Page:A Manual of the Foochow Dialect in Twenty Lessons.pdf/23

22 7. When we speak of such numbers in English as 120, 3,800, 890, we give them in full, ending with the last denomination, but in Chinese in such numbers as the above (if numbers only are spoken of) ending with ten or any multiple of ten, the last denomination: is understood, and does not need to be stated. Three thousand eight hundred 三千八 săng chiĕng báik; eighty thousand eight hundred and ninety 八萬零八百九 báik uâng lìng báik báh gāu.

8. In such numbers as sixty thousand five hundred, where lìng is required in the first three figures, or immediately before them, each denomination must be stated in full, as 六萬零五百 lĕ̤k uâng lìng ngô báh. Numbers followed by a noun must also be stated in full. One-hundred and twenty pencils 一百二十本筆 siŏh bâh nê sék buōng bék. Five hundred and eighty people, 五百八十𠆧 ngô báh báik sĕk nè̤ng.

9. When “many” is used predicatively, the verb to be is not expressed. His things are many, 伊其乇⿰亻西ĭ gì mó̤h sṳ̂. Adjectives used in this way do not take 是 sê. That man is good, 那𠆧好 hiā nè̤ng hō̤.

10. “More” and “less” come in English at the end of such sentences as “sing two verses more”, “read a chapter less”, but in Chinese 多 dŏ̤ and 少 ciēu come at the beginning of the sentence. Sing two stanzas more 多唱二排 dŏ̤ chióng lâng bà̤. Read a chapter less 少讀一章 ciēu tĕ̤k siŏh ciong.

11. In the numeration of several objects, English idiom usually places number first and names last, but Chinese idiom reverses this, e.g. The two characters Ia-Su 耶穌二字 Ià-Sŭ lâng cê.

12. 位 Ôi literally meaning “a seat”, is used as the N. A. introducing persons to be regarded with respect, and in Christian phrases to introdueé the Deity. One God 一位上帝 siŏh ôi Siông-Dá̤. Who is this gentleman? 只一位先生是俤𠆧 cī siŏh ôi Sĭng-săng sê diê-nè̤ng? 