For autodidact students of Hokkien, the first thing to know about "the" is that Taiwanese Hokkien has no article at all, neither "the" nor "a". A noun on its own, such as 冊 (tsheh), can be "a book", "the book" or "books", and the context chooses, because Hokkien nouns have no plural form. What Hokkien has instead is the measure word (classifier). Every counted noun takes a small word of its kind between the number and the noun: 一本冊 (tsi̍t pún tsheh) is "one volume book", 一隻狗 (tsi̍t tsiah káu) is "one animal dog", 一條溪 (tsi̍t tiâu khe) is "one long-thing stream", 一間店仔 (tsi̍t king tiàm-á) is "one room-unit shop".
The same measure word follows the pointing words, and that is how Hokkien says what English says with "the". The word of this lesson, 彼 (hit), is "that". The Ministry of Education's dictionary defines it as pointing to a person, matter, thing, time or place that is farther away, followed by a measure word or a noun. Its near partner is 這 (tsit), "this". Put the pointing word, a measure word and a noun together and you have a noun phrase that speaker and hearer both know: 彼本冊 (hit pún tsheh), "that book", which an English translator turns into "the book" when it points back to something already named.
The word has a family, and it is used constantly. 彼个 (hit ê) is "that one". 彼時 (hit-sî) and 彼陣 (hit-tsūn) are "that time, then". 彼爿 (hit pîng) is "that side, over there". The same character is also read he, which stands alone as "that thing". The stand-alone pronouns are tse, "this thing", and he, "that thing"; the forms that come before a measure word or a noun are tsit and hit. The pattern is easy to remember because the near words begin with ts- and the far words with h-: tsit and hit, tse and he, tsia "here" and hia "there".
Two things are easy to confuse. The first is hit and tsit, which differ in one letter and in meaning, "that" and "this". The second is the habit of an English speaker, who wants "the" before every known noun. Hokkien does not point at every noun: it points when it needs to say "that one, the one we both know", and otherwise it uses the bare noun.
Script note: 彼 is a standard Han character, built from the left-walking radical 彳 and the phonetic 皮 (pê). Taiwanese has no single universal standard for writing its words in characters, and this course follows the forms recommended by the Taiwan Ministry of Education. The sounds are given in Tâi-lô. Its main differences from the older Pe̍h-ōe-jī are ts and tsh where Pe̍h-ōe-jī has ch and chh, oo where it has o͘, nn where it has a raised ⁿ, and ua and ue where it has oa and oe. A syllable carries one of seven tone marks: tone 1 has none, tone 2 is á, tone 3 is à, tone 4 has none and is found on syllables that end in -p, -t, -k or -h, tone 5 is â, tone 7 is ā and tone 8 is a̍. The numbers 6 and 9 are skipped because tone 6 is the same as tone 2, and tone 9 is rare. Words of more than one syllable are joined with hyphens. Tâi-lô gives the tone a syllable has when it is said alone; in a phrase the tone of every syllable but the last changes, and the audio of a speaker is the only way to learn it fully. The respelling in brackets is for English readers and does not show tone.
Key Takeaways: - Hokkien has no articles; a bare noun can be "a", "the" or plural, and the context decides - Pointing word + measure word + noun is "the" (or "that"): 彼本冊 (hit pún tsheh), 彼隻狗 (hit tsiah káu) - "A" is 一 (tsi̍t) + measure word + noun: 一本冊 (tsi̍t pún tsheh) - 彼 (hit) is "that" and it is the pointing word that becomes "the" in English; 這 (tsit) is "this" - 彼 (hit) comes before a measure word or a noun; 彼 (he) stands alone; 彼个 (hit ê) is "that one" - Common words made from 彼: 彼時 (hit-sî, then), 彼陣 (hit-tsūn, that time), 彼爿 (hit pîng, over there) - The measure word depends on the noun: 个 (ê) for people, 隻 (tsiah) for animals, 本 (pún) for books, 條 (tiâu) for streams and roads, 間 (king) for shops and rooms
