Part 10

If it be so, \kyi°-zen zeh-ke/ 既然實蓋. By chance, \°ngeu-zen/ 偶然. Purposely, \°yeu-i°/ 有意, or \koo°-i°/ 故意. At the point of, \°kyi-oo/ 幾乎. For the most part, generally, \da°-liak/ 大略. Suddenly, \hweh-zen/ 忽然. Instantaneous, \lih-khuh/ 立刻. Advantage, profit, \iuh-tshu°/ 益處, or \°hau-tshu°/ 好處. Lord, \°Tsu/ 主. Master, \°tsu-nyung/ 主人, or \toong-ka/ 東家. Heavenly Lord (a term used for God), \Thien-°tsu/ 天主. God, \Zung/ 神 °Zang-ti° 上帝. Omnipotent, \voo-°soo-peh-nung/ 無所不能. Omnipresent, \voo-°soo-peh-°dze/ 無所不在. Omniscient,\ voo-°soo-peh-ts/ 無所不知. Life, \sing°-ming°/ 性命. A dragon, \ih diau loong/ 一條龍. An account book, \ih °pung tsang°-°boo/ 一本帳簿. A small blank book, \ih °pung °boo-ts/ 一本簿子. Carefully, \°ts-si°/ 仔細. To waste, \fi°-theh/ 廢脫. A carpet, \ih diau mau-°than/ 一條毛毯.

\{°Boo}/ (部) is the classifier for sets of books.

A set of books, \ih °boo su/ 一部書. A flag, \ih mien° ji/ 一面旗. Angry, doong-chi° 動氣. Still, dzung-jeu° 仍舊. Originally, °pung-le 本來. Drowned, dzung-sah 沉殺. Sign, symbol, ‘au° 號. A mirror, \ih mien° kyung°-°ts/ 一面鏡子.

EXERCISES

(Translate into English)

(1) Noong° zeh-ke° tsoo° meh, °khoong-pho° ih-sang-ih-s° iau° au-lau° tse. (2) °Ngoo bak-bak-°li te° yi wo°, yi dzung-jeu° ’veh thing. (3) Sien-sang tsiang iau° chi° yi te° °ngoo wo°, chi°-tse°, °lau °ngoo te° yi wo°, man°-chi°. (4) Noong° iung-ke lih-ding-°tsu-i° ’veh tsoo° zeh-ke° than-tshoong° kuh z°-°thi. (5) Thien-°tsu °z voo-°soo-peh nung, voo-°soo-peh-°dze, °lau voo-°soo-peh-ts°. (6) Nyung iau° khoen° z°-ka mien°-khoong meh, ih mien° kyung°-°ts °z °ba-’veh-tuk-kuh. (7) Tuh-dzak° °phoo-thien-‘au° °lau se-theh-°ts z°-ka-kuh sing°-ming° meh °yeu sa° iuh-tshu° nyi? (8) Di°-tsak °mo la° dien °li bau-le-bau-chi°, van-nan tsauh-dzak kuh. (9) Di° °boo su °yeu °kyi °pung? °Yeu nyan° °pung. (10) Kyi° zen zeh-ke°-nung, nan-meh °ngoo ’veh °hau wo° sa°. (11) ‘Auh-sang-°ts °tang-se° poo-li °z °yeu-i° nyi wan-z °ngeu-zen kuh z°-°thi? (12) I-kuh nyung tih la° pang °li, °kyi-‘oo dzung-sah, dan°-°z °yeu ih kuh nyung le thoo yi chi°-le. (13) °‘Au-pen°-nyih hweh-zen fah-°chi doo° foong le. (14) ‘Auh-daung-°li °loong-°tsoong °yeu °kyi-kuh ‘auh-sang-°ts? Da°-iak °yeu san pak kuh. (15) °Ngoo kyau° yi lih-khuh °doong-sung. (16) Tsoong-kok ji-‘au° °z ’man °hau khoen°. (17) Di°-kuh nyung °pung-le °z auh nyung, yien°-°dze hwe°-°ke-tse. (18) °Ngoo au-lau° °ma-°ts di°-diau mau-°than, we°-ts °than la° khak-daung °li thuh °siau. (19) Noong° seu-tsing°-le °lau foo-°tsheh-chi°-kuh °loong-°tsoong iau° kyi° la° tsang°-°boo laung°. (20) Di°-kuh ‘auh-sang-°ts iau° the°-theh, iung-we° su dok-’veh °zaung.

