Lessons in the Shanghai Dialect :: LESSON XX More Verbal Idioms

LESSON XX More Verbal Idioms

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

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

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

VOCABULARY

Year, nyien ?, or soe° ?.
To steal, theu ?.
To beg, °thau ?.
A beggar, °thau-van°-kuh ???. Lit. “To beg rice,” or kau°-hwo°-°ts ???.
To marry a wife, °thau-nyang-°ts ???. Lit. “To beg for a wife.” See note.
To tie (as a small parcel), tsah ?.
To bind with a cord, °paung ?
To command, fung-foo° ??.
Price, ka°-dien (??) or ‘aung-dzing ??. Most frequently used is the market.
How much is it, or what is the price? Sa° ka°-dien? ??? or sa° ‘aung-dzing?
A soldier, ih kuh ping-ting ????.
A thief, ih kuh zuh ???.
A robber, ih kuh °jang-°dau ????.
A magistrate or mandarin, ih kuh kwen-°foo, or ih kuh kwen ????. ih we° (??) is often used as the classifier.
Mandarin dialect, kwen wo° ?? or kok-nyui° ??.
Shanghai dialect, °Zaung-°he °thoo-bak ????.
A Buddhist priest, ih kuh oo-zaung° ????.
A Taoist priest, ih kuh dau°-z ????.
A nun, ih kuh nyi-koo ????.
Number, soo°-mak ??.

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

A newspaper, ih tsang sing-vung-°ts ?????.
A proclamation, ih tsang kau°-z° ????.
A sheet of paper, ih tsang °ts-deu ????.

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

A bale of merchandize, ih pau hoo°-suh ????.

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

A pile of timber, ih te mok-deu ????.
A pile of bricks, ih te lok-tsen ????.

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

A flute, ih °kwen dih ???.
A pen, ih °kwen pih ???.
A pencil, ih °kwen khan-pih ????.
Green, lok ?.
Red, ‘oong ?.
Blue, lan ?.
Yellow, waung ?.
Black, huh ?.
Few, °sau ?.
Truly, zeh-°dze ??.
More than, ’veh °ba ??. More than a hundred men is ’veh °ba ih pak nyung ?????.
Less than, ’veh siau ??, or ’veh °men ??.
A small quantity of, °tien (used after the verb) ?.
People, pak-sing° ??.
Tea, dzo ?.
Tea leaf, dzo-yih ??.
The whole of a thing, ih tshih ??.
A man or two, koen-°po-nyung ???.
About (used with a number), °po ?.
About a hundred, pak °po ??.
Nearly, mau ?.
Nearly three miles, mau san °li-loo° ????.
A queue, ih diau °bien-°ts ????.
Hair on the head, deu-fah ??.
News, sing°-sih ??.
To take things by force, °tsiang ?, or °tsiang doeh ??.
To tie up, °paung ?, or vok ?.
To put forth a proclamation, tsheh kau°-z° ???.

EXERCISES

(Translate into English)

