Have you any business to-day?
????????
Kyung-tsau noong yeu sa z-thi va?

Do you wish to order anything to-day?
?????????
Kyung-tsau noong iau ding* sa hoo-suh va?

Yes, I want to order.*
????
Ngoo iau ding kuh.
* Ding (?) and Ta (?) are commonly used in Shanghai as equivalents for “order.” Ding actually contains the idea of contract and money paid; Ta actually contains the idea of bringing the goods with you; but they each have a wider significance.

I do not want to order.
??????
Ngoo ’veh iau ding sa hoo.

I want to purchase.
???
Ngoo iau ma.

I want to sell.
????
Ngoo iau ma-theh.

It cannot be bought (i.e., Can not sell at that price).
???
Ma ’veh doong.

It can be bought (i.e., Can sell at that price).
??? (or ???)
Ma tuh-doong (or Khau-i ma).

What do you want to buy?
??????
Noong iau ma sa meh-z?

Will you sell?
?????
Noong iau ma-theh va?

What is the price of this?
?????
Di-kuh sa ka-dien?

[This] price is too dear.
????
Ka-dien thuh kyui.

When will the goods come?
?????
Hoo-suh kyi-z tau?

If too late I cannot use them.
????????
Zak-z thuh man, ngoo yoong-’veh-dzak.

These goods are worse than last time.
????????? (or ??)
Di-we kuh hoo-suh pi zaung ths cheu (or the-pan).

To-day I have goods to be imported.
????????
Kyung-tsau ngoo yeu hoo-suh tsing-kheu.

To-day I have goods to export.
????????
Kyung-tsau ngoo yeu hoo-suh tsheh-kheu.

To-day I have goods to tranship.
????????
Kyung-tsau ngoo yeu hoo-suh koo-zen.

To-day I have goods to re-export.
????????
Kyung-tsau ngoo yeu hoo-suh tsen-kheu.

How much duty on these goods?
?????????
Di-kuh hoo-suh iau wen kyi-hau soe?

Has the Duty Memo come?
?????
Soe-tan yeu le va?

Have you received the Duty Memo?
??????
Soe-tan noong seu-dzak meh?

[Duty Memo] has not come yet.
[??]????
Wan ’veh-zung tau.

Duty has been paid.
??????
Soe i-kyung wen la tse.

Duty has not been paid.
?????
Soe ’veh-zung wen-koo.

Please pay your duty.
?????
Tshing wen noong-kuh soe.

Make out the Import application.
??????
Iau yui-be tsing-kheu-tan.

Make out the Export application.
??????
Iau yui-be tsheh-kheu-tan.

Take delivery of the goods at once.
???????
Hoo-suh zieu iau di-tsen-le.

Put these goods in the godown.
?????????
Hoo-suh khau-i kyi la dzan-vaung-li.
When one’s own godown is meant, ? zaung is used in place of ? kyi.

Is there any storage?
?????
Iau sa dzan-tsoo va?

How much storage is there?
?????
Iau kyi-hau dzan-tsoo?

Among them, four bales are damaged by water; I cannot receive them.
????????, ????
Ne-tsong-s-jien yeu s sah-kuh; ngoo ’veh-nung seu.

You brought the delivery order too late, therefore I cannot pay storage.
???????, ????????
Noong di-tan soong le thuh-an, soo-i ngoo ’veh-nung foo dzan-tsoo.

The goods are now at Pootung.
???????
Hoo-suh yien-dze la Phoo-toong.

Do you want a Customs Pass?
?????
Noong iau pha-s va?

Yes, I want one.
??
Iau-kuh.

No, I do not want any.
??
’Veh iau.

How many passes do you want?
??????
Noong iau kyi tsang pha-s?

I want one pass.
??????
Ngoo iau ih-tsang pha-s.

I want two passes.
??????
Ngoo iau liang-tsang pha-s.

Please put my goods through the Customs quickly.
??????????
Ngoo-kuh hoo-suh tshing noong khwa-tien pau kwan.

Has the steamer arrived?
????
Lung-zen tau meh?

When will the steamer arrive?
?????
Lung-zen kyi-z tau?