(一) 儂實蓋做末恐怕一生一世要懊憦哉. (二) 我白白裏對伊話伊仍舊勿聽. (三) 先生將要去伊對我話去哉我對伊話慢去. (四) 儂應該立定主意勿做實蓋坍銃個事體. (五) 天主是無所不能無所不在佬無所不知. (六) 人要看自家面孔末一面鏡子是罷勿得個. (七) 得着普天下佬失脫之自家個性命末有啥益處呢. (八) 第隻馬拉田裏跑來跑去煩難捉着個. (九) 笫部書有幾本? 有念本. (十) 旣然實蓋能難末我勿好話啥. (十一) 學生子打碎玻璃是有意呢還是偶然個事體. (十二) 伊個人跌拉浜裏幾乎沉殺但是有一個人來拖伊起來. (十三) 下半日忽然發起大風來. (十四) 學堂裏攏總有幾個學生子? 大約有三百個. (十五) 我叫伊立刻動身. (十六) 中國旗號是蠻好看. (十七) 第個人本來是惡人現在悔改哉. (十八) 我懊憦買之第條毛毯爲之攤拉客堂裏忒小. (十九) 儂收進來佬付出去個攏總要記拉帳簿上. (二十) 第個學生子要退脫因爲書讀勿上.

(Translate into Chinese)

(1) The man is very sick, even at the point of death. (2) One should not only think how to get profit for oneself, but how to give advantage to others. (3) In the evening the master gave the servants their wages. (4) I think that he offended me purposely, and therefore I am angry. (5) A student should not only learn while in school, but should be learning all his life. (6) I saw a dragon come up suddenly out of the water. (7) Truly all men under heaven are brethren, and ought to love one another. (8) A business man can see from his account book how much he has gained in his business or how much he has lost. (9) If you really ran very fast, how is it that you did not arrive sooner? (10) I have looked over this book in a general way, but I have not read it carefully. (11) If you wish to repent and become a good man, the first thing is to make up your own mind. (12) I knew the boat was a Chinese one, because they hoisted the Chinese flag. (13) A man’s life is most precious, so he ought to take care of his body. (14) When I had finished the work I found he had already done the same thing, and so I had wasted my time to no purpose. (15) The children like to run about and play in the garden.

(一) 第個人毛病蠻重幾乎要死. (二) 人勿但要想到自家個益處也要想到別人個益處. (三) 拉夜快主人發工錢拉伊個用人. (四) 我想伊有意得罪我所以我動氣. (五) 學生子勿但拉學堂裏要學, 一生一世應該學個. (六) 我看見一條龍從水裏忽然上來. (七) 普天下人實在是弟兄應該大家相愛. (八) 生意人從帳簿上可以看伊賺之幾化或者失脫之幾化. (九) 旣然儂跑來快爲啥佬勿早點到? (十) 我大略看過第本書但是勿曾仔細看. (十一) 若然儂要悔改成功好個人, 頭一要自家立定主意. (十二) 我曉得第隻船是中國船因爲伊扯拉個是中國旗. (十三) 人個性命是頂寶貝個所以應該當心自家個身髓. (十四) 我做好之第個生活我看別人搭我一樣個所以我白白裏廢脫第個工夫. (十五) 小囝拉花園裏歡喜跑來跑去勃相.

Notes.

(1) {Thien-°tsu} is the term used for God by the Romanists and by some Protestants. The other terms used for God are {Zung} (神), Lit. “a Spirit” and {°Zang-ti°} (上帝), Lit. “The Celestial Ruler.” (2) In the fourteenth sentence of the Second Exercise for “to no purpose,” one can say {Bak-bak-li-fi°-theh}, or the {bak} (白) can be used with the verb. Thus we can say {Bak fi°-theh} (白廢脫). {Bak} is often need in this way with verbs. Thus {Bak-tsoo°} (白做), “to do in vain,” {Bak °siang} (白想), “to think in vain, to no purpose,” etc. (3) In the eleventh sentence of the First Exercise {Wan°-z} may be translated “or.”

