Primary Lessons in Swatow Grammar/Lesson II

by William Ashmore

Short Sentences.

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uá tõ--chi,

I am here; was here; will be here.

uá chõ-lo̍h,

I sit down; sat down; will sit down.

uá cháu-khí,

I rise up; will rise up.

uá khiã--khí,

I stand up; stood up; will stand up.

uá khiã-tiām,

I stand still; stood still; will stand still.

uá kiâⁿ-lōu,

I walk; walked; will walk.

uá chhut-mn̂g,

I go out be doors; went out of doors.

uá ji̍p--khṳ̀,

I went in; &c,

uá chhut--lâi,

I came out.

uá lo̍h-chûn,

I go to the boat.

uá chiẽⁿ-suaⁿ,

I go ashore.

uá khṳ̀-chhù,

I go home.

uá khṳ̀ Sùaⁿ-thâu,

I go to Swatow.

uá thiaⁿ i,

I hear him.

uá chò-kang,

I do work.

uá siá-jī,

I write characters.

uá tha̍k-chṳ,

I read a book.

uá siàu-chîⁿ,

I count cash.

uá chia̍h-pn̄g,

I eat rice.

uá chia̍h-chúi,

I drink water.

uá chia̍h-tê,

I drink tea.

uá chia̍h-ie̍h,

I take medicine.

uá chhūe-mue̍h,

I hunt for something.

uá khie̍h-chheh,

I get a book.

uá sie-chúa,

I burn paper.

uá tiám-teng,

I light the lamp.

uá khí-húe,

I light the fire.

uá pû-pn̄g,

I boil rice,

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Note 1. It is seen above that in Chinese one form of the verb is used to denote past, present, or future tense. The learner will be puzzled by this at first, but in a short time will learn to discover from the context which tense is intended. There are more specific modes of indicating tense which will be treated of in a future lesson.

Note 2. In each of the above sentences, instead of the word uá, insert, in succession, lṳ́ you, i he, nín you, in they, uán we, and a corresponding number of additional sentences will be made.