# Primary Lessons in Swatow Grammar/Lesson IX

Interrogation is denoted by tî, who? what? which? tî-tiâng, who? whom? tî-kâi, which one? which? tî-kò, where? whence? mih, which? mih-kâi, which one? what? mih-nâng, which person? sĩ-mih, which? chò; chò-nî, how? why? chãi; hô, how? jie̍h, how much? how many? (applied to quantity and dimensions).
The particles mō, mē, and nē, at the end of sentences make them interrogative; also such words as būe, bô, and m̄ serve the same purpose.
The word kâi so constantly used in questions is in itself a classifier, but is easily made to do the work of a demonstrative pronoun, as is true, also, of other classifiers.

## chí sĩ sĩ-mih-mue̍h,

    what thing is this?

   ## m̄-chai sĩ sĩ-mih-mue̍h,

       I do not know what it is.

   ## chí-kâi sĩ che̍k-pau-ie̍h,

       this is a paper of medicine.

   ## chí-kâi sĩ ba̍k-chúi,

       this is ink.

## chí sĩ sĩ-mih-kâi,

    what is this?

   ## chí-kâi sĩ siá-jī kâi khì-kũ,

       these are writing materials.

   ## chí-kâi sĩ thit-thô-mue̍h,

       these are curiosities.

## chí-kâi kiè-chò sĩ-mue̍h,

    what do you call this thing?

## chiá kiè-chò sĩ-mue̍h,

    what do„ you call„ this„ thing?„

   ## chí-kâi kiè-chò sõng-íⁿ,

       this is called a rocking chair.

   ## chí-kâi kiè-chò chhoiⁿ-lí-kiàⁿ,

       this is called a telescope.

## kâi sĩ-mue̍h,

    what is this?

   ## kâi sĩ chûn--ēng-kâi,

       this is something used on the boat.

## ũ sĩ-mih ì-sṳ̀,

    what’s the idea?

   ## m̄-chai sĩ-mih ì-sṳ̀,

       I don’t know what the idea is.

   ## õ, ì-sṳ̀ sĩ chièⁿ-seⁿ,

       O, the idea is this.

## i lâi mih-sṳ̄,

    what business has he come on?

   ## i-lâi bô-mih-sṳ̄,

       he has not come on any business.

   ## i-lâi tàⁿ-ūe,

       he has come to speak (to somebody).

   ## i-lâi chhūe chhin-nâng,

       he has come to hunt a relative.

   ## i-lâi lí pa̍t-nâng kâi-sṳ̄,

       he has come on business for somebody else.

   ## i-lâi bōi-mue̍h,

       he has come to sell something.

## i-sĩ tõ-chí khiã-khí a-m̄-sĩ,

    does he live here?

   ## i-bô tõ-chí khiã-khí,

       he does not live here.

   ## i put-kùe sĩ-lâi chò khang-khùe,

       he only came to do work.

   ## i-sĩ lâi-chò seng-lí,

       he has come to do business. ​

## lṳ́ bōi sĩ-mih-mue̍h?

    what are you selling?

   ## uá sĩ bōi-tê-liāu,

       I am selling confectionary.

## ũ-pa̍t-miâ hó-kiè a-bô?

    is there any other way of naming it?

   ## ũ-pa̍t-miâ hó-kiè,

       yes, there is another way.

## chí sĩ tî-tiâng-kâi?

    whose is this?

   ## chí sĩ sin-seⁿ--kâi,

       this is the teacher’s.

   ## chí sĩ thâu-ke--kâi,

       this is Master’s.

## chí sĩ chèng-nâng--kâi,

    this belongs to the public.

## chí sĩ tî-nâng-kâi?

    this belongs to which person?

   ## sĩ-so̍k hṳ́-chiàⁿ-lâi kâi-nâng,

       it belongs to the man who just came.

## kâi tî-tiâng,

    who is that?

## tî-tiâng-lâi,

    who comes?

## tî-tiâng-tõ,

    who is there?

## tî-tiâng-tàⁿ,

    who„ said it?

## tî-tiâng-khṳ̀,

    who„ went?

## tî-tiâng-hàm,

    who„ calls?

