The idea of there being time to accomplish a thing is expressed by adding the words tuh-ji° (??) after the principal verb. If there is not sufficient time to do a thing you add ’veh-ji° (??) after the principal verb. Thus, Tsoo°-tuh-ji° (???) means “there is time to do a thing.” Tsoo°-’veh-ji° (???) means “there is not time.” This expression is used most frequently with the verb le (?). Le-tuh-ji means “there is time,” and le-’veh-ji means “there is not time.” The idea of a thing being important is expressed by the words iau°-°kyung kuh (???). “Not being important,” by the words ’veh iau° °kyung (???), or ’veh nge° sa° (???). “Is it important?” or “Does it make any difference?” would be nge° sa° va° (???). ’Veh lauh is often used after verbs giving the idea of inability to do a thing. Thus Chuh ’veh lauh (???) means “unable to eat.” °Zoo ’veh lauh (???) “Unable to sit because of lack of room.” We also have the affirmative forms °zoo tuh lauh (???) and chuh tuh lauh (???). VOCABULARY - Lest, °sang-ts ??.
- Either, or, ok-°z ??, ok-tse ??.
- Difficult, van-nan ??, or nan ?.
- Easy, yoong-yi° ??.
- Slowly, gently, man°-man°-nung ???.
- Walk slowly, man°-man°-ts °tseu ????.
- Besides, in addition, ling°-nga° ??, dze-nga° ??, or wan ?.
- How much more, ‘oo-°hwaung ?? (with nyi at the end of the clause).
- Still more, kung°-°ka ??, yoeh°-ka ??.
- To start (on a journey), °doong-sung ??. (Lit. to move the body.)
- To become ill, sang bing° ??.
- To heal, i-°hau ??, or khoen°-°hau ??.
- To welcome (a guest), nyung-tsih ??.
- To return (a debt or thing borrowed), wan ?.
- To cry, khok ?.
- To lead, °ling ?.
- To borrow or to lend, tsia° ?. (See Note).
- To wash, zing° ?.
- Illness, mau-bing° ??.
- A sedan coolie, ih kuh jau°-pan ????, or ih kuh jau°-foo ????.
- A star, ih kuh sing ???.
- A grave mound, ih kuh vung-san ????.
- A goat, ih tsak san-yang ????.
- A hog or pig, ih tsak ts-loo ????.
- A stool, ih tsak ngeh-°ts ????.
- A chest of drawers, ih tsak tsheu-deu ????.
- A drawer, ih tsak tsheu thi ????.
- A wash bowl, ih tsak mien°-bung ????.
- A plate, ih tsak bung-°ts ????.
- A Chinese eating bowl, ih tsak °wen ???.
- A farmer, ih kuh tsoong°-dien nyung ?????.
°Kwen (?) is the classifier for tubular things. - A Chinese or foreign pen, ih °kwen pih ???.
- A Chinese ink tablet, ih kuh nyien°-°ts ????, or nyien°-de ??.
- A piece of ink, ih khwe° muh ???.
- Foreign ink, muh-°s ??.
- Clean, koen-zing° ??.
- Stop, ding ?.
- Moon, nyoeh-liang° ??.
- Precious, °pau-pe° ??.
EXERCISES (Translate into English) - (1) Di°-kuh °z iau° °kyung kuh, °tshing noong° ’veh iau° maung-kyi°.
- (2) Di°-kuh °siau-noen van° chuh ’veh lauh, °khoong-pho° °yeu mau-bing°.
- (3) Kyung-tsau le-’veh-ji°, ming-tsau °lau tsoo°.
- (4) °Liang kuh nyung ih tsak iui°-°ts laung° °zoo-’veh-lauh.
- (5) ‘Auh-sang-°ts mung° sien-sang °‘a-°li-deu dok °chi °lau °‘a-°li-deu ding.
- (6) Tshau zing°-°hau-°ts meh, faung° la° tsheu-thi °li.
- (7) Tsoong°-dien-nyung °i-kyung °ma-°ts san tsak san-yang, i-kuh bang-°yeu ling°-nga° wan iau° °ma s° tsak.
