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Intermediate Taiwanese Grammar | Common Sentence Patterns and Grammar Notes for Intermediate Taiwanese

Hoan-gêng

Clicking on any of the alphabetized entries below will take you to a post with example sentences and links to related entries. If you’re looking for a specific term, you can go directly to the relevant section by clicking on the term’s starting letter on the list to the right, and then on the term itself. For example, if you were looking for ‘nā bô,’ you would click on ‘Grammar – N’ to the right, and then choose ‘nā bô’ from the list of Ns.

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Published in: on October 20, 2009 at 1:05 am  Comments (4)  

Grammar – A

Á-sī – 1. Or; 2. still, would be (better to)


Ài … (tioh) ài / pit-su ài – In order to …, one has to …

Ài khòaⁿ – Depends on; will have to see

Án -chóaⁿ – How, in what manner (See: Àn-chóaⁿ)

Án-chóaⁿ m̄ – Why wouldn’t one be  (See: Àn-nóaⁿ m̄)

Án-nóaⁿ – How, in what manner (See: Àn-nóaⁿ)

Àn (chiàu) … lâi khòaⁿ – From (the view of …) / according to / based on

Àn-chóaⁿ – How / in what manner / (no matter) how

Àn-chóaⁿ … ( àn -chóaⁿ …) – However / whatever

Àn -nóaⁿ – How / in what manner

Àn-nóaⁿ m̄̄ – Why wouldn’t one be…

Àn-sî  – According to schedule / on schedule / at the scheduled time

Àn- sǹg – Plan to

Published in: on August 31, 2009 at 1:03 am  Leave a Comment  

Grammar – B

Bān-it – Just in case / on the odd chance that

Bat – Have…-ed (at some time in the past)

Bē koh / bōe koh – Never again

Bē khah su – Be just as good as / are no worse than

Bē su / bōe su – Be like / be no more than

Bē tàng / bōe tàng  – Cannot (physically do or achieve something)

Bē [verb] tit / bōe [verb] tit – Can’t (physically [verb] / are not allowed to [verb]

Beh – Going to …

Beh [verb] chìn-chêng – Before [verb]-ing

Beh ná – How could you / how are you going to be able to / how do you expect to …

Beh thài  – How could you / how are you going to be able to / how do you expect to …

Bián-tit – To save the trouble of … / avoid the inconvenience (or waste) of …

Bīn-lîm / biān-lîm – Face (task, problem, etc.)

Bīn-tùi  – Face (task, problem, etc.)

Bô – Otherwise

Bô – What the heck…; Are you (serious / crazy / out of your mind / etc.) …

Bô – Might as well / should / need to

Bô [time] –For only [time] / after only [time] / not even for [time]

Bô…bô… – [Often used for emphasis or simply as a colorful way to speak]

Bô… bē sái / bōe sái – Have to…, have no choice but to…

Bô…mā bô… – Neither…nor…

Bô A, tio̍h bô B; bô A tio̍h m̄ B – Not B unless A; not B until A

Bô beh koh – Never want to … again / will no longer

X bô Y hiah-ni̍h-á/hiah-ni̍h [Stative Verb] – X is not as [Stative Verb] as Y

Bô it-tēng – Not necessarily / not likely

Bô kán-tan (chiah) –With great difficulty / it took a lot of effort to

Bô kò· tit –(without) bothering to / (not) bother to / no longer continue to

Bô-kóan – No matter what/how

Bô koh [verb] – No longer

Bô kóng – Not be considered as / not be

Bô-lūn … (lóng …) – No matter who/what/how/how much/etc….

Bô nāi-hô – Have no choice but to

Bô pí…(iā) koh khah.. – There’s no one / nothing that is more…than…

Bô pòaⁿ [measure word / time word] – Not one…, not a single…

Bô phah-sǹg – Without expecting / unexpectedly

Bô ta̍t-tit – Not be worth it

Bô tiāⁿ-tioh – Might / might very well

Bô thang – Not very; not really

Bōe [verb] tit  – [see: bē [verb] tit]

Bōe koh – [see: bē koh]

Bōe su – [see: bē su]

Bōe tàng  – [see: bē tàng]

Bo̍h-kóng (sī) – Moreover / furthermore

Bóng [verb] – (Without hope of success or particular purpose, but) [verb] anyway

Published in: on August 30, 2009 at 12:15 am  Leave a Comment  

Grammar – Ch

Chá (Tioh) / Chá (chiū) / Chá (tō) – From long before / early on // will soon / will quickly

