Learn Arithmetic in Penang Hokkien
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Numbers in Penang Hokkien (28 December, 2017)
Reading 1
It's after school. Sham and Jimmy are at Jimmy's home. They are in his room.Sham kah1 Jimmy ti1 Jimmy-eh3 chu3.
Sham ka33 Jimmy kong4, "Kin3jit1 lu1 ai1 ka3 wah4 ha1mik1?"
Jimmy: "Kin3jit1 lu1 ai1 ok3 ha1mik1?"
Sham: "Ka3 wah4 snui1siau3, ho4 boh2?"
Jimmy: "Ho4".
Sham: "'Plus' kio3 ha1mik1?"
Jimmy: "'Plus' kio3 'kae1'."
Sham: "'Minus' ni4?"
Jimmy: "'Minus' kio3 'kiam4'."
Sham: "'Times' ni4?"
Jimmy: "'Times' kio1 'seng2'."
Sham: "Liau4, 'divide' ni4?"
Jimmy: "'Divide' kio1 'tu2'."
Sham: "Ho4, e33hiau4 liau4."
Jimmy: "Jee33 kae3 snar1 si33 cor33 ce33?"
Sham: "Jee33 kae3 snar1 si33 gor33."
Jimmy: "Tiok1."
Jimmy: "Cap1 kiam4 see3 ni4?"
Sham: "Cap1 kiam4 see3 ... si33 mm33 si33 lark1?"
Jimmy: "Si33."
Jimmy: "Snar1 seng2 kau4 ni4? Cor33 ce33?"
Sham: "Snar1 seng2 kau4 si33 jee33-cap3-pek3 nia2?"
Jimmy: "Boh3 tiok1. Snui1 cho3 liau4."
Sham: "Oh4, snar1 seng2 kau4 si33 jee33-cap3-chit3."
Jimmy: "Tiok1. Liau4, jee33-cap3-gor33 tu2 gor33 ni4?"
Sham: "Jee33-cap3-gor33 tu2 gor33 tok33si33 gor33!"
Jimmy: "Tiok1. Lu1 e33hiau1 yong3 Hok1kien1 wa33 snui1siau3 liau4!"
Reading 1 Vocabulary
Now let's look at the words used in the above conversation. I am elaborate on words that require further explanation.- snui1siau3 counting
- ho4 boh2 okay
It literally translates as "good or not". - kio3 to be called
Words in their original form, as listed in the dictionary, is in the citation form. When it is used in a sentence, it usually changes its tone into the sandhi form. Words in the sandhi form is in the "regular form" in sentences. However, for reason of emphasis, you may keep the word in the citation form in the sentence. When the word remains in the citation form, it is in the "emphatic form" in the sentence.
You will find that the word kio3 often appears in the regular form (kio1) as well as the emphatic form (kio3) in sentences. Users of Penang Hokkien often moves back and forth between these two forms without consciously thinking about it. - ni4 ... and how about ...
Penang Hokkien is peppered with many one-syllable words that modify the sentence. These are called particles. The particle "ni4" is used to relate a sentence to the preceding one, where the meaning is the same. So it can be translated as "and how about". "Ni4" is usually employed when the sentence is a question. - si33 yes
The word "si33" establishes an affirmation. - liau4 And, ...
"Liau4" is a common particle that carries different meaning depending on its location in a sentence. Used at the beginning of sentence, it is used to relate that sentence to the preceding one, similar to ni4. Occasionally you may see liau4 and ni4 appearing together in a sentence, one in front, one behind.
"Liau4" appears at end of sentence to mean "already". - e33hiau4 to know
The word "e33hiau4" means "to know" for knowledge, for example, e33hiau1 Hok1kien1 wa33 (to know Hokkien), or to know how to do something, as in, e33hiau1 hnua3 chia1 (to know how to drive). It cannot be used for knowing a person, in which case, another word, bat3, is used, for example, bat3 Jimmy4, to know Jimmy. To "know the way", however is "bat1 lor33", not "e33hiau1 lor33". - cor33 how ...
This word is also pronounce jor33. It cannot stand alone, and must always appear with another word to complete the meaning, for example, cor33 ce33 (how much), cor33 ku4 (how long), etc. - si33 mm33 si33 yes or no
Used to reconfirm a statement whether it is so. - nia2 right?
"Nia2" is a particle placed at the end of questions, to confirm whether something is so, corresponding with the English "right?" - snui3 count
From this word we get snui1siau3, arithmetic. - cho3 wrong
- tok33si33 (emphatic) is
"Tok33si33" in the emphatic form of "si33". It corresponds somewhat to "is indeed".
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