LESSON XXX

More Useful Words and Phrases

In the preceding lessons emphasis has been laid upon idiom and construction. Here a few useful words and phrases are given for the purpose of increasing the vocabulary of the student.

VOCABULARY

Sound of a character, \z°-iung/ 字音. To aspirate, \tsheh-foong/ 出風. Baggage, \‘ang-°li/ 行李. Bank, \nyung-‘aung/ 銀行. Bedding, \phoo°-ke°/ 鋪蓋. Button, \°nyeu-°ts/ 鈕子. Charcoal, \than°/ 炭. Chimney, \ien-tshoong 烟囱. Post Office (Foreign) \su-sing°-°kwen/ 書信館, or \sing°-jok/ 信局, or \yeu-tsung°-jok/ 郵政局. Church, \°li-pa°-daung/ 禮拜堂. Cook, (head) \da°-°s-voo°/ 大司務. Cook, (ordinary) \sau-van°-kuh/ 燒飯個. Dust, \boong-dzung/ 塳塵. Coal, (hard) \bak-me/ 白煤. Coal, (soft) \ien-me/ 烟煤. Enough, \°yeu-tse/ 有哉, or \keu°-°z/ 彀是. Farmer, \tsoong°-dien nyung/ 種田人. Fresh, (of meat or fish) \sing-sien/ 新鮮. Hospital, \i-yoen°/ 醫院. Jetty, \°mo-deu/ 碼頭. Kerosene, \°hoo-yeu/ 火油. Kettle, (copper) \doong-‘oo/ 銅壺. Market, \°z-mien°/ 市面. Marks or signs, \kyi°-‘au°/ 記號. Mistake, not correct, \veh-te°/ 勿對, or \tsho/ 差. Relative, (family)\ tshing-kyoen°/ 親眷. Salt, (noun) \yien/ 鹽. Salt, (adj.) \‘an/ 鹹. Soup, \thaung/ 湯. Trousers, \khoo°-°ts/ 褲子. Washerman, \da° i-zaung-kuh/ 汏衣裳個, or \zing° i-zaung-kuh/ 淨衣裳個. Postage stamp, \nyung-deu/ 人頭, or \yeu-phiau/ 郵票. I supposed, \°ngoo dau-nyung-ts/ 我道認之.

EXERCISES

(Translate into English)

(1) Di°-kuh z°-iung iau° tsheh foong nyi ’veh iau tsheh-foong. (2) °Ngoo-kuh ‘ang-°li iau° tsaung la° tsho-ts° laung°. (3) Di°-kuh san pak kwhe° yang-dien iau° dzung la° nyung-‘aung °li. (4) Da°-°s-voo° di°-kuh nyoeh °li sau-ts pen° tung° ien me. (5) Kyung-ya°-deu kuh thaung thuh ‘an, ming-tsau sau faung°-°tien yien. (6) °Zaung-°he °li-pa°-daung °lau i-yoen° ’veh °sau. (7) Tsoong°-dien-nyung thiau too-hau° siau-tshe tau° °z-mien laung° chi° ma°-kuh. (8) Di°-foong sing° iau° nau tau° yeu-tsung°-jok °li, iau° °ma nyung-deu thih la laung°. (9) Di°-diau khoo°-°ts peh la da°-i-zaung kuh zing°. (10) Too-hau° nyung tau° °mo-deu laung° soong° bang-°yeu tau° nga°-kok chi°. (11) Di°-kuh tsang° ’veh-te °tse iau° khe ih tsang° tshing-°saung-°tien kuh. (12) De-°ts laung° kuh boong-dzung iau° kha theh. (13) °Hoo-yeu keu° meh? Keu°-tse. (14) Di°-kuh ien-tshoong ’veh thoong. (15) °Ngoo hyau-tuh di°-tsak doong-‘oo °z °ngoo-kuh iung-we° °ngoo tsoo° kyi°-au° la° laung°.