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1.1a 彼 that 本 (CL) 冊 book 真 very 貴 expensive
1.1b hit (hit) DEM.DIST pún (poon) CL.BOOK tsheh (tseh) book tsin (tsin) very kuì (kwee) expensive
1.2a 彼 that 隻 (CL) 狗 dog 真 very 大 big
1.2b hit (hit) DEM.DIST tsiah (tsyah) CL.ANIMAL káu (kow) dog tsin (tsin) very tuā (twah) big
1.3a 彼 that 間 (CL) 店仔 shop 真 very 細 small
1.3b hit (hit) DEM.DIST king (king) CL.SHOP tiàm-á (tyam-ah) shop tsin (tsin) very sè (seh) small
1.4a 彼 that 條 (CL) 溪 stream 真 very 長 long
1.4b hit (hit) DEM.DIST tiâu (tyow) CL.LONG khe (keh) stream tsin (tsin) very tn̂g (tng) long
1.5a 彼 that 个 (CL) 人 person 是 is 我 I 的 of 老師 teacher
1.5b hit (hit) DEM.DIST ê (eh) CL.PERSON lâng (lang) person sī (see) COP guá (gwah) 1SG ê (eh) GEN lāu-su (low-soo) teacher
1.6a 彼 that 个 (CL) 學生 student 昨昏 yesterday 去 go 學校 school
1.6b hit (hit) DEM.DIST ê (eh) CL.PERSON ha̍k-sing (hahk-sing) student tsa-hng (tsa-hng) yesterday khì (kee) go ha̍k-hāu (hahk-how) school
1.7a 彼 that 位 (CL) 老師 teacher 的 of 冊 book 佇 at 彼 that 張 (CL) 桌仔 table 頂 top
1.7b hit (hit) DEM.DIST uī (wee) CL.PERSON lāu-su (low-soo) teacher ê (eh) GEN tsheh (tseh) book tī (tee) at hit (hit) DEM.DIST tiunn (tyunn) CL.FLAT toh-á (toh-ah) table tíng (ting) top
1.8a 昨昏 yesterday 我 I 買 buy 一 one 本 (CL) 冊 book 彼 that 本 (CL) 冊 book 真 very 有 have 意思 meaning
1.8b tsa-hng (tsa-hng) yesterday guá (gwah) 1SG bé (beh) buy tsi̍t (tsit) one pún (poon) CL.BOOK tsheh (tseh) book hit (hit) DEM.DIST pún (poon) CL.BOOK tsheh (tseh) book tsin (tsin) very ū (oo) have ì-sù (ee-soo) meaning
1.9a 彼時 then 落 fall 大 big 雨 rain
1.9b hit-sî (hit-see) then lo̍h (loh) fall tuā (twah) big hōo (haw) rain
1.10a 彼 that 个 (CL) 囡仔 child 佇 at 彼 that 欉 (CL) 樹仔跤 tree-foot 揣著 find 一 one 隻 (CL) 貓 cat
1.10b hit (hit) DEM.DIST ê (eh) CL.PERSON gín-á (gin-ah) child tī (tee) at hit (hit) DEM.DIST tsâng (tsahng) CL.TREE tshiū-á-kha (tsyoo-ah-kah) tree-foot tshuē-tio̍h (tsweh-tyoh) find tsi̍t (tsit) one tsiah (tsyah) CL.ANIMAL niau (nyow) cat
1.11a 有 there-is 一 one 个 (CL) 查埔人 man 來到 come-arrive 彼 that 个 (CL) 庄跤 village
1.11b ū (oo) EXIST tsi̍t (tsit) one ê (eh) CL.PERSON tsa-poo-lâng (tsa-paw-lang) man lâi-kàu (lye-kow) come-arrive hit (hit) DEM.DIST ê (eh) CL tsng-kha (tsng-kah) village
1.12a 來到 come-arrive 彼 that 个 (CL) 庄跤 village 的 (which) 查埔人 man 是 is 一 one 位 (CL) 老師 teacher
1.12b lâi-kàu (lye-kow) come-arrive hit (hit) DEM.DIST ê (eh) CL tsng-kha (tsng-kah) village ê (eh) REL tsa-poo-lâng (tsa-paw-lang) man sī (see) COP tsi̍t (tsit) one uī (wee) CL.PERSON lāu-su (low-soo) teacher
1.13a 彼 that 个 (CL) 查某人 woman 啉 drink 彼 that 杯 (CL) 水 water 矣 (PRT)
1.13b hit (hit) DEM.DIST ê (eh) CL.PERSON tsa-bóo-lâng (tsa-baw-lang) woman lim (lim) drink hit (hit) DEM.DIST pue (pweh) CL.CUP tsuí (tswee) water ah (ah) PRT.CRS
1.14a 彼 that 个 (CL) 庄跤 village 的 of 學校 school 佇 at 彼 that 條 (CL) 路 road 頂 top
1.14b hit (hit) DEM.DIST ê (eh) CL tsng-kha (tsng-kah) village ê (eh) GEN ha̍k-hāu (hahk-how) school tī (tee) at hit (hit) DEM.DIST tiâu (tyow) CL.LONG lōo (law) road tíng (ting) top
1.15a 彼 that 位 (CL) 老師 teacher 送 give-as-gift 一 one 本 (CL) 新 new 冊 book 予 to 彼 that 个 (CL) 囡仔 child
1.15b hit (hit) DEM.DIST uī (wee) CL.PERSON lāu-su (low-soo) teacher sàng (sang) give-as-gift tsi̍t (tsit) one pún (poon) CL.BOOK sin (sin) new tsheh (tseh) book hōo (haw) to hit (hit) DEM.DIST ê (eh) CL.PERSON gín-á (gin-ah) child
