Basic Course: Lesson 9 Dialogue

Here’s the dialogue for lesson nine—you can review the vocabulary list in the previous post.

1	A: 你去乃呀？	Ni hui nại* a?
	B: 我去陸軍語言學校，你呢？	Ngoi hui Lùk-Gun Ngụi-Ngün Hòk-Hàu, ni nē?
	A: 我返去屋企。	Ngoi fan hui ūk-kī.
2	A: 我俾乜你呀？	Ngoi bī mōt ni a?
	B: 你俾錢我。	Ni bī tïng* ngoi.
3	A: 你俾唔俾錢佢呀？	Ni bī m̈-bī tïng* kui a?
	B: 俾，我俾錢佢。	Bī, ngoi bī tïng* kui.
4	A: 乃個俾錢我呢？	Nại goi bī tïng* ngoi nē?
	B: 屐俾錢你。	Kìak bī tïng* ni.
5	A: 逽寄信俾乃個呢？	Nìak gi lhin* bī nại goi nē?
	B: 哦寄信俾佢。	Ngọi gi lhin* bī kui.
6	A: 佢寫信俾你唔寫呀？	Kui lhē lhin* bī ni m̈-lhē a?
	B: 唔寫，佢唔寫信俾我。	M̈-lhē, kui m̈-lhē lhin* bī ngoi.
7	A: 你送唔送野俾我呀？	Ni lhung m̈-lhung ye bī ngoi a?
	B: 送，我送野俾你。	Lhung, ngoi lhung ye bī ni.
8	A: 佢打電話俾你唔打呀？	Kui ā ìng-wà* bī ni m̈-ā a?
	B: 唔打，佢唔打電話俾我。	M̈-ā, kui m̈-ā ìng-wà* bī ngoi.
9	A: 逽打唔打電報俾佢呢？	Nìak ā m̈-ā ìng-bo bī kui nē?
	B: 打，哦打電報俾佢。	Ā, ngọi ā ìng-bo bī kui.
10	A: 你得閒嗎？	Ni ak-hän ma?
	B: 我得閒。你呢？	Ngoi ak-hän. Ni nē?
	A: 我唔得閒。	Ngoi m̈-ak-hän

There are some important grammar points to take note of in the discussion.

In Taishanese, when you say that you “give someone something,” the order is opposite. In other words, you always say that you “give something (to) someone.” When you present/send/write/etc. something to someone, you use the same verb-noun order, except you use 俾 bī where we use the English word “to.” When you talk about calling or telegramming someone, you also use 俾 bī because you’re essentially saying you “give someone a call”—only Chinese uses the term 打電話 ā ìng-wà*, literally “hit a call.” Note the following sentences and the order of the nouns and 俾 after the verb.

佢俾錢我。Kui bī tïng* ngoi. “He gave me money.”
你送乜俾我？ Ni lhung mōt bī ngoi? “What did you gift to me ?”
佢寄野俾哦。Kui gi ye bī ngọi. “He sent us stuff.”
我寫信俾屐。Ngoi lhē lhin* bī kìak. “I wrote them a letter.”
哦打電話俾屐。Ngọi ā ìng-wà* bī kìak. “We called/telephoned them.”
你打電報俾我。Ni ā ìng-bo bī ngoi. “You sent me a telegram.”

If you have questions or suggestions, please feel free to leave a comment—especially if you notice typos!