(一) 第個字音要出風呢勿要出風? (二) 我個行李要裝拉車子上. (三) 第個三百塊洋錢要存拉銀行裏. (四) 大司務第個月裏燒之半噸烟煤. (五) 今夜頭個湯忒鹹明朝少放點鹽. (六) 上海禮拜堂佬醫院勿少. (七) 種由人挑多化小菜到市面上去賣個. (八) 第封信要拿到郵政局裏要買人頭貼拉上. (九) 第條褲子撥拉汰衣裳個淨. (十) 多化人到碼頭上送朋友到外國去. (十一) 第個賬勿對再要一張淸爽點個. (十二) 檯子上塳塵要揩脫. (十三) 火油彀末? 彀哉. (十四) 第個烟囱勿通. (十五) 我曉得第隻銅壺是我個因爲我做記號拉上.

(Translate into Chinese)

(1) My relative is sick in the hospital. (2) Salt is good, but if it has lost its savour, wherewithal shall it be salted? (3) I told the cook to buy some stamps at the Post Office. (4) How much money have you in the bank? (5) When you are going on a journey, you should take your bedding along with you. (6) To-day is Sunday, and I went to church in the morning. (7) I told him to buy some charcoal, some hard coal and some soft coal. (8) There is much dust in the market place. (9) In the summer time it is important to eat only these things which are fresh. (10) If there is no oil in the lamp, how can you light it? (11) Your pronunciation of this word is not correct. It is aspirated. (12) I met a friend on the jetty, who had just come from America. (13) Put the kettle on the stove. (14) The farmers are busy in the spring of the year. (15) If the wind blows down the chimney, the room will be full of smoke.

(一) 我個親眷生病拉醫院裏. (二) 鹽是好個失脫之鹽個味道那能鹹呢? (三) 我對大司務話書信館買點人頭. (四) 銀行裏有幾化洋錢? (五) 出門末終要帶鋪蓋. (六) 今朝是禮拜日早晨已經到禮拜堂去過. (七) 我對伊話叫伊買白煤烟煤佬炭. (八) 市面上塳塵多來. (九) 夏天末必定要吃新鮮個物事. (十) 燈裏嘸沒油末那能可以點呢. (十一) 儂個聲音勿對第個字音要出風. (十二) 我拉碼頭上掽着一個朋友美國纔纔來. (十三) 銅壺放拉火爐上. (十四) 種田人春上訂忙. (十五) 風吹到之烟囱末房間裏禿是烟哉.

Notes.

(1) In the third sentence of the First Exercise the verb {dzung} (存) means deposit. (2) In the fourth Sentence of the First Exercise {tung°} (噸) means ton. (3) In the tenth sentence of the First Exercise {Soong° bung-°yeu} (送朋友) means to send on his way, or as we put it “to see off.”

LESSON XXXI

Polite Language

In the Chinese language there are a great many polite phrases used in conversation. The ability to use these is a sign of education. Every student of the language should become acquainted with the most common ones, for he will have occasion to use them constantly. Some of these phrases have been introduced and explained in these lessons already, but here an attempt will be made to gather together all those that would be ordinarily used is conversation.

When you meet any one for the first time, according to Chinese etiquette you are at liberty to ask him what his honorable name may be. The expression for this is \{Tsung sing°}/ (尊姓), or \{Kwe°-sing°}/ (貴姓). In answer he will tell you his surname, but in doing so he will refer to it as his humble name. Thus he will say \{Bi°-sing° Tsang}/ (敝姓張) (if his surname is Tsang).

Next you might proceed to inquire what his other name was, that is, his private name in distinction from his surname. This you would ask by saying \{°Tshing kyau° da° ‘au°}/ (請叫大號), “Please teach me your great appellation” or \{The °foo}/ (台甫). In answer he might say \{°Tshau-z° Kya-foo}/ (草字嘉甫), meaning “the grass characters are \{Kya-foo}/,” or he might say \{°Siau-ming}/ (小名). (\{Kya-foo}/ is taken as an example of a name).

Then you might proceed to ask his age. This you would do by saying \{Too-sau kwe°-kang}/ (多少貴庚). The answer would be \{°Ngoo hyui doo° san seh soe°}/ (我虛度三十歲). Lit. “I have vainly passed thirty years.” If you ask an old gentleman his age, you would say \{°Kyi-hau° kau-zeu°}/ (幾化高壽). Lit. “What is your high longevity?”