What is the name of the steamer?
???????
Lung-zen-kuh ming-deu kyau sa?

To what Company does the steamer belong?
????????
Sa-nyung-ka ‘aung-li-kuh lung-zen?

At what wharf is she discharging?
?????????
La ‘a-li ih-kuh mo-deu sia-hoo?

At Hongkew (Jardine’s) Wharf.
???????
La ‘Oong-kheu Yi-woo Mo-deu.

At Pootung Wharf.
?????
La Phoo-toong Mo-deu.

At China Merchants’ Lower Wharf.
????????
La Tsau-saung jok Pok-dzan Mo-deu.

At Yangtze Wharf.
?????
La Yang-ts Mo-deu.

At Old Ningpo Wharf.
??????
La Lau Nyung-poo Mo-deu.

What are your shipping marks?
???? [or ??] ??
Na-kuh kyi-‘au [or muh-deu] z sa?

To-day exchange (shilling) is good.
????????
Kyung-tsau sien-ling ‘aung-dzing ’man-hau.

To-day exchange is rising.
????????
Kyung-tsau sien-ling ‘aung-dzing tsang-tse.

How is exchange (native) to-day?
????????
Kyung-tsau kuh li-deu z na-nung?

Exchange has gone up.
????
Li-deu tsang-tse.

Exchange has gone down.
????
Li-deu tih tse.

Silver is strong to-day.
??????
Kyung-tsau-kuh nyung-kung khwen.

Silver is weak to-day.
??????
Kyung-tsau-kuh nyung-kung kyung.

What is your opinion of exchange?
????????
Noong-kuh i-s li-deu na-nung?

I cannot say.
????
Ngoo ’veh nung wo.

I think it will go up.
?????
Ngoo siang iau tsang-tien.

I think it will go down.
?????
Ngoo siang iau tih-tien.

How is business to-day?
???????
Kyung-tsau-kuh sang-i na-nung?

Is your business good?
??????
Noong-kuh sang-i hau va?

Is there any improvement?
?????
Yeu sa chi-suh va?

No, about the same.
???
Tsho-’veh-too.

How is the market?
????
Z-mien na-nung?

The market is steady.
??????
Z-mien z ’wung-taung-kuh.

Prices are high to-day.
???????
Kyung tsau-kuh ka-dien kyui-tse.

Prices are low to-day.
????? [C1]?
Kyung-tsau-kuh ka-dien jang tse.

The market is much stronger.
???????
Z-mien khwen-ts too-hau tse.

The market is much weaker.
???????
Z-mien kyung-ts too-hau tse.

How is the cotton market to-day?
????????
Kyung-tsau mien-hwo z-mien na-nung?

This year’s tea business is better than last year’s.
???????????
Kyung-nien dzo-yih z-mien pi jeu-nien hau-tien.

At present trade in foreign goods is not very remunerative.
?????????????
Jung-le tsoo yang-hoo sang-i veh-nung dzan doong-dien-kuh.

Call the compradore.
??? (or ??) ?
Tshing tsang-vaung (or ’ma-ban) le.

Call the shroff.
???? (or ???) ?
Kyau seu-tsang-kuh (or seh-lau-fu) le.

Call the coolie.
??? (or ??) ?
Kyau tsheh-tien (or siau-koong) le.

Take this letter to the Chinese Post office.
?????????
Di-kuh sing soong tau Yeu-tsung-jok chi.

British Post Office.
?????
Da-iung Su-sing-kwen.

United States Post Office.
?????
Hwo-ji Su-sing-kwen.

German Post Office.
?????
Tuk-kok Su-sing-kwen.

French Post Office
?????
Fah-kok Su-sing-kwen.

Japanese Post Office.
?????
Toong-yang Su-sing-kwen.

Russian Post Office.
?????
Ngoo-kok Su-sing-kwen.

Just now I am very busy; come again.
??????,????
Yien-dze ngoo maung-le-si; ‘eu-seu tse le.

Come back to-morrow.
????
Ming-tsau tse le.

Come back this afternoon.
?????
‘Au-pen-nyih tse le.