(1) I-kuh zuh dzang-tsaung le theu meh-z°, tsauh dzak-ts meh iau° °paung yi °chi-le.
(2) °Ngoo khoen°-kyien° sing-vung-°ts laung° wo° kwen-°foo °i-kyung tsheh kau°-z° tsha ping-ting chi° tsauh °jang-dau°.
(3) Noong° na°-nung °lau peh yi °tang, iung-we° °ngoo °tang-’veh-koo° yi °lau.
(4) °Ngoo la° miau° °li khoen°-kyien° too-hau° ‘oo-zaung° la° pa° boo-sah.
(5) Noong° iau° ‘auh kwen-wo° nyi ‘auh °Zaung-°he °thoo-bak.
(6) ‘Oo-zaung° tah-ts dau°-z° °z °liang yang° kuh, ‘oo-zaung° m-meh deu-fah, dau° z° °yeu °bien-°ts kuh.
(7) °Ngoo dzang-°yoen ’veh khoen° sing-vung-°ts tse, kyung-tsau °yeu sa° sing°-sih va°?
(8) Di°-kuh ih pau hoo°-suh sa°-ka° dien?
(9) I-kuh °siau-noen °kyi soe° tse? Lok soe°.
(10) Nyi-°s-ziang° °i-kyung °ma-ts ih te lok-tsen yui°-be° °zau vaung-°ts.
(11) Ya°-°li °yeu nyoeh-liang°, nyung hwen-°hyi tsh dih.
(12) Di°-kuh ih pau °li-hyang° °yeu °kyi °kwen pih? °Yeu ih pak °kwen.
(13) Yi we°-sa°-°lau ’veh °thau-nyang-°ts? Iung-we° yien°-°dze °thau-’veh-°chi °lau.
(14) San laung° °Ngoo khoen° too-hau° hwo, °yeu ‘oong °lau waung °lau bak, zeh-°dze °khau-°i wo° °ng-ngan-loh-suh kuh.
(15) Nga°-kok nyung hwen-°hyi yoong° khan-pih °sia z°.
(16) Tau° °Zaung-°he ’veh °men nyan° °li-loo°, °lau ’veh °ba zeh-nyi° °li-loo°.
(17) Iung-we° °ngoo khoen°-kyien° i-kuh °thau van°-kuh dzang-°yoen ’veh chuh sa°, keh-°lau kyau° yoong°-nyung peh °tien meh-z° yi chuh.
(18) Di° kuh pau iau° tsah °hau tan tau° tien° °li chi°.
(19) °Lau-zeh kau°-soo° °ngoo °z zeh-ke° ka°-dien ’va°?
(20) S° °lau tshih °lau pah °z sa° kuh soo°-mak? °Z zeh °kyieu.
(21) Nyi-koo °z, ’veh tsheh ka° kuh °siau-°tsia.

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(Translate into Chinese)

(1) If you do not read the newspaper, you will not know the news, and then when you converse with others, you will have nothing to say.
(2) When a man dies the Chinese invite Buddhist and Taoist priests to the house to perform funeral ceremonies.
(3) I put my pen and pencil on my writing table, but now I cannot find them; has any one been in and taken them?
(4) Which do you think is the pleasanter to listen to, mandarin or the Shanghai dialect?
(5) When I was young I very much liked to play the flute.
(6) A thief enters secretly and steals things, a robber kills men and enters and takes things by force.
(7) Chinese are called yellow men, foreigners white men.
(8) When you go to the shop, ask the price of the boots, and come and tell me.
(9) I caught the thief and bound him to the tree.
(10) If you use a foreign pen to write Chinese characters, they do not look well; you must learn to use a Chinese pen.
(11) The Chinese beggars in the city are numberless.
(12) When the Mandarin has important things to announce to the people, he puts forth a proclamation.
(13) I saw more than a thousand soldiers.
(14) The merchant bought more than five hundred chests of tea.
(15) Are three hundred dollars sufficient to buy the house? Less than three hundred will do.

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Notes.

(1) To marry a wife is expressed by °Thau nyang-°ts. When we speak of a woman being married we use the expression Tsheh ka° (??), literally to go forth from the house or family. The woman leaves her own family entirely and joins the family of the husband whom she marries.
(2) The words ’Veh-°ba (??), more than, and ’Veh siau (??), less than, are used in answer to questions. The words ’Veh-°men (??) are often used for less than, meaning literally “Not full.”
(3) In the second sentence of the Second Exercise “to perform funeral ceremonies” should be translated Tsoo° koong-tuh (???), or Nyan°-kyung (??). It means to say masses for the soul of the departed.
(4) In the thirteenth sentence of the Second Exercise, “More than a thousand soldiers” can be expressed Ih tshien too (???) and in the fourteenth sentence “More than five hundred chests of tea” °Ng pak too (???).
(5) In the fifteenth sentence of the Second Exercise the answer would be ’Veh siau san pak kwhe° (?????).
(6) In the fifth sentence of the Second Exercise “When I was young” is translated Nyien kyi° chung° kuh z-‘eu° (??????), literally “The time when my years were light”.
(7) In the eleventh sentence of the Second Exercise “Numberless” is translated m-soo°-mak (???), literally “Without number.”

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