If you ask a person how he is, as has been already intimated, you would say \{°Hau-la°-va°}/ (好拉否). The answer might be \{Khau° fok}/ (靠福), meaning “I depend upon you for my happiness.”

If a person asked you how many years you had been in China, he would say \{Tau°-ts bi°-kok °kyi z-tse}/ (到之敝國幾時哉). You would answer \{°Ngoo tau°-ts kwe°-kok nyan nyien}/ (我到之貴國念年). “I arrived in your honorable country twenty years ago” (or any length of time you had been in the country).

When you are asking a guest to take a seat, if he is at all an honorable guest, you must request him to take an honorable seat. This you do by saying \{°Tshing °zaung-deu °zoo}/ (請上頭坐), meaning “Please sit up higher.”

In asking how many children you have your guest would say \{°Kyi-we °sau-kyuin}/ (幾位少君), “How many little princes have you.” Your answer is \{San kuh °siau-koen}/ (三個小干), or \{°san kuh °siau-noen}/ (三個小囝), or \{san kuh °siau-°choen}/ (三個小犬).

At table, if you finish before others, you raise your chop-sticks and say to the others \{Man°-yoong°}/ (慢用), “use slowly.” Then place the chop-sticks on top of the bowl. Your host could answer \{Yoong°-°pau}/ (用飽), meaning, “Take plenty.”

When a guest is leaving, in addition to saying \{Chi°-tse}/, he may say \{Kyung-tshau}/ 驚吵), meaning, “I have troubled you.” Your answer may be \{De-man de-man}/ (待慢), meaning, “I have treated you without proper respect.” Or he may say, as he is walking away \{°Tshing lieu kyung-boo°}/ (請留經步), meaning, “Please restrain your orderly footsteps”; or simply \{Lieu-boo°}/, meaning “Don’t trouble to come out.” If you have to excuse yourself after a short stay, you should say \{Sau-be}/ (少陪).

VOCABULARY

England, \Iung-kok/ 英國. America, \°Me-kok/ 美國, or \Hwo-ji-kok/ 花旗國. Lit., Kingdom of the Flowery Flag. France, \Fah-kok/ 法國. Germany, \Tuh-kok/ 德國. Russia, \Ngoo-kok/ 俄國. Antiquity, anciently, \°koo-z-kan/ 古時間. Neighbor, \ling-°so/ 鄰舍. A godown, \°dzan-vaung/ 棧房. Inconceivable, \°siang-’veh-tau/ 想勿到. Lazy, \°lan-phok/ 懶朴, or \°lan-doo°/ 懶惰. Tricky, \diau°-bi/ 掉皮. Communication, intercourse, \le-°waung/ 來往. Matches, \z°-le-°hoo/ 自來火. Next (juxtaposition), \kah-pih/ 隔壁. Promise, \iung°-°hyui/ 應許. Recently, \°jung-le/ 近來. To meet with misfortune, \chuh °khoo/ 吃苦. Literally, “Eat bitterness.” Comfortable, \suh-i°/ 適意. The earlier the better, \yoeh-°tsau yoeh-°hau/ 越早越好. To relax the mind, \san° sing/ 散心. Soap, \bi-zau°/ 肥皂. To strike a match, \wak/ 劃.

EXERCISES

(Translate into English)