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1.1 彼本冊真貴。 (Hit pún tsheh tsin kuì.) "The book is very expensive." 1.2 彼隻狗真大。 (Hit tsiah káu tsin tuā.) "The dog is very big." 1.3 彼間店仔真細。 (Hit king tiàm-á tsin sè.) "The shop is very small." 1.4 彼條溪真長。 (Hit tiâu khe tsin tn̂g.) "The stream is very long." 1.5 彼个人是我的老師。 (Hit ê lâng sī guá ê lāu-su.) "That person is my teacher." 1.6 彼个學生昨昏去學校。 (Hit ê ha̍k-sing tsa-hng khì ha̍k-hāu.) "The student went to school yesterday." 1.7 彼位老師的冊佇彼張桌仔頂。 (Hit uī lāu-su ê tsheh tī hit tiunn toh-á tíng.) "The teacher's book is on the table." 1.8 昨昏我買一本冊，彼本冊真有意思。 (Tsa-hng guá bé tsi̍t pún tsheh, hit pún tsheh tsin ū ì-sù.) "Yesterday I bought a book. The book is very interesting." 1.9 彼時落大雨。 (Hit-sî lo̍h tuā hōo.) "It rained heavily then." 1.10 彼个囡仔佇彼欉樹仔跤揣著一隻貓。 (Hit ê gín-á tī hit tsâng tshiū-á-kha tshuē-tio̍h tsi̍t tsiah niau.) "The child found a cat under the tree." 1.11 有一个查埔人來到彼个庄跤。 (Ū tsi̍t ê tsa-poo-lâng lâi-kàu hit ê tsng-kha.) "A man came to the village." 1.12 來到彼个庄跤的查埔人是一位老師。 (Lâi-kàu hit ê tsng-kha ê tsa-poo-lâng sī tsi̍t uī lāu-su.) "The man who came to the village is a teacher." 1.13 彼个查某人啉彼杯水矣。 (Hit ê tsa-bóo-lâng lim hit pue tsuí--ah.) "The woman has drunk the glass of water." 1.14 彼个庄跤的學校佇彼條路頂。 (Hit ê tsng-kha ê ha̍k-hāu tī hit tiâu lōo tíng.) "The village school is on the road." 1.15 彼位老師送一本新冊予彼个囡仔。 (Hit uī lāu-su sàng tsi̍t pún sin tsheh hōo hit ê gín-á.) "The teacher gave a new book to the child."
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1.1 彼本冊真貴。 1.2 彼隻狗真大。 1.3 彼間店仔真細。 1.4 彼條溪真長。 1.5 彼个人是我的老師。 1.6 彼个學生昨昏去學校。 1.7 彼位老師的冊佇彼張桌仔頂。 1.8 昨昏我買一本冊，彼本冊真有意思。 1.9 彼時落大雨。 1.10 彼个囡仔佇彼欉樹仔跤揣著一隻貓。 1.11 有一个查埔人來到彼个庄跤。 1.12 來到彼个庄跤的查埔人是一位老師。 1.13 彼个查某人啉彼杯水矣。 1.14 彼个庄跤的學校佇彼條路頂。 1.15 彼位老師送一本新冊予彼个囡仔。
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These are the grammar rules for expressing "the" in Southern Min (Hokkien).
There is no article, and a bare noun is not marked. Hokkien has no word for "the" and none for "a". A noun with no number and no pointing word, such as 冊 (tsheh) or 狗 (káu), names the kind or an unspecified thing, and it has no plural form. When a particular, known thing is meant, Hokkien puts a pointing word and a measure word before the noun. The nouns of Section A all have one or the other.
彼 (hit) + measure word + noun: the pointing "the". 彼 means "that", and the Ministry of Education's dictionary says it is followed by a measure word or a noun. The usual order is 彼 + measure word + noun: 彼本冊 (1.1), 彼隻狗 (1.2), 彼間店仔 (1.3). It is used for something the speaker and the hearer both know, whether it was mentioned a moment ago (1.8: 一本冊 and then 彼本冊) or is simply over there. An English translator writes "that" for a thing far away and "the" when it points back at something already named. 這 (tsit) is "this" and stands in the same place: 這本冊 (tsit pún tsheh), "this book". - 彼 can also stand directly before a word of time or place: 彼時 (hit-sî, "then", 1.9), 彼爿 (hit pîng, "that side", 1.22) - 彼个 (hit ê) alone is "that one" - With a number it can mean "the" + the number: 彼兩本 (hit nn̄g pún), "those two" or "the two" (1.21) - 彼寡 (hit kuá) is "those": 寡 (kuá) is "some, a few" and stands in the place of the measure word (1.20) - The pronouns tse ("this thing") and he ("that thing") cannot be put before a noun: they stand alone. Before a measure word or a noun the forms are tsit and hit
Measure words. The measure word depends on the noun: - 个 (ê): people, and many things; the general measure word (1.5, 1.6, 1.10, 1.11, 1.15) - 位 (uī): people, with more respect than 个; it is the one used here of the teacher (1.7, 1.12, 1.15) - 隻 (tsiah): animals: 彼隻狗 (1.2), 一隻貓 (1.10) - 本 (pún): books: 彼本冊 (1.1, 1.8, 1.15) - 條 (tiâu): long thin things, such as streams and roads: 彼條溪 (1.4), 彼條路 (1.14) - 間 (king): rooms, houses and shops: 彼間店仔 (1.3) - 張 (tiunn): flat things, such as tables: 彼張桌仔 (1.7) - 欉 (tsâng): trees and plants: 彼欉樹仔 (1.10) - 杯 (pue): a cup or glass of something: 彼杯水 (1.13)
"A": the number one. 一 (tsi̍t) + measure word + noun is "a": 一本冊 (1.8), 一隻貓 (1.10), 一位老師 (1.12). A new person can be brought in with 有 (ū, "there is"): 有一个查埔人 (ū tsi̍t ê tsa-poo-lâng), "there is a man" (1.11). A thing that is new takes the number, and a thing that is known takes 彼: 一本冊 and then 彼本冊 (1.8).
