Certain words in Chinese are distinctly used as adjectives, but many other words, such as nouns, verbs and adverbs may be used to qualify nouns. In the expression dok su-nyung (???), meaning “a scholar,” we have the verb dok (?), “to read,” and the noun su (?), “book,” qualifying nyung (?) “man;” the whole expression being literally “the reading-book-man.” Adjectives may be compared as follows: °tien (?) is added after the adjective to make the comparative degree, and °ting (?) is placed before the adjective to form the superlative degree. Thus, Positive Degree, “Good,” is °hau (?). Comparative Degree, “Better,” is °hau °tien (??). Superlative Degree, “Best,” is °ting °hau (??). There are, however, many other ways of expressing the Superlative. Thus we may have °hau-le-°si (???), which is literally “good-come death” that is, “good to the death.” This is a very frequent expression. We have also tsoe °hau (??) or juh °hau (??). Very good is usually ’man °hau (??). °Hau-tuh-juh (???) means superlatively good. The adjective °hau (?) has a very wide use. Everything that is good, suitable, correct, or proper, may be said to be °hau (?). VOCABULARY - Good, °hau ?.
- Bad, cheu (?). More often ’veh °hau (??), ’Veh means “not.”
- Cold, °lang ?.
- Hot, nyih ?.
- White, bak ?.
- Black, huh ?.
- Large, doo° ?.
- Small, °siau ?.
- A scholar, ih kuh dok-su-nyung ?????.
- A dog, ih tsak °keu ???.
- Water, °s ?, (Generally used without a classifier).
- A horse, ih tsak °mo (???). ? phih is sometimes used as the classifier of horses.
°Pung (?) is the classifier for book. Diau (?) is the classifier with long, winding or limber objects. - A bridge, ih diau jau ???.
- A street, ih diau ka ???.
- A road, ih diau loo° ???.
- To read, to study, dok ?.
- To come, le ?.
- To go, chi° ?.
EXERCISES (Translate into English) - (1) Di°-tsak °keu °z °hau kuh.
- (2) °Ngoo iau° dok su.
- (3) °Ngoo iau° °lang °s.
- (4) Di°-tsak yang °z huh kuh.
- (5) I-tsak nyeu °z bak kuh.
- (6) I-kuh °pung-di°-nyung °yeu °liang tsak huh kuh °mo.
- (7) °Ngoo °yeu ih kuh bang-°yeu iau° le.
- (8) Yi kuh sien-sang iau° chi°.
- (9) Di°-kuh °s °z nyih kuh.
- (10) Di°-diau jau °z doo° kuh.
- (11) Di°-kuh ih diau ka °z °siau kuh.
- (12) Di°-kuh ih diau loo° °z ’veh °hau.
- (13) I-°pung su °z sien-sang kuh, di°-°pung su °z °ngoo kuh.
- (14) Di°-tsak de-°ts °z °siau °tien.
- (15) Di°-tsak zaung °z °ting doo°.
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(Translate into Chinese) - (1) These five oranges are bad.
- (2) The teacher wishes me to study.
- (3) The native’s cows are good.
- (4) I have a white bird.
- (5) I want warm water.
- (6) The dog is very black.
- (7) That bed is smaller.
- (8) This box is larger.
- (9) The tea pot is very white.
- (10) My teacher will come.
- (11) The foreigner will go.
- (12) I want a large dog.
- (?) ?????????.
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Notes. - (1) Adjectives generally take kuh after them; the kuh ? standing between the adjective and the noun. In some cases the kuh is omitted, as in the expression °lang °s (??), “cold water.” We do not say °lang kuh °s.
- (2) Dok-su (??) is the common expression for “to study.”
- (3) In such a sentence as “I want warm water” the °ngoo (?) may be omitted. In speaking to a servant one would say iau° nyih °s (???), “I want hot water.”
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