(1) Di°-foong sing° iau° noong° tan tau° yeu-tsung°-jok °li chi°. (2) °Koo-z-kan Tsoong-kok tah-ts bih-kuh kok-doo° ih ngan ’veh le-°waung. (3) °Jung-le Ngoo-kok tah-ts Toong-yang da°-ka °tang-tsang°. (4) Dzu° la kah-pih kuh nyung °z kyau° ling-°so. (5) Di°-kuh nyung ’veh ba° °z °lan-phok, ‘a-z diau°-bi. (6) Sang-i°-nyung la° °dzan-vaung °li tsaung-ts too-hau° hoo°-suh. (7) °Tshing °zoo la° bih-kuh iui°-°ts laung°, °i-tsak ’veh da° suh-i°. (8) °Ngoo iung°-°hyui °ngoo kuh si-tse, zak-zen tsoo° le °hau meh iau° ka yi-kuh koong-dien. (9) I-kuh nyung we°-ts chuh °tsieu, °too doong-dien, °lau ’veh °lau-zeh °i-kyung chuh-ts too-hau° khoo. (10) Tsoong-kok tah °Me-kok tsho-’veh-too ih yang° doo°-°siau. (11) °Pung-le °Me-kok nyung °z dzoong Iung-kok le kuh. (12) Di°-foong sing° °kyi-z iau° °ngoo °sia kuh? Yoeh-°tsau yoeh-°hau. (13) I-kuh nyung zeh-ke° diau°-bi zeh-°dze °siang-’veh-tau°-kuh. (14) °Seu °lau mien°-khoong iau° kha le koen-zing meh °tsoong iau° yoong° bi-zau°. (15) Iau° wak z°-le-°hoo tsoong iau° wak la° ‘ah-°ts laung°, ’veh zen meh ’veh we° yaung.

(一) 第封信要儂担到郵政局裏去 (二) 古時間中國搭之別個國度一顔勿來往 (三) 近來俄國搭之東洋大家打仗 (四) 住拉隔壁個人是叫鄰舍 (五) 第個人勿罷是懶朴也是掉皮 (六) 生意人拉棧房裏裝之多化貨色 (七) 請坐拉別個椅子上伊隻勿大適意 (八) 我應許我個西崽若然做來好末要加伊個工錢 (九) 伊個人爲之吃酒賭銅錢佬勿老實已經吃之多化苦 (十) 中國搭美國差勿多一樣大小 (十一) 本來美國人是從英國來個 (十二) 第封信幾時要我寫個? 越早越好 (十三) 伊個人實蓋掉皮實在想勿到個 (十四) 手佬面孔要揩來乾淨末終要用肥皂 (十五) 要劃自來火終要劃拉匣子上勿然末勿會旺

(Translate into Chinese)

(1) You should love your neighbor as yourself. (2) All over China now there are post offices, and you can send a letter to any part of China for three cents. (3) America is called the Kingdom of the Flowery Flag, because its flag is very beautiful. (4) A lazy man likes to get up late in the day, and during the day he likes to go to sleep. (5) Germany and France are next to one another on the map. (6) The fox is one of the most tricky of all the animals. (7) How long have you been in my humble country? I arrived in your honorable country only about one year ago. (8) Since I have promised it, I will certainly do as I said. (9) In ancient times most men were unable to read and write; now a large portion of the people can do so. (10) Children should not play with matches because they might set the house on fire. (11) Men can not always be using their minds; they must at times relax their minds. (12) Yesterday I felt very wretched, and was in bed all day; to-day I am more comfortable.

(一) 儂應該愛鄰舍像愛自家 (二) 垃拉中國各處地方有郵政局三分洋錢可以送一封信到隨便那裏頭 (三) 美國是叫花旗國因爲伊個旗是蠻好看 (四) 懶朴個人是歡喜晚碌起來日裏也要睏 (五) 德國搭之法國垃拉地理圖上是隔壁 (六) 拉中牲當中狐狸蠻掉皮個 (七) 到之敝國幾時哉? 到之貴國不過年把 (八) 我旣然應許個一定要照我話個佬做 (九) 拉古時間攏總人勿會讀書佬寫字現在大一半人可以個 (十) 小囝勿應該拿自來火來弄勃相恐怕要弄開火來 (十一) 人勿可以常莊用心有常時末終要散心 (十二) 昨日我一顔勿好一日睏拉床上今朝稍爲適意點

Notes.

(1) In the third sentence of the First Exercise {da-ka} (大家) means “together.” (2) In the fifteenth sentence notice the {’Veh zen meh} (勿然末), meaning, “If not so.” (3) In the tenth sentence of the Second Exercise “to set the house on fire,” may be translated {Loong khe °hoo le} 弄開火來. (4) In the eleventh sentence of the Second Exercise {Yoong°-sing} (用心) and {San°-sing} (散心) are just the opposite of one another.