The order of the noun phrase. Everything that describes a noun comes before it. A possessor takes 的 (ê): 彼位老師的冊 (1.7), "the teacher's book"; 我的老師 (1.5), "my teacher". A clause also comes before the noun it describes, and ê marks its end: 來到彼个庄跤的查埔人 (1.12), "the man who came to the village". Where something is placed, it follows 佇 (tī, "at") and takes a word of place such as 頂 (tíng, "top") or 跤 (kha, "foot, bottom"): 佇彼張桌仔頂 (1.7), 佇彼欉樹仔跤 (1.10).
Adjectives and 真. An adjective stands alone as the predicate: 真貴 (tsin kuì), "very expensive" (1.1 to 1.4). The 真 (tsin) is "truly, very". 是 (sī) links two nouns (1.5, 1.12) and is not used as the English "is" before an adjective.
Verbs do not change; small words do the work. Hokkien verbs have no tense, and time is given by a time word such as 昨昏 (tsa-hng, "yesterday", 1.6, 1.8) or 彼時 (hit-sî, 1.9). The particle 矣 (ah, written --ah after a word in Tâi-lô) marks a state that has arrived and is now true: 啉彼杯水矣 (1.13), "has drunk that glass of water".
Pronouns. 我 (guá) is "I", 你 (lí) is "you", and 伊 (i) is "he, she, it": Hokkien has one word for all three, so the translation has to choose.
Common Mistakes: - Looking for "the" and "a" in every sentence. Hokkien has no article; use the pointing word, the number, or the bare noun. - Leaving out the measure word where it is needed: 一冊 and 彼冊 are not the way to count or point at a book. Say 一本冊 (tsi̍t pún tsheh) and 彼本冊 (hit pún tsheh). - Using the general measure word for everything: 一个狗 and 一个冊 are not idiomatic. Say 一隻狗 and 一本冊. - Confusing 彼 (hit, "that") with 這 (tsit, "this"), which differ in one letter. - Putting he before a noun. The form before a measure word or a noun is hit; he stands alone. - Saying 彼 where an English speaker would only say "a": 我買彼本冊 is "I bought that book", not "I bought a book". - Putting the number after the noun, as in 冊一本. The number comes before the measure word: 一本冊. - Using 是 (sī) before an adjective as if it were English "is": 彼本冊是貴 is not the plain statement. Say 彼本冊真貴.
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Taiwanese Hokkien is a language in which a very large number of people in Taiwan live their daily lives, and for several decades it was a language that was not taught at school. After the Kuomintang government took over Taiwan, Mandarin was the language of schools and public life, and speaking Taiwanese in school was discouraged. The lifting of martial law in 1987 and the democratic changes that followed brought Taiwanese back into public life, and it is now taught in schools and has an official place among the national languages of Taiwan under the Development of National Languages Act of 2018.
The language has a long written history that is not in the Han characters alone. The Presbyterian missionaries who worked in southern Taiwan used Pe̍h-ōe-jī, and the church newspaper that Thomas Barclay began in 1885, now called Tâi-oân Kàu-hōe Kong-pò, is the best-known printed work in it. The Ministry of Education adopted Tâi-lô in 2006 and later published the online dictionary from which this course takes its spellings and characters. Where a word has more than one written form, the dictionary's recommended character is used here: the first person pronoun 我 (guá), the general measure word 个 (ê), and the possessive 的 (ê) are examples. The same word may be written in more than one way in print, and a reader who meets another form is not mistaken.
The pointing words of Hokkien are used all day. A shopkeeper says 彼爿 (hit pîng) when pointing at the other side of the street, and a friend says 彼个 (hit ê) of the person who was mentioned a minute ago. The courtesy of the lesson belongs to the small words of the Genre Section: 請問 (tshiánn-mn̄g) opens a question to a stranger and is "may I ask", 歹勢 (pháinn-sè) is "sorry" or "excuse me", and 多謝 (to-siā) is "thank you". Counting people with 位 (uī) rather than 个 (ê) is the more careful choice when the person is a teacher or a guest.
