SECTION: TO NEED / TO WANT / TO EAT |
English: | To want / to need | |
Pinyin: | y脿o |
English: | What do you want? | |
Pinyin: | n菒 y脿o sh茅n-me | |
Literally: | you want what? |
The verb yau followed by a noun means to want, and followed by a verb implies to need. |
English: | I want rice | |
Pinyin: | w菕 y脿o y墨-ge f脿n | |
Literally: | I want one rice |
We will discuss the word for one later |
English: | I want you | |
Pinyin: | w菕 y脿o n菒 | |
Literally: | (same) |
English: | I need to eat | |
Pinyin: | w菕 y脿o ch墨 | |
Literally: | (same) |
English: | I need to eat (a meal) | |
Pinyin: | w菕 y脿o ch墨 f脿n | |
Literally: | I need to eat rice |
English: | Do you want? | |
Pinyin: | n菒 y脿o ma | |
Literally: | you want +? |
Another way of asking a questing (other than using mah) is to instead place the positive and negative forms of a verb back-to-back, effectively giving the listener a choice: |
English: | Do you want? (using +/- verb construction) | |
Pinyin: | n菒 y脿o b煤 y脿o | |
Literally: | you want-not-want? |
English: | Don't want (say this to pushy merchants) | |
Pinyin: | b煤 y脿o | |
Literally: | not want |
English: | No thanks | |
Pinyin: | xi猫-xie, b煤 y脿o | |
Literally: | thanks, not want |
SECTION: DELICIOUS |
English: | Delicious (said about food) | |
Pinyin: | h菐o ch墨 | |
Literally: | good to eat |
English: | Very delicious | |
Pinyin: | h臎n h菐o ch墨 | |
Literally: | very good to eat |
English: | Really | |
Pinyin: | zh膿n |
English: | Really delicious | |
Pinyin: | zh膿n h菐o ch墨 | |
Literally: | really good to eat |