- (8) Noong° iung-ke °de loong-tsoong nyung °hau, ‘oo-°hwaung °de z°-ka nyung °hau nyi.
- (9) Bung-°ts °lau °wen iau° kung°-ka koen-zing°.
- (10) Noong° iung-ke °tsau-zung-deu °doong-sung, °‘au-pen°-nyih °doong-sung le-’veh-ji° tau° kuh.
- (11) Noong° °kyi-z wan peh la° °ngoo? Ok-tse kyung-tsau °‘au-pen°-nyih, ok-tse ming-tsau °tsau-zung-deu.
- (12) °Ngoo-kuh bang-°yeu sang-bing° °soo-°i iau° °tshing i-sung khoen° khoen°.
- (13) Ya°-°li la° thien laung° °khau-°i khoen° too-°hau sing °lau nyoeh-liang°, nyih-°li pih-koo° khoen°-kyien° nyih-deu.
- (14) Di°-kuh °siau-noen nyih-°li ’veh khok, dan°-°z ya°-deu doo° khok.
- (15) °Ngoo tsia°-peh yi san-seh kwhe° yang-dien, ’veh hyau° tuh yi °kyi-z wan.
- (16) Kyau° jau°-foo man°-man°-°ts °tseu iung-we° °di-diau ka ‘ah °lau.
- (17) Iung-we° loo° ’veh nyung tuh °soo-°i °ngoo °tshing bih nyung °ling loo°.
- (18) °Ngoo la° bang-°yeu han-deu tsia°-°ts nyan° kwhe° yang-dien iung-we° iau° °ma ih tsak kha-mien°-de °lau s° tsak ngeh-°ts.
- (19) Kha °hau-ts mien°, mien°-bung iau° faung° °hau.
- (20) °Ngoo °tseu tau° mung-°kheu-deu nyung-tsih khak-nyung.
- (21) °Ngoo mung° i-sung °di-kuh mau-bing° i-tuh-°hau va°, yi wo° man°-man° nung we° °hau kuh.
- (22) °Ts-deu, muh, pih, nyien°-de, tsoong-kok nyung soen° dok-su-nyung kuh s° yang °pau-pe°.
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(Translate into Chinese) - (1) Which is easier, to learn to read Chinese or to learn to write Chinese?
- (2) I told you there was not time to do it; why do you still want to do it?
- (3) Why do you cry? Because I have heard that my friend is dead.
- (4) We will go early to-morrow morning to meet our friends, who have come from abroad.
- (5) Goats like to stand on the tops of the grave mounds.
- (6) You say that this temple is so fine to see, that I want to go more than ever to see it.
- (7) Please, teacher, do not speak so fast. If you will speak more slowly, I can understand.
- (8) If you do not return it immediately, no matter, I can wait two or three days.
- (9) Why did not the pupil come to school? Because he was sick.
- (10) I told the servant to put my clothes in the drawer.
- (11) The Chinese when they eat, use bowls; the foreigners use plates.
- (12) This fan belongs either to the teacher or to the pupil.
- (13) If you want to learn to write you must buy a pen, a piece of ink, and an ink tablet.
- (14) If you borrow money from another person, and do not return it, he will be unhappy.
- (15) I told the driver to stop the carriage at my friend’s house.
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Notes. - (1) The word for “to borrow” and “to lend” is exactly the same in Chinese. The only way you can distinguish between them is by auxiliary words used in connection with them. Thus Tsia° peh (??) means “to lend.” Tsia° le (??) means “to borrow.” Again Tsia° chi° (??) means “to lend.” But we have such constructions as °Ngoo tsia° la° yi (????), meaning “I lend to him,” and °Ngoo la° yi han-deu tsia° kuh (???????), meaning “I borrowed it from him.”
- (2) In the fifth sentence of the First Exercise Dok° °chi means “read begin,” and ding means “stop.” This is an ordinary form for asking where to begin the lesson and where to end it.
- (3) In the fourteenth sentence of the First Exercise notice how doo° qualifies the verb khok.
- (4) The twenty-second sentence of the First Exercise is a paraphrase of a Chinese proverb.
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