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《這溪無魚，別溪釣》— "No Fish in This Stream, Fish in Another" — a traditional Taiwanese proverb, author unknown
A proverb of Taiwanese Hokkien, given in the form and the Tâi-lô of the Ministry of Education's dictionary (教育部臺灣台語常用詞辭典, the entry 這溪無魚，別溪釣。). Its sense is this: when you cannot catch fish in this stream, do not be discouraged, but try another one; so, when a person cannot make a living in one place, they may look for a way out elsewhere. The passage is anonymous and traditional, and it is chosen because it uses the pointing word 這 (tsit), the partner of 彼 (hit), straight before a noun, with no measure word and no article.
這溪無魚，別溪釣。
F-A: Interlinear
F.1a 這 this 溪 stream 無 not-have 魚 fish
F.1b tsit (tsit) DEM.PROX khe (keh) stream bô (bo) NEG.EXIST hî (hee) fish
F.2a 別 other 溪 stream 釣 angle
F.2b pa̍t (paht) other khe (keh) stream tiò (tyo) angle
F-B: Original and Translation
這溪無魚，別溪釣。 (Tsit khe bô hî, pa̍t khe tiò.)
"In this stream there are no fish; fish in another stream." (Translation: Latinum Institute.)
F-C: Original
這溪無魚，別溪釣。
F-D: Grammar and Literary Commentary
Look first at 這溪 (tsit khe). The proverb says "this stream" with no measure word between 這 and 溪, and this is the other pattern the dictionary gives for the pointing word: it is followed directly by a noun. The speaker does not need to say 條 (tiâu), the measure word of Section A, because the saying is general and the stream is any stream. In the same way, 魚 (hî), "fish", is a bare noun that names a kind, and the translator chooses the English article, as Section D explains. This is what a bare noun does in Hokkien: it names, and it does not point.
The two halves are built to match. 這溪 (tsit khe) is answered by 別溪 (pa̍t khe), and 別 (pa̍t) is "other, another", the word that sets the second stream against the first. 無 (bô) in 無魚 is "there is none": the same word that is the negative of 有 (ū, "there is"), and 有 is the word that brought the man into the village in 1.11. The last word, 釣 (tiò), "to angle, fish with a rod", is a verb with no subject and no object: it is the advice itself, said as an order.
Notice the shape of the pointing words once more. In this proverb the near word is 這 (tsit), and in the lesson it is the far word 彼 (hit): the two differ only in the first letter, ts- against h-, and they are used in the same places. A learner who has read 彼本冊 (hit pún tsheh) can read 這本冊 (tsit pún tsheh) at once.
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A short dialogue in a bookshop in Taiwan, composed for this lesson by the Latinum Institute (it is not a traditional text). The customer speaks 1.16, 1.18, 1.22, 1.24, 1.26, 1.28 and 1.30; the shop assistant speaks 1.17, 1.19 to 1.21, 1.23, 1.25, 1.27 and 1.29. The pointing word 彼 is used throughout for the book, the branch and the road that both of them know.
1.16a 請問 excuse-me 彼 that 本 (CL) 冊 book 佇 at 佗位 where
1.16b tshiánn-mn̄g (tsyahn-mng) excuse-me hit (hit) DEM.DIST pún (poon) CL.BOOK tsheh (tseh) book tī (tee) at tó-uī (toh-wee) where
1.17a 你 you 講 speak 的 (NMLZ) 敢 (Q) 是 is 彼 that 本 (CL) 冊 book
1.17b lí (lee) 2SG kóng (kong) speak ê (eh) NMLZ kám (kahm) Q sī (see) COP hit (hit) DEM.DIST pún (poon) CL.BOOK tsheh (tseh) book