Chá-bān – Sooner or later / eventually

Chài-saⁿ – Many times / time after time

Chāi-lāi – Including / in

Cháiⁿ-iūⁿ – How; why; in what manner

[Time] chêng / í-chêng – [Time] ago / [time] before

Chi gōa – Outside of …

Chi it – One of …

Chí-beh – Only have to / just by / only by [verb]-ing

Chí-hó – Have no alternative but to

Chí-iàu…(lóng…) – As long as / provided that / only if // all / every / any

Chí put kò … (niā-niā) – Only

Chí put kòe … (niā-niā) – Only

Chí sī – Only because

Chí ū … chiah / Tioh … – Only if … / only when … / only … can …

Chì-û – As for … , with regard to …

Chiah –

1. Only then… / so that / only (under the aforementioned condition) will…

2. Just a short time ago

Chiah koh lâi – And then / following that

Chiáng-ak tī … chhiú-thâu – In one’s grasp / in one’s hands

Chiàu … (lâi) khòaⁿ– Looked at from …

Chìn-chêng – (Just) before [See: tī … chìn-chêng]

Chīn-kóan – No matter how…

Chiong

Chiong…[verb] chò… – Consider…as… / [verb] as …

Chiông …kàu… – From [time] to [time]

Chit chām – Lately / these days

Chi̍t-(ē) [verb] … chiū / sûi / tio̍̍h – As soon as / immediately / right after… / whenever

Chi̍t hong-bīn A, chi̍t hong-bīn B – Doing A concurrently with B / On the one hand A, on the other hand B

Chi̍t khai-sí – At first / from the first / from the start

Chi̍t pái koh chi̍t pái – Repeatedly / over and over again

Chiū – Regarding [a certain topic]

Chiū [topic] lâi kóng – As far as [topic] is concerned / in regard to [topic]

Chiū sī…iā / mā… – Even if; even in the case of…

Chiū sǹg (kóng)…mā / iā … – Even if, even though

[Verb] chò / chòe… – See as / treat as / read as, et cetera

Chò / Chòe lí… – Feel free to / don’t hesitate to / just go ahead and / it’s up to you

Chò ûi – As / in the capacity of / be /act as

Chō-sêng … ê gôan-in – The cause of …

Chóaⁿ – How, in what manner [see Àn-chóaⁿ]

Chóng–sī – However / in the end / all things considered

Chū…í lâi – From (time) / ever since (time)

Chū án-ne – Thereupon / whereupon / accordingly / consequently

Chū-chá – From before / for a while now

Chū-chiông…í lâi – From (time) / ever since (time)

Chū … kàu … – From [time] to [time]

Chún kóng – Even if / even though

Published in: on August 29, 2009 at 12:01 am  Leave a Comment  

Grammar – Chh

Chha-put-to – Almost, virtually

–

Chhî…thāi-tō· – Have a … attitude

–

Chhím / Chhím-chhím – Just [verb] -ed

–

Chhin-chhiūⁿ – For example; namely; such as

–

Chhin-chhiūⁿ…(ê khóan) – Be like, look like // seem / appear to be

–

Chhin-chhiūⁿ…kāng-khóan – Be just like, look just like

–

Chhiūⁿ-kóng – For example

–

Chhòng siáⁿ – Why / how come / why the heck

–

Chhun ê  – The rest / the remaining

–

[Verb]-chhut-lâi

–

Chhut tī…ì-liāu chi gōa /  – Be surprising / unexpected

Published in: on August 28, 2009 at 11:43 pm  Leave a Comment  

Grammar – E

[verb] ē / ōe – Will be able to [verb]

[Verb] ē / ōe hó[Verb] // bē / bōe hó – Be able to successfully [verb]/ Be unable to successfully [verb]

[Verb] ē lo̍h khì – Continue to [verb]

Ē sái – (1) Can / allowed to (2) Might as well / should (do the recommended action) 

Ē tit kòe / Ē tit kè // bē tit kòe / bē tit kè / bōe tit kòe / bōe tit kè – Be able to / be sufficient to // (not) be able to / (not) be sufficient to 

[Verb] ē / ōe tiâu // [verb] bē / bōe tiâu – Be able to take / handle / keep // be unable to take /handle / keep 

