# Dictionary of the Swatow dialect/lai
### lâilâi

* 梨lâi515757
* Pears or apples.

#### cheⁿ phûe lâi;

    large green pears.

#### suaⁿ tang lâi;

    northern pears.

#### hwn-lâi;

    pine-apples.

#### hwn-lâi ko̤;

    pine-apple preserves.

#### cío-lâi;

    dwarf pears.

#### âng phûe lâi;

    russet pears or apples.

#### cío-lâi pó;

    dried pears.

#### lâi châi cò̤ ìn-póiⁿ sĭang hó̤;

    the wood of the pear tree is excellent for making blocks to print upon.
* 來lâi49896
* To come; to reach; to get; to bring about; to induce; coming, and thus making a form of the future; coming times; prosperity; after other verbs it often indicates a present action.

#### lâi ā!

    Come along!

#### úa lâi lío;

    I am here.

#### i m̄ cêng lâi;

    he has not come.

#### būe lâi;

    has not yet come.

#### lṳ́ tùi tī-kó̤ lâi?

    By which route did you come?

#### lṳ́ chông tī-kò̤ lâi? lṳ́ tŏ̤ tī-kò̤ lâi?

    Whence came you?

#### hàm i màiⁿ lâi;

    tell him not to come.

#### ke bô̤ lăng-tăng cṳ́, kuaⁿ chông hô̤ chù lâi?

    If the family had no truant sons, where would the officials come from?

#### chì-mn̄g i kâi sin chông-hô̤ chù lâi;

    ask him where his body came from; suggest that he has duties toward his parents.

#### ín-chūa i lâi;

    conduct him here.

#### àiⁿ lâi cò̤-nî nē?

    What object have you in coming?

#### úa kîaⁿ m̄ lâi;

    I cannot walk that distance.

#### àiⁿ lâi khṳ̀ a būe?

    Are you going now or later?

#### chíaⁿ i lâi cŏ̤;

    ask him to come and sit down.

#### úa àiⁿ lâi khṳ̀ cò̤ nâng-kheh;

    I am going out to pay a visit.

#### cò̤ m̄ lâi;

    cannot do it.

#### cò̤ tit lâi;

    it is feasible.

#### i kio i ŭ lâi úang a bò̤?

    Does he exchange visits with him?

#### cin-jit lâi-lâi úang-úang kâi nâng sĭm cōi;

    many persons are coming and going all day long.

#### lâi jît;

    in the future.

#### ŭ lâi jît;

    there is a future for it.

#### ciang-lâi;

    in the future.

#### ău-lâi;

    afterward.

#### i kâi sĭ ŭ sĭm-mih lâi-thâu?

    What brought it about?

#### i kâi lâi-in cò̤-nî?

    What are the causes which lead to it?

#### cía tīaⁿ-tîeh sĭ ŭ sĭm-mih tŏa lâi-thâu;

    this has certainly some important cause.

#### ngŵn-lâi sĭ cìeⁿ-seⁿ;

    it was so originally.

#### úa íⁿ-keng mn̄g chut i kâi lâi-îu;

    I have already found out by inquiry what is the reason for it.

#### lâi-lêh;

    the circumstances in the past.

#### hó̤, hó̤, hó̤, lṳ́ tú-tú lâi!

    How fortunate it is that you have come so opportunely!

#### tńg lâi;

    to return.

#### i tī-tiang sî tńg lâi?

    When did be come back?

#### lâi hûe jîeh cōi cûn co?

    What is the boat fare for the round trip?

#### chíaⁿ i lâi cîah pn̄g;

    invite him to dinner.

#### it-lâi sĭ ûi-tîeh cía sṳ̄, jī-lâi sĭ ûi-tîeh hía sṳ̄;

    firstly it is on this account, and secondly it is on that.

#### chông-lâi;

    heretofore.

#### lói-sĭang úang lâi;

    courtesy requires to be reciprocated.

#### i tàⁿ lâi tîeh;

    be speaks rightly.

#### i cò̤ lâi hó̤;

    he has done it well.

#### i kâi lâi sìu hṳ́ tói cò̤-nī tàⁿ?

    What was said in his letter which has just arrived?

#### cêk-ki-līu, lâi-lâi khṳ̀-khṳ̀ kâi sìo-bâk sĭm cōi;

    their correspondence with each other is always going to and fro, with no intermission.

#### lâi put kîp; lâi m̄ hù;

    did not arrive in time.

#### khîeh lâi;

    bring it here.

#### lâi kàu cí-kò̤ ŭ saⁿ nî lío;

    we arrived here three years ago.

#### lâi kàu taⁿ û jieh kú?

    How long is it since you arrived?

#### úa chṳ́ lâi bô̤ pât in;

    for this journey I had no other reason.

#### phah lâi phah khṳ̀;

    striking repeatedly.

#### mēⁿ lâi mēⁿ khṳ̀;

    bandying harsh words.

#### bâi lâi ngán khṳ̀;

    winked at each other.