1.18a 是 yes 昨昏 yesterday 我 I 看 look-at 過 (ever) 彼 that 本 (CL) 冊 book 彼 that 本 (CL) 冊 book 是 is 藍色 blue 的 (PRT)
1.18b sī (see) yes tsa-hng (tsa-hng) yesterday guá (gwah) 1SG khuànn (kwann) look-at kuè (kweh) EXP hit (hit) DEM.DIST pún (poon) CL.BOOK tsheh (tseh) book hit (hit) DEM.DIST pún (poon) CL.BOOK tsheh (tseh) book sī (see) COP nâ-sik (nah-sik) blue ê (eh) PRT
1.19a 歹勢 sorry 彼 that 本 (CL) 冊 book 賣 sell 完 finish 矣 (PRT)
1.19b pháinn-sè (pine-seh) sorry hit (hit) DEM.DIST pún (poon) CL.BOOK tsheh (tseh) book bē (beh) sell uân (wuan) finish ah (ah) PRT.CRS
1.20a 昨昏 yesterday 彼 that 寡 (PL) 冊 book 猶閣 still 有 have 幾若 quite-a-few 本 (CL)
1.20b tsa-hng (tsa-hng) yesterday hit (hit) DEM.DIST kuá (kwah) PL tsheh (tseh) book iáu-koh (yow-koh) still ū (oo) have kuí-nā (kwee-nah) quite-a-few pún (poon) CL.BOOK
1.21a 彼 that 个 (CL) 查某 female 囡仔 child 買 buy 去 (away) 上尾 last 彼 that 兩 two 本 (CL)
1.21b hit (hit) DEM.DIST ê (eh) CL.PERSON tsa-bóo (tsa-baw) female gín-á (gin-ah) child bé (beh) buy khì (kee) away siōng-bé (syong-beh) last hit (hit) DEM.DIST nn̄g (nng) two pún (poon) CL.BOOK
1.22a 按呢 in-that-case 臺北 Taipei 彼 that 間 (CL) 分店 branch 有 have 彼 that 本 (CL) 冊 book 無 (Q)
1.22b án-ne (an-neh) in-that-case Tâi-pak (tie-pak) Taipei hit (hit) DEM.DIST king (king) CL.SHOP hun-tiàm (hoon-tyam) branch ū (oo) have hit (hit) DEM.DIST pún (poon) CL.BOOK tsheh (tseh) book bô (bo) Q
1.23a 小等 wait-a-little 一下 a-moment 我 I 去 go 問 ask 彼 that 爿 side
1.23b sió-tán (syo-tahn) wait-a-little tsi̍t-ē (tsit-eh) a-moment guá (gwah) 1SG khì (kee) go mn̄g (mng) ask hit (hit) DEM.DIST pîng (ping) side
1.24a 多謝 thanks 彼 that 爿 side 遠 far 無 (Q)
1.24b to-siā (toh-sya) thanks hit (hit) DEM.DIST pîng (ping) side hn̄g (hng) far bô (bo) Q
1.25a 真 very 近 near 坐 ride 彼 that 條 (CL) 線 line 兩 two 站 stop 就 then 到 arrive
1.25b tsin (tsin) very kīn (keen) near tsē (tseh) ride hit (hit) DEM.DIST tiâu (tyow) CL.LONG suànn (swann) line nn̄g (nng) two tsām (tsahm) stop tō (toh) then kàu (kow) arrive
1.26a 彼 that 个 (CL) 捷運站 MRT-station 佇 at 佗位 where
1.26b hit (hit) DEM.DIST ê (eh) CL tsia̍t-ūn-tsām (tsyat-oon-tsahm) MRT-station tī (tee) at tó-uī (toh-wee) where
1.27a 出門 go-out 行 walk 過 cross 彼 that 條 (CL) 路 road 就 then 是 is 矣 (PRT)
1.27b tshut-mn̂g (tshoot-mng) go-out kiânn (kyann) walk kuè (kweh) cross hit (hit) DEM.DIST tiâu (tyow) CL.LONG lōo (law) road tō (toh) then sī (see) COP ah (ah) PRT.CRS
1.28a 彼 that 爿 side 的 of 同事 colleague 會當 can 替 for 我 I 留 keep 彼 that 本 (CL) 冊 book 無 (Q)
1.28b hit (hit) DEM.DIST pîng (ping) side ê (eh) GEN tông-sū (tong-soo) colleague ē-tàng (eh-tang) can thè (theh) for guá (gwah) 1SG lâu (low) keep hit (hit) DEM.DIST pún (poon) CL.BOOK tsheh (tseh) book bô (bo) Q
1.29a 好 good 我 I 共 (to) 彼 that 位 (CL) 同事 colleague 講 say 一 one 聲 sound 伊 he-or-she 會 will 留 keep 予 for 你 you
1.29b hó (hoh) good guá (gwah) 1SG kā (kah) to hit (hit) DEM.DIST uī (wee) CL.PERSON tông-sū (tong-soo) colleague kóng (kong) say tsi̍t (tsit) one siann (syann) sound i (ee) 3SG ē (eh) will lâu (low) keep hōo (haw) for lí (lee) 2SG
1.30a 好 good 多謝 thanks 你 you 彼 that 本 (CL) 冊 book 我 I 一定 definitely 欲 want 買 buy
1.30b hó (hoh) good to-siā (toh-sya) thanks lí (lee) 2SG hit (hit) DEM.DIST pún (poon) CL.BOOK tsheh (tseh) book guá (gwah) 1SG it-tīng (it-ting) definitely beh (beh) want bé (beh) buy