Ē-tàng / ōe-tàngBē-tàng / bōe-tàng – Can / be (physically ) able to // Cannot / not be (physically) able to 

Éng-kòe – Before / formerly 

Éng-pái – Used to be / formerly / once

Ēng … lâi [verb] – Use … to [verb]

 

 

Published in: on August 27, 2009 at 7:24 am  Leave a Comment  

Grammar – G

Giōng (giōng) beh – Almost / almost to the point that

Published in: on August 26, 2009 at 7:19 am  Leave a Comment  

Grammar – H

Hāi – Cause; make (someone or something) do something (negative)

He̍k-chiá (sī)…he̍k-chiá (sī)… – Either…or…

Hiòng – Towards

Hiòng-lâi – Hitherto / all along / till now

Hó – Have to; should

Hō· [person / thing verb] – Make [person / thing] do something

Hō· – Cause / make

[Verb] hō· [complement]

Hòa – -ize, -ify

Hôaiⁿ-ti̍t – Anyway / anyhow / at any rate / might as well

(Khì) hō· lâng / (khì) hōng – Be [verb]-ed (by someone)

(Khì) hō· [thing] – Be [verb]-ed (by something)

Hōan-sè – Not necessarily / not for sure / perhaps

Hoat-kak tio̍h8 … ê tiōng-iàu-sèng – Realize the importance of

Hông

Hun-pia̍t – Respectively

Published in: on August 25, 2009 at 7:18 am  Leave a Comment  

Grammar – I

Í … lâi kóng – As … goes / for …

Í … lâi (chhut-miâ / ū bīn-chú / kiáu-ngō·) – (Famous) for / (proud) of

Í … ûi … – Take … as … / regard … as …

Í … ûi chú – Rely primarily on… / regard…as most important / take … as central

[Verb] í-āu – After [verb] -ing

Í-chêng – [Time] ago; [time] before

Í góa (teh) khòaⁿ – In my opinion / as I see it

… í-gōa – Besides; other than; in addition to

Í-keng…ah – Already

Í-lâi – Since (time) / the whole time that

Iá koh – Also / in addition / (what) else

Iá-sī – Or / as well as

Ia̍h – Still / as before

Iáu-koh – Also (is a matter of) / in addition is // even more / even more so

Iáu koh – Still / to this point

Iáu-sī – Still // would be (better to) / nevertheless

In-ūi … (só-í … / ê koan-hē) – Because (of) / due to

Iōng / Í … (lâi) [khòaⁿ / ōaⁿ-chhú / phêng-lūn / hêng- iông / etc.) – Use … [to view / trade for / evaluate / measure /name etc.)

Iōng … chhiú-tōaⁿ – By means of … / using a certain means or device

Iōng … hong-sek / sin-hūn / miâ-gī / etc. – In / using (a certain) … way / capacity / title / etc.

Iōng … lêng-le̍k  / Í … lêng-le̍k / gán-kong – By / according to a certain ability / vision

Iōng … lí-iû – On the grounds of / for a certain reason

Iōng … sok-tō – At a certain speed

Iōng … ê sim-thāi – With … attitude / with a … heart

Iōng … thāi-tō / sim-chêng / cheng-sîn – With a certain attitude / emotion / spirit

Iōng … ūi chú – Focus on / take … as central

Iōng tī – Be used for…

It-hiòng – All along / up till now

It-lâi … , jī-lâi … – First of all … , and secondly …

It-tàn – Once / at the time that

It-tēng (ài)…(chiah)… – Certainly (have to) / Must / insist on

It-ti̍t – Repeatedly / continually

It-ti̍t kàu … (ûi chí) – Only when finally / (all along) up until

Iú [someone] (lâi) – Is / was / will be done by [someone]

Iú … hiòng … chóan-piàn – Change / be transformed from … to …

Iú-lī – Be beneficial for / be good for

Iû-gôan – Still / as before

Iû–î / iû–û – Due to; result from; originate in

Iû-kî – Especially

Iū-koh – And even worse / what’s worse /what’s more

Published in: on August 24, 2009 at 12:15 am  Leave a Comment  

Grammar – J

Jî-chhiáⁿ  – And also / in addition 

(Seng) … jiân-āu / liân-āu – Afterwards / and then 

Jû-hô – How, in what way

Jû-kî – According to schedule; on schedule; at the scheduled time

Jû-kó – If

Published in: on August 23, 2009 at 11:11 pm  Leave a Comment  
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