LESSON XXXII

Proverbs

As is well known, the Chinese are very fond of proverbs. Their language is exceedingly rich with sententious sayings. They also make use of many felicitous expressions on New Year’s Day, at marriages, etc. Here is a short list of those in common use. Most of them are in literary style, but are used in ordinary speech.

一念之差終身之悔. \ih nyan° ts tsho tsoong sung ts hwe°/. The evil done in a moment’s thought may entail the repentance of a life time.

一言已出駟馬難追. \Ih yien i tsheh, s° °mo nan tsoe/. When a word has gone forth, four horses cannot overtake it.

一心舉念. \Ih sing °kyui nyan°/. A heart holding one thought; a mind set on one purpose.

一榻糊塗. \Ih thah oo-doo/. Everything in confusion.

吃人碗半, 由人使換喚. \Chuh zung °wen pen°, yeu *zung s° hwen°/. If you eat half a bowl of rice of another man, you thereby are placed under obligations.

*Note that the character for man is pronounced Nyung in the vernacular and Zung in the literary language.

皇天不負苦人心. \Waung Thien peh veu° °khoo zung sing/. Great Heaven never forgets the desire of a person in misery.

敗子回頭金不換. \Ba°-°ts we deu kyung peh wen°/. The repentance of a prodigal is more precious than gold.

推車撞之壁. \The tsho dzaung ts pih/. To wheel the cart against the wall,—equivalent to knock your head against a stone wall.

捨近而求遠. \So° °jung r jeu °yoen/. To forfeit what is near and seek what is far. It implies the folly of giving up the bird in the hand for the bird in the bush.

忘恩負義. \Vaung° ung veu° nyi°/. To forget benefits received.

順風扯旗. \Zung° foong °tsha ji/. To float the flag in the wind. This implies “to follow the crowd,” and applies to a person of weak character.

人心皆同. \Zung sing kya doong/. Human nature is one.

惡有惡報, 善有善報, 若使勿報, 時刻未到. \Auh °yeu auh pau°, °zen yeu °zen pau°, zak-s ’veh pau°, z khuk vi tau°/. Evil has an evil recompense—virtue has a good recompense. If the recompense does not appear, it is because the time has not yet arrived.

冤有頭, 債有生. \Ioen °yeu deu, tsa° °yeu tsu/. Enmity has a source, just as debt has a creditor.

欺人自欺自. \Chi zung z° chi z°/. To cheat others is to cheat oneself.

樹高千丈, 葉落歸根. \Zu° kau tshien °dzang, yih lauh kwe kung/. *Although the tree may be ten thousand feet high, its leaves fall down to the roots.

*This means that all, sooner or later, return to their original homes.

人面獸心. \Zung mien° sen° sing/. He has the face of a man and the heart of an animal.

看死捻鼻頭. \Khoen° °si nyah pih-deu/. To catch hold of the note of a man who is dying. Equivalent to the expression “To hit a man when he is down.”

落水搇. \Lauh °s chung/. To press a drowning man down in the water. This has much the same meaning as the preceding.

近朱者赤, 近墨者黑. \°Jung tsu tse tshuh, °jung muh tse huh/. Contact with red ink makes you red. Contact with black ink makes you black.

損人利己眞小人. \Sung zung li° kyi tsung °siau zung/. To injure another to benefit yourself, is the part of a mean fellow.

欺衆不欺一. \Chi °tsoong peh chi ih/. In dealing harshly with all, you do not deal harshly with any one in particular.

狗看滿天星. \°Keu khoen° °men thien sing/. The dog looks at the sky full of stars. This describes a stupid person who does not understand what he sees.

始終如一. \°S tsoong xu ih/. To continue the same from the beginning to the end.

半途而廢. \Pen° doo r fi/. To give up half-way.

謀事在人, 成事在天. \Meu z° dze zung, dzung z° dze thien/. Man contrives, God accomplishes. Equivalent to “Man proposeth, God disposeth.”

步步升高. \Boo°-boo° sang kau/. May you rise step by step.

壽比南山, 福如東海. \Zeu° °pi nen san, fok zu toong °he/. May your longevity be like the Southern Mountain, and your happiness like the Eastern Sea.