1.16 請問，彼本冊佇佗位？ (Tshiánn-mn̄g, hit pún tsheh tī tó-uī?) "Excuse me, where is that book?" 1.17 你講的敢是彼本冊？ (Lí kóng ê kám sī hit pún tsheh?) "Is it that book you mean?" 1.18 是，昨昏我看過彼本冊，彼本冊是藍色的。 (Sī, tsa-hng guá khuànn-kuè hit pún tsheh, hit pún tsheh sī nâ-sik ê.) "Yes. Yesterday I looked at that book. The book is blue." 1.19 歹勢，彼本冊賣完矣。 (Pháinn-sè, hit pún tsheh bē-uân--ah.) "Sorry, that book is sold out." 1.20 昨昏彼寡冊猶閣有幾若本。 (Tsa-hng hit kuá tsheh iáu-koh ū kuí-nā pún.) "Yesterday there were still quite a few copies of those." 1.21 彼个查某囡仔買去上尾彼兩本。 (Hit ê tsa-bóo gín-á bé-khì siōng-bé hit nn̄g pún.) "But that girl bought the last two." 1.22 按呢，臺北彼間分店有彼本冊無？ (Án-ne, Tâi-pak hit king hun-tiàm ū hit pún tsheh--bô?) "In that case, does that branch in Taipei have that book?" 1.23 小等一下，我去問彼爿。 (Sió-tán tsi̍t-ē, guá khì mn̄g hit pîng.) "Wait a moment, I will go and ask over there." 1.24 多謝，彼爿遠無？ (To-siā, hit pîng hn̄g--bô?) "Thank you. Is it far over there?" 1.25 真近，坐彼條線兩站就到。 (Tsin kīn, tsē hit tiâu suànn nn̄g tsām tō kàu.) "Very near. Take that line and it is two stops." 1.26 彼个捷運站佇佗位？ (Hit ê tsia̍t-ūn-tsām tī tó-uī?) "Where is that MRT station?" 1.27 出門，行過彼條路就是矣。 (Tshut-mn̂g, kiânn-kuè hit tiâu lōo tō sī--ah.) "Go out and cross that road, and there it is." 1.28 彼爿的同事會當替我留彼本冊無？ (Hit pîng ê tông-sū ē-tàng thè guá lâu hit pún tsheh--bô?) "Could the colleague over there keep that book for me?" 1.29 好，我共彼位同事講一聲，伊會留予你。 (Hó, guá kā hit uī tông-sū kóng tsi̍t siann, i ē lâu hōo lí.) "All right, I will tell that colleague, and they will keep it for you." 1.30 好，多謝你，彼本冊我一定欲買。 (Hó, to-siā lí, hit pún tsheh guá it-tīng beh bé.) "Good, thank you. I will definitely buy that book."
1.16 請問，彼本冊佇佗位？ 1.17 你講的敢是彼本冊？ 1.18 是，昨昏我看過彼本冊，彼本冊是藍色的。 1.19 歹勢，彼本冊賣完矣。 1.20 昨昏彼寡冊猶閣有幾若本。 1.21 彼个查某囡仔買去上尾彼兩本。 1.22 按呢，臺北彼間分店有彼本冊無？ 1.23 小等一下，我去問彼爿。 1.24 多謝，彼爿遠無？ 1.25 真近，坐彼條線兩站就到。 1.26 彼个捷運站佇佗位？ 1.27 出門，行過彼條路就是矣。 1.28 彼爿的同事會當替我留彼本冊無？ 1.29 好，我共彼位同事講一聲，伊會留予你。 1.30 好，多謝你，彼本冊我一定欲買。
彼 as the shared "the" of a conversation. The two speakers never explain which book, branch or road they mean: 彼本冊 (1.16, 1.17, 1.19), 彼間分店 (1.22), 彼條線 (1.25), 彼條路 (1.27). The customer already points at the book with 彼 in the first question (1.16), and from then on both speakers use 彼本冊. English would say "that book", "the book" or "it", and the translations choose the one that fits.
The clause before the noun, with ê (1.17). 你講的敢是彼本冊 is "is it the book that you mean?". The clause 你講 stands before 的 (ê), which turns it into a noun phrase, "what you speak of", and the question is whether that is 彼本冊. The marker ê does here the same work it does in the first half of the lesson (1.12).
Time and place before 彼 (1.20, 1.22). A word of time or place may come before 彼 and say which one: 昨昏彼寡冊 (1.20, "yesterday's books"), 臺北彼間分店 (1.22). The structure is "time or place + 彼 + measure word + noun", and no 的 is used.
The numeral after 彼 (1.21). 上尾彼兩本 is "the last two": 彼, then the number 兩 (nn̄g), then the measure word 本. The noun 冊 is left out, because the book is already known.
Verb endings (1.18, 1.19, 1.21, 1.27). 看過 (khuànn-kuè) is "looked at (once)", 賣完 (bē-uân) is "sold out", 買去 (bé-khì) is "bought and took away", and 行過 (kiânn-kuè) is "walk across". 矣 (--ah) marks the new state (1.19, 1.27): "it has been sold out", "there it is now".
