi, 會得 õi-tit, 袂得 bõi-tit, 好 hó, 着 tiéh, and 不可 m̄-móⁿ.

Õi (can) 會 implies ability, and 袂 bõi (cannot) implies its opposite, inability.

Pêng'im TL Characters English
i1 oi6(7) siu5 i ŏi sîu He can swim.
i1 bhoi6(7) zao2 i bŏi tsáu He cannot run.

Õi-tit (can) 會得 implies possibility, and 袂得 bõi-tit (cannot) implies impossibility.

Pêng'im TL Characters English
le2 gê1mên5 oi6(7)dig4(8) lai5 a1bhoi6 lúr ke-mênn ŏi-tik lâi a-bŏi? Can you come to-night or not?
ua2 m7oin5, ua2 gê1mên5 bhoi6(7)dig4(8) ke3 úa m̆-ôinn, úa ke-mênn bŏi-tik khùr I am busy, I cannot go to-night.
le2 tang5(7)gua3(2) dan3(2) le2 bhoi6(7)dig4(8) lai5, le2 zi2(6)zung5 zo3(2)ni5(7) oi6(7)dig4(8) lai5? lúr thâng-kùa tànn lúr bŏi-tik lâi, lúr tsí-tsûng tsò-nî ŏi-tik lâi? You said just now you could not come, how is it you can come now?
ua2 zi2(6)zung5(7) oin5, gu3(2)ce2(6) ziu6(7) oi6(7)dig4(8) lai5 úa tsí-tsûng ôinn, kù-tshúr tsĭu ŏi-tik lâi I have leisure just now, and therefore I can come.
le2 nan7si6(7) bho5(7) gah4 i1 dan3, i1 bhoi6(7)dig4(8) zai1 lúr nā-sĭ bô kah i tànn, i bŏi-tik tsai If you did not tell him, he could not know it.

Hó 好 is very nearly the same as the English auxiliary verb may, and implies liberty.

Pêng'im TL Characters English
ua2 ho2(6)ke3 mê7? úa hó-khùr--mē? May I go?
le2 ho2(6)ke3 lúr hó khùr You may go.
ua2 ho2(6)dan3 mê7? úa hó-tànn mē? May I speak?


Tiéh 着 (must, ought, or should) implies obligation.

Pêng'im Characters English
le2 diêh8(4)lai5 You must, (ought to, or should) come.
ham3(2) i1 diêh8(4) diam7diam7 Tell him he ought to be silent.
ua2 diêh8(4)hiam5(7) le2 I must blame you.
le2 diêh8(4)ring7 le2 gai5(7) m7diêh8 You should admit your fault.

M̄-móⁿ (don't) 不可 implies the opposite of 着 tiéh, viz. must not, ought not, and should not.

Pêng'im TL Characters English
le2 m7mon2(6) ke3 lúr m̆-mó khùr You must not go.
ning2 m7mon2(6) bung1 i1 ke3 níng m̆-mó pung i khùr You ought not to let him go.
ning2 m7mon2(6) a3 ning m̆-mó à You should not argue.


The Passive verb is formed by the use of the words 分 pun, 乞 khoih (to give) and 分人 pun--nâng (give people.)

Pêng'im TL Characters English
le2 koih4(8) di1diang5 pah4? lúr khoih ti-tîang phah? By whom were you beaten?
ua2 bung1 i1 pah4 úa pung i phah I was beaten by him.
i1 bung1nang5(7) tai5 i pung-nâng thâi He was killed.
bung1 di5(7)diang5 tai5 pung ti-tîang thâi? Was killed by whom?
si6(7) bung1 i1 tai5 a1 m7si6? sĭ pung i thâi a m̆-sĭ? Was he kileld by him or not?
i1 bung1 lui5(7)gong1 ka3(2)si2 i pung lûi-kong khà-sí He was struck to death by lightning.
i1 bhoi6(7) bung1nang5 piêng3 i bŏi pung-nâng phìeng He cannot be deceived by people.
i1 gai5(7) mian5(7)sian1 koih4(8)nang5(7) o1lo2 i-kâi mîann-siann khoih-nâng o-ló His name is praised by the people.

The Progressive Form is formed by the use of the word 在 tõ (in the act of) and 要 iàⁿ (want.)

Pêng'im TL Characters English
noun1gian2 do6(7) sng2 nou-kíann tŏ sńg The boys are playing.
ua2 do6(7) sia2(6)ri7 úa tŏ sía-zī I am writing.
a1noun5 do6(7) kao3 a-nôu tŏ khàu The child is crying.
i1 dan3(2) i1 ain3(2)lai5 i tànn i àinn-lâi He says he is coming.
i1 ain3(2) dng2(6)ke3 i àinn tńg-khùr He is going home.

comparison of adjectives.

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the comparative degree.

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The words employed in the comparative degree are 愈 zú, 敬 kèng, (more) 𢰳 ióu, (a little) 過 kùe, (over) 贏 iâⁿ (to be superior, to defeat,) and 輸, (to be inferior, to be defeated.)

Pêng'im TL Characters English
ru2(6)zoi7 ru2(6)ho2 zú-tsōi zú-hó The more the better.
zi2(6)gai5 iou2(6)dua7 tsí-kâi ióu-tūa This is a little larger.
i1 u6(7) ru2(6)zoi7 ua2 i ŭ zú-tsōi úa He has more than I.
zi2(6)gai5 gêng3(2)dng5(7) guê3(2) he2(6)gai5 tsí-kâi kèng-tn̂g kùe húr-kâi This is longer than that.
le2-gai5 ho2, ua2-gai5 ru2(6)gêng3(2) ho2 lúr-kâi hó, úa-kâi zú-kèng hó Yours is good, (but) mine better.
i1 oi6(7)zao2(6) mên2-guê3(2) i1 zao2 i ŏi-tsáu ménn-kùe i tsáu He can run faster than I.
le2 gian5 mên2-guê3(2) i1 zao2. lúr kîann ménn-kùe i tsáu You walk faster than he runs.
diê5(7)ziu1hu2(6) oi6(7) ian5(7)guê3(2) suan1tao5 a1bhoi6? tîe-tsiu-hú ŏi iânn-kùe suann-thâu a-bŏi? Is Ch'ao-chow-fu better than Swatow?
le2 sia2(6) gai5(7) ri7 ian5(7) ua2 gai5 lúr sía kâi zī iânn úa-kâi Your writing is better than mine.
i1 zo3(2)se3 ian5(7) le2 i tsò-sùr iânn lúr He does things better than you.
le2 bho5(7)êng7, su1 i1 lúr bô-ēng, su i You are no use, and are surpassed by him.
le2 oi6(7) zao2(6)ian5 i1 mê7? lúr ŏi tsáu-iânn i mē? Can you over take him in running?
bhoi6, ua2 su1 i1 bŏi, úa su i No, I am behind him in running.

the superlative degree.

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The words employed in the superlative degree are 上 siãng and 上頂 siãng-téng (supreme); the latter generally refers to the qualities of goods, viz.—

Pêng'im TL Characters English
u6(7) siang7-dua7-gai5 mê7? ŭ sīang-dūa kâi mē? Have you the largest one?
zi2-gai5(7) ziu6(7)si6(7) siang7dua7 tsí-kâi tsĭu-sĭ sīang-tūa This is the largest one.
ua2 ain3(2) siang7dêng2(6)ho2-gai5 úa àinn sīang-téng-hó kâi I want the best (quality.)