琴瑟調和. \Jung seh diau ‘oo/. May the harp and guitar harmonize. Note. This is a wedding wish, the harp and guitar signifying the bride and groom.

百年偕老. \Pak nyien kya °lau/. May you have happiness for a hundred year. A wedding wish.

成雙到老. \Dzung saung tau° °lau/. May the couple remain united until old age. A wedding wish.

稱心如意. \Tshung sing zu-i°/. May everything be according to your own wishes.

壽年千歲. \Zeu° nyien tshien soe°/. May you have a long life of a thousand years.

一路順風. \Ih loo° zung° foong/. May you have favorable winds journey.

恭喜發財. \Koong-°hyi fah ze/. *May wealth and happiness both be yours.

*This wish is often used at New Year’s time.

四季平安. \S° kyi° bing-oen/. May you have peace through the four seasons.

CHINESE-ENGLISH VOCABULARY

\A/

\Ah/, 押, to mortgage.

\Ah/, 鴨, a duck.

\Ah-koo/, 阿哥, an older brother.

\Ah-theh/, 押脫, to mortgage.

\Ah-°tsi/, 阿姐, an older sister.

\An°/, 晏, late.

\‘Ang-°li/, 行李, baggage.

\An°-hyih-we°/, 晏歇會, good-by.

\Au°-°lau/, 懊佬, to regret.

\Auh/, 惡, wicked.

\Auh-tshauh/, 齷齪, dirty.

\‘A-°ts/, 鞋子, shoes.

\°‘A/, 亦 or 也, also.

\°‘A-°li/, 那裏, which.

\°‘A-°z/, 亦是, also.

\‘Ah/, 狹, narrow.

\‘Ah-°ts/, 盒子, a small box.

\‘An/, 鹹, salt (adj.).

\‘Au/, 毫, 1⁄10 of a li (in currency).

\‘Au-sau°/, 豪燥, quickly.

\°‘Au/, 下, down.

\°‘Au-deu/, 下頭, below.

\°‘Au-kuh-nyoeh/, 下個月, next month.

\°‘Au-le/, 下來, to come down.

\°‘Au-nyoeh/, 下月, next month.

\°‘Au-pen°-nyien/, 下半年, last half of year.

\°‘Au-pen°-nyih/, 下半日, afternoon.

\°‘Au-pen°-nyoeh/, 下半月, last half month.

\°‘An-pen°-ya°/, 下半夜, last half night.

\°Au-°ti/, 下底, below.

\°Au-°ti-deu/, 下底頭, below.

\°‘Au-zen/, 下船, to go on board a ship.

\‘Au°/, 夏, summer.

\‘Auh/, 學, to learn.

\‘Auh-daung/, 下堂, school.

\‘Auh-sang-°ts/, 學生子, a scholar, a pupil.

\‘Aung-dzing/, 行情, price.

\B/

\Ba/, 排, to arrange in order.

\°Ba-tse/, 罷哉, (after verb), gives force of completed action.

\°Ba-’veh-tuh/, 罷弗得, indispensable.

\Bak/, 白, white.

\Bak-bak-°li/, 白白裏, useless, in vain.

\Bak-me/, 白煤, hard coal.

\Bak-wo°/, 白話, to converse.

\Ban/, 爿, a classifier for shops.

\Ban°/, 𨂝, to crawl.

\Ban°/, 辦, to direct, to attend to a matter.

\Bang-°yeu/, 朋友, a friend.

\Bang°/, 碰, to strike against.

\Bang°-dzak/, 捧着, to meet.

\Bau/, 跑, to run.

\Bau-le-bau-chi°/, 跑來跑去, to run about.

\°Bau/, 抱, to carry in the arms.

\Bau°/, 刨, a plane.

\Baung-pien/, 旁邊, by the side of.

\°Baung/, 棒, a cane, a stick.

\Be/, 陪, to accompany, to stay with a person.

\Beh-siang°/, 孛相, to play, to take recreation.

\Ben°/, 伴, to hide.

\Ben°-°loong/, 伴攏, to hide oneself.

\Bi-zau°/, 皮皂, soap.