The questions (1.16, 1.17, 1.22, 1.24, 1.28). 佗位 (tó-uī) asks "where". 敢 (kám) opens a yes-or-no question (1.17). A sentence may also end with 無 (bô), "or not": 有彼本冊無 (1.22) is "does it have that book or not", and the answer is 有 or 無. 遠無 (1.24) asks "is it far", and the answer 真近 (1.25) says "very near". 會當……無 (1.28) asks "can you".
Polite words. 請問 (1.16) opens a question and is "may I ask"; 歹勢 (1.19) is "sorry" or "excuse me"; 多謝 (1.24, 1.30) is "thank you". 位 (1.29) is the measure word for the colleague.
共 (kā) and 講一聲 (1.29). 共 (kā) puts the person who is told before the verb: 我共彼位同事講一聲 is "I will tell that colleague". 講一聲 (kóng tsi̍t siann) is "say a word", "let know". 留予你 (lâu hōo lí) is "keep it for you", with 予 (hōo) as "to, for".
The pronoun 伊 (1.29). 伊 (i) is "he", "she" or "it", so the translation has to choose.
替 (thè) and 欲 (beh). 替我 (thè guá, 1.28) is "for me, on my behalf". 欲 (beh) is "want", and with 一定 (it-tīng, "definitely") it makes the customer's final decision (1.30).
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Reading the romanisation: the system is Tâi-lô, with the tone marked on the vowel. The seven tones are 1 high level (no mark), 2 falling from high (á), 3 low falling (à), 4 short and checked, on syllables ending in -p, -t, -k or -h (no mark), 5 rising (â), 7 mid level (ā), and 8 short and high (a̍). The tone values are approximate, and they differ from one speaker and region to another. Letters: ts is an unaspirated "dz", tsh is an aspirated "ts", kh, ph and th are aspirated, g is a hard "g" as in "go", j is a voiced "dz" or "j", and nn after a vowel makes it nasal, as in French. The vowel oo is the open "aw" of "law", and o is a mid vowel between "uh" and "oh". A final -h, -p, -t or -k is a stop with no release. The syllable ng can stand alone as a vowel, as in 長 (tn̂g). The respellings in brackets are for English readers and do not show tone.
彼 (hit) — IPA: /hit̚/ — Begins with "h", the vowel is "ee" as in "bit", and the final t is a stop with no release; the syllable is short and checked, tone 4. 這 (tsit) — IPA: /tsit̚/ — The same sounds as 彼, with ts- in place of h-. The pair hit and tsit is a first exercise in hearing the difference. 冊 (tsheh) — IPA: /tsʰeʔ/ — An aspirated "ts", the vowel of "bed", and a glottal stop at the end. 本 (pún) — IPA: /pun/ — The "u" is the "oo" of "moon"; the tone falls from high. 貴 (kuì) — IPA: /kui/ — "kw" and a long "ee": "kwee", low and falling. 隻 (tsiah) — IPA: /tsiaʔ/ — "tsyah", cut off with a glottal stop. 狗 (káu) — IPA: /kau/ — Like English "cow" with a hard "k", falling from high. 大 (tuā) — IPA: /tua/ — "twah", with a mid level tone. 間 (king) — IPA: /kiŋ/ — "king" as in English. 條 (tiâu) — IPA: /tiau/ — "tyow", with a rising tone. 溪 (khe) — IPA: /kʰe/ — An aspirated "k" and the vowel of "bed". 長 (tn̂g) — IPA: /tŋ/ — A "t" followed by a syllabic "ng", as in "sing" without the vowel; the tone rises. 个 (ê) — IPA: /e/ — The vowel of "bed" or "hey", with a rising tone. 我 (guá) — IPA: /ɡua/ — A hard "g", then "wah"; the tone falls from high. 你 (lí) — IPA: /li/ — "lee", falling from high. 是 (sī) — IPA: /si/ — "see", with a mid level tone. 老師 (lāu-su) — IPA: /lau su/ — "low-soo". The tone of the first syllable is mid level. 學校 (ha̍k-hāu) — IPA: /hak̚ hau/ — The first syllable is short and high with a closed k. 昨昏 (tsa-hng) — IPA: /tsa hŋ/ — The second syllable is a syllabic "ng" after "h". 貓 (niau) — IPA: /niau/ — "nyow", one syllable. 雨 (hōo) — IPA: /hɔ/ — The oo is the open "aw" of "law". 路 (lōo) — IPA: /lɔ/ — "law", with a mid level tone. 査埔人 (tsa-poo-lâng) — IPA: /tsa pɔ laŋ/ — The middle syllable is "paw". 遠 (hn̄g) — IPA: /hŋ/ — A hum after "h", with no vowel. 問 (mn̄g) — IPA: /mŋ/ — A hum with the lips closed, then "ng". 多謝 (to-siā) — IPA: /to sia/ — "toh-sya". 歹勢 (pháinn-sè) — IPA: /pʰãĩ se/ — The "ainn" is the vowel of "ai" (as in "pine") said through the nose. 佗位 (tó-uī) — IPA: /to ui/ — "toh-wee".
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