## tõ tî-sî-lâi,

    when did he come?

   ## chá-ji̍t lâi,

       came yesterday.

   ## lâi-kú--liáu,

       came a long time ago.

   ## mn̂g-khí-chá--lái,

       came this morning.

## lṳ́ khiã-khí tî-kò,

    where do you live?

   ## khiã-khí tõ Hú-siâⁿ,

       live at the Hu city.

   ## khiã-khí tõ-hâng,

       lives in the hong.

   ## khiã-khí tõ-kūiⁿ--téng,

       lives„ at the District city.

## nín tî-kòp-húe,

    ye are of what place?

   ## uán sĩ Gôu-chhân--húe,

       we are Go-chhan people.

   ## ún sĩ-hieⁿ-ẽ kâi,

       we are from a country village-(depreciating).

   ## ún sĩ-lãi-tī kâi-nâng,

       we are from the Interior.

## lṳ́ khṳ̀-tî-kò,

    where are you going?

   ## uà khṳ̀-bói-mue̍h,

       I go to buy something.

   ## uá khṳ̀ chò-khang-khùe,

       I go to do work.

   ## uá khṳ̀-thó-chîⁿ,

       I am going to collect cash.

   ## uá khṳ̀ thó-siàu-ba̍k,

       I am going to collect an account.

   ## uá khṳ̀-táu-chîⁿ,

       I am going to exchange (dollars) for cash.

## i kàu-tî-kò,

    to where has he reached? How far has he gone?

## i kàu Phàu-thâi--liáu,

    he has got as far as Phau-Thai. ​

## tî-chiah-chûn,

    which boat?

   ## sĩ-hṳ́ phah-tèng--kâi,

       it is that one at anchor.

   ## sĩ-hṳ́ sái-phâng--kâi,

       it is that one sailing.

   ## sĩ-hṳ́-kâi ũ phâng-kám--kâi,

       it is that one with a cover.

   ## sĩ-hṳ́ kò-chiéⁿ--kâi,

       it is that one rowing.

   ## sĩ-nâng theⁿ-chûn--kâi,

       it is the one the men are poling.

## tî-che̍k-kiãⁿ-sĩ,

    which is the one?

## tî-che̍k-kâi-sĩ,

    which„ is„ the„ one„?

## ũi-tie̍h chò-nî,

    one account of what?

   ## sĩ ũi-tie̍h pẽ-bó,

       it is on account of his father and mother.

## chò-nî, nē, why so?

    why is it?

## lṳ́-tàⁿ chò-nî,

    what do you say?

   ## uá bô chò-nî-tàⁿ,

       I did not say anything.

## lṳ́ chò-nî-siẽⁿ,

    what do you think?

   ## uá siẽⁿ chièⁿ-seⁿ m̄-hó-chò,

       I think it is not well to do that way.

## chò-nî-ⁿ-iēⁿ,

    what kind is it?

## chò-ũ,

    how can there be? (disputing).

## hô chò-nî-chò,

    how can it be done?

## chãi-tit,

    how can it be? (disputing).

## chãi-seⁿ,

    what manner?

## i nâng chãi-seⁿ,

    how is he? what sort of person is he?

## jie̍h-chōi,

    how many? how much?

## jie̍h-kûiⁿ,

    how high?

## jie̍h-tōa,

    how large?

## chie̍h jie̍h-tãng,

    how heavy is the stone?

## chúi jie̍h-chhim,

    the water, how deep is it?

## i ũ jie̍h-chōi ngṳ̂n,

    how much silver has he?

## jie̍h-hó,

    how good is it?

## hô-m̄ chièⁿ-seⁿ,

    why not have it thus?

## i lâi a-būe,

    has he come or not?

## ũ--mēⁿ,

    have they any? is there any?

## àiⁿ a-m̄,

    do you want it or not?

## thâu-ke lâi a-bô,

    has the Master come or not?

## sĩ-mih sî-hāu,

    what time?

## tõ sĩ-mih sî-hāu,

    at what time?

## tõ tî-sî,

    when?

## sĩ-mih ūi-chhṳ̀,

    what place?

## sĩ-mih tī-hng,

    what„ place„
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