Lesson 1, Learn Taiwanese Step by Step, for Taiwanese Americans

Lesson 1

Learn Taiwanese Step by Step
for Taiwanese Americans

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Lesson 1

Zef si ~ .      Zef mxsi ~.
      Goar si ~.     Goar nxsi ~.
Zef kiarm si ~ . Zef kiarm mxsi ~.
      Goar kiarm si ~. Goar kiarm nxsi ~.

This is ~.     This is not ~.
        I am ~,      I am not ~.
Is this   ~?     Isn't this ~.
        Am I   ~?    Am I not ~?.

Note: Vowel phonetogram in red is the changed tone by liaison.

Vocabulary and Pronunciation:
zef [ts^e]    {this};            hef [h^e]   {that};
      ciah'ee [c^iah!e^e] {these};     hiah'ee [h^iahee^e]   {those};
Si ! [si]    {Yes !};           Mxsi ! [!_msi]    {No !};
si ~ [s_i ~] {is(am,are) ~}; mxsi ~ [!_ms_i ~] {is (am,are) not ~};
kiarm si ~ [k^iams_i ~] {is it ~}; kiarm mxsi ~ [k^iam!_ms_i~]{isn't it ~};
goar [g^oa+] {I};     lie [lⁱ⁺] {you};    y [!ⁱ]   {he};     yi [!ⁱ] {she};
       goarn [g^oan+] {we (without you)}; larn [l^an+] {we};
lirn [lⁱⁿ⁺] {you(pl.)};     yn [!ⁱⁿ] {they}

Text and Exercise of Lesson 1

Zef   si   zheq.     Hef   si   ienpid.
Zef   mxsi   zabcix.
                Hef   mxsi   kngrpid.
Zef   kiarm   si   lie   ee   zheq?
     Mxsi, hef   mxsi   goar   ee   zheq.
                Hef   ma   mxsi   yi   ee   zheq.
Goarn   si   Bykog-laang.
     Lie   si   Taioaan-laang.
Goarn   si   hagsefng.      Lie   si lauxsw.
     Yi   mxsi   Bykog-laang.
            Yi   ee   lauxpe   si   Hoatkog-laang.
       .
Hef   si   simbuun.
     Si   kin'afjit   ee   sinbuun.
             Hef   si   Engguo   ee   simbuun.
Citpurn zheq kiarm si khohak ee zheq?
      Mxsi, zef   si   legsuo   ee   zheq.

zheq [ts_eq]{book}, si zheq [s_its_eq]{is a book}, ienpid [!ienp_id] {pencil}, mxsi zabcix [!_ms_i ts_abc_i]{is not a magazine}, kngrpid [k^ng+p_id] {fountainpen}, lie ee ~ [lⁱ⁺!e~]{your ~}, goar ee ~ [g^oa+!e~] {my ~}, ma [ma]{either}, yi ee ~ [!ⁱ!e~]{her}, Bykog-laang [bⁱk^ogl_a^ng]{American}, Taioaan-laang [tai!anl_a^ng] {Taiwanese}, hagsefng [h_ags^eng]{student}, lauxsw [l_aus^u] {teacher}, lauxpe [l_aupe]{father}, Hoatkog-laang [h^oatk^ogl_a^ng] {French}, sinbuun [sinbu^un] {newspaper}, kin'afjit ee ~ [kina^aj^it!e ~] {today's ~}, Engguo [!engg^u+] {English}, citpurn [c^iitpun+]{this(book)}, khohak [koh^ak] {science}, legsuo [l_egs^u+] {history},

Hit'ee laang si sviaflaang?
.
Hit'ee laang si goarn-kongsy ee thaukef.
                  Y si Oong Tarngsuxtviuo.
.
Ti y ee pvi'ar ee, si sviaflaang?
                Yi si Oong Thaethaix.
   .
Oong Tarngsuxtviuo, Oong Thaethaix,
                                lirn hor!
   .
Oo?    Liim⁺Siensvy, lie   hor!
                Ar cit'ui leq?
    .
Y si   Khor⁺Siensvy;
              si   goar   yzeeng   ee   tong'oh.
.
Hox, Khor⁺Siensvy, hexnghoe, henxghoe!
     Tvaf   lirn   boeq   khix   tofui?
.
Goarn   boeq   khix   hoefchiazam;
     U   cidee   peng'iuo   tuy   Taipag   laai.
            Goarn   boeq   khix   gviaciq⁺y.
    .
Si afnny;   ciu chviar lirn sienkviaa!
.
Tosia, goarn   sienkviaa, zaehoe.

hit'ee laang [h^it¤el_a^ng]{that person}, si sviaflaang [s_i sv^ial_a^ng] {who is}, goarn-kongsy [g^oankongsⁱ]{our company}, thaukef [tauk^e] {boss}, Oong Tafngsuxtviuo [!ongt^angs_utv^iu+]{President Oong}, ti ~ [t_i~] {at ~}, pvy'ar [pvⁱ!^a+] {side}, ee [!e^e]{the person}, Oong Thaethaix [!ongt^ai+t_ai]{Mrs. Oong}, hor [h^o+]{good}, oo? [!o^o]{oh?}, Liim⁺Siensvy [li^im s_iensv_i] {Mr. Liim}, ar [!^a]{and}, cit'ui [c^ituui] {this person}, leq [l_eq]{let me ask}, Khor⁺Siensvy [k^o+s_iensv_i] {Mr. Khor}, yzeeng [!ⁱtse^eng] {formerly}, tong'oh [tong!^oh]{classmate}, hexngho [h_enghoe] {nice meeting}, tvaf [tv^a]{now}, boeq khix [b^oeqk_i] {want to go}, tofui [t^ouui] {where}, hoefchiazam [h^oeciatsam]{railway station}, cidee ~[cid!e ~] {one ~}, peng'iuo [pengi^iu+] {friend}, tuy ~ [tui ~] {from ~}, Taipag [taip_ag] {Taipei}, laai [la^ai]{come}, gviaciq [gviaciq] {meet and welcome}, gviaciq⁺y [gviaciq!_i]{welcome him}, afnny [!^annⁱ] {like this}, ciu ~ [c_iu ~] {then ~}, chviar [cv^ia+] {please}, sienkviaa [sienkvia^a] {go ahead}, tosia [tosia]{thank you}, zaehoe [ts^ai+hoe] {good-bye}

Learn Taiwanese Step by Step (Lesson 1) by Professor Liim Keahioong