Page:Handbook of the Swatow vernacular.djvu/59

 

The common signs of the Past Tense are 有 ũ and 甞 chêng, and are employed chiefly in asking questions and in giving answers, but seldom when a subject is simply being spoken of, viz.&mdash;


 * 伊分我
 * I pun uá
 * He gave me.


 * 伊昨日來
 * I tsa-jít lâi
 * He came yesterday.


 * 伊昨日有來或無
 * I tsa-jít ũ lâi a-bô?
 * Did he come yesterday or not?


 * 伊昨日不甞來. 伊昨日無來
 * I tsa-jít m̄-chêng lâi, or i tsa-jít bô-lâi
 * He did not come yesterday.


 * 我昨日甞來. 我昨日有來
 * Uá tsa-jít chêng--lâi, or uá tsa-jít ũ--lâi
 * I did come yesterday.



The chief signs of the Perfect Tense are 了 lióu, 正 chiàⁿ, 識 pat, 有 ũ, 未 būe, and 亞未 a-būe.

Lióu 了 (finish) can only be used to subjects being spoken of, and cannot be used in asking questions, viz.&mdash;


 * 伊來了
 * I lâi--lō
 * He has come.


 * 阮知了
 * Ún tsai--lō
 * We have known.


 * 因到了
 * In kàu--lō
 * They have arrived.