#### ŭ cah lâi mē?

    Did you bring it with you?

#### ôiⁿ tîang-sî lâi cŏ̤;

    when you have leisure come and sit here.

#### nán lâi phûeh cē;

    let us talk it over.

#### kîaⁿ lâi kîaⁿ khṳ̀;

    walk to and fro.

#### i sueh lâi căi-seⁿ?

    How did he explain it?

#### i lí hàm i cĭeⁿ lâi, i li hàm i lô̤h lài;

    the one told him to come up, and the other told him to come down.

#### cán-khí lâi cū sói mīn;

    when you get up, wash your face.

#### káng-kìu lâi hó̤;

    it is well explained.

#### i cò̤ mih sṳ̄ kha lâi chíu lâi;

    in whatever he does, he makes his hands and feet fly.

#### khĭa khí lâi;

    stand up.

#### i kha thìaⁿ, bŏi lâi;

    he has a sore foot and cannot come.

#### khṳt úa thóiⁿ lâi li m̄-hó̤;

    as it appears to me, it is not good.

#### sĭeⁿ m̄ lâi;

    I cannot ​think it out.

#### i sĭeⁿ lâi sĭ cìeⁿ-seⁿ;

    he thought it so.

#### i po̤h lâi tîeh;

    his criticism is correct.

#### bói lâi kâi;

    what was bought.

#### i seⁿ lâi chin-chĭeⁿ i âi;

    he is like his mother.

#### cía ūe lâi khah cho;

    this is too coarsely drawn.

#### cía ìn lâi cū hīn nō̤

    this imprint is very distinctly made.
* 內lăi618112
* Within; inner; inside; internal in distinction from external; interior; in the court or palace; that which is enclosed or within; near to; personal; among; in the midst of; the internal organs or viscera; the inner rooms of a house.

#### lăi tī;

    in the interior; in the country.

#### chim jîp lăi tī;

    gone far into the interior.

#### ke lăi;

    the family; the wife.

#### lăi cwt;

    my wife.

#### lăi tîet;

    my own nephew.

#### i ŭ lăi châi;

    he has natural ability, but is not learned.

#### lăi tang ŭ kúi kâi?

    How many are there on the inside?

#### sĭ lăi sieⁿ, a sĭ gūa kám?

    Is it an internal injury or an external wound?

#### sìn lăi cò̤-nî tàⁿ?

    What was said in the letter?

#### i tŏ̤ pâng lăi;

    she is in her room.

#### bô̤ tŏ̤ hṳ́ lăi;

    he is not in there.

#### i tâng sòi-sòi cū ŭ tó lăi;

    from his infancy he has been thoughtful.

#### cîah kàu hìeⁿ tōa kâi bô tó bô̤ lăi;

    is so well grown, and yet has so little judgment.

#### cò̤ cai i tó lăi cò̤-nĭ sĭeⁿ?

    How can you know what his thoughts are?

#### it-tit tŏ̤ sim lăi;

    keep it in mind.

#### i lăi-tói ŭ sĭm-mih ŵn-kù mē?

    Has he any personal reason for so doing?

#### cía sĭ i hūn lăi eng-kai kâi;

    this is what properly belongs to his functions.

#### i tì kâi lăi-siang pēⁿ;

    he has an internal disease.

#### i sĭ ui lăi khue, a sĭ ui gūa khue?

    Does he treat internal or skin diseases?
* 利lāi521185
* Sharp; acute; interest on money.

#### i kâi to̤ lāi căi;

    his knife is very sharp; he is very eager for gain.

#### úa cá-jît cìaⁿ bûa kàu nĕ lāi-lāi, cò̤-nî cū tun khṳ̀;

    I ground it very sharp yesterday, why has it become dull.

#### sio thóiⁿ i sin tèng ŭ lāi khì a bô̤;

    search his person to see if he carries concealed weapons.

#### cêk kâi gûeh jîeh cōi lāi-sek?

    How much does the interest amount to per month?

#### hám lāi cîⁿ;

    the amount of the interest.

#### nî-nî tó̤ lâp lāi;

    is paying interest yearly, at stated times.

#### lāi khí bó̤, bó̤ khí lāi;

    interest increases capital, and capital increases interest.

#### kàu tang ĕ cū sìa lāi;

    during the last quarter of the year, the rate of interest diminishes.

#### i ki chùi lāi căi;

    he is very sharp in repartee.
* 俐lāi52197
* Clever, talented.

#### i kâi nâng lāi căi;

    he is very shrewd.

#### lêng-lāi;

    astute; quick witted; clever.

#### thóiⁿ tîeh i kâi mīn-tîeⁿ seⁿ lâi to ho̤h lêng-lāi, cò̤-nî tó lăi hìeⁿ ṳ̀-cṳ̀?

    His face looks very intelligent, bow is it that he is really so stupid?

#### lêng-lêng lāi-lāi, kuai-kuai khío-khío;

    bright and knowing.