Talk:Minnan phrasebook/Phonetic phrase list for English speakers
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This has been moved from Phonetic phrase list for English speakers so that the contributor can work on it and integrate the contents with the main article |
Unconventional romanization. Trying to write phonetically from an (American) english speaking standpoint. Goal is to have an english speaker's first try be fairly close, without reading a bunch of rules for phonetization. Unfortunately, it is difficult to cover all tones this way, especially nasal and breath differences, and thus cannot be completely accurate. Also to note is the author learned Taiwanese from one parent from the south, and one parent from the north.
- Asterisk precedes words that are very hard to phonetize. It would be nice to get some audio on here for these.
- Also to note is the phoneme for "* L" or "* D" used below. The best I can describe it is to transition between an "N", "L" and "D" sound. It is not as hard as a "D" but you keep your tongue flat on your palette (as opposed to tip as in "L"). I've chosen "* L" or "* D" depending on, in my opinion, which is the least offensive...
Basics[edit]
Hello - * Li hoh -- literally, "you good?"
How are you - * Li hoh-boh; OR Jiak pah bo -- literally, "eat full?"
Not bad - Mbay pngai
Good, Thank you - Informal: Huh, duh shiah. Formal: Huh, gahm shiah
What is your name - * Li-ay myah shee ha mee?
My name is - Wah-ay mya shee
Please - Pbai toh
That's OK / Your Welcome - Me-en Kayk khee
Excuse me - Phai say
Sorry - Informal: Phai say. Formal: * Shid eh
Goodbye - tzai chien
I don't know how to speak English - Wah mbay hyow gong eng-yee
Do you know how to speak English? - * Li gah-ay hyow gong eng-yee
Is there someone here who speaks English? - Jiah gah oo * lahng ay hyow gong eng-yee
I don't understand - Wah tyah bo
Where's the bathroom? - Ben so dee-da lok
Problems[edit]
Go Away - Tzow
Don't touch me! - Mai gah-wah mo
I'll call the police. - Informal: Wah kah gien tsah. Formal: Wah ay kah hoh gien tsah.
Police! - Gien tsah
Stop! - Dohng
I need your help. - Wah soo-yow * dee-ay bahm-mahng
I'm lost. - Wah mbo-key
I lost my purse/wallet. - Wah pahng-key wah-ay pay bow
I'm sick. - Wah pwah bee or Wah gahng koh
I've been injured. - Wah dyuh shohng
I need a doctor. - Wah dah-ai ee-shun
Can I use your phone? - Wah gah-ay sai yen * li-ay dyeng-way
Numbers[edit]
1 - jeet
2 - nun
3 - sa
4 - shee
5 - go
6 - * lahk
7 - cheet
8 - bway
9 - gow
10 - tsahp
11 - tsah-eet
12 - tsah- * dee
13 - tsah-sa
14 - tsah-she
15 - tsah-go
16 - tsah-lahk
17 - tsah-cheet
18 - tsah-bway
19 - tsah-gow
20 - * lee-tsahp
21 - * leetsahp-eet
22 - * leetsahp- * dee
23 - * leetsahp-sa
...
30 - sa-tsahp
40 - she-tsahp
50 - go-tsahp
60 - * lahk-tsahp
70 - cheet-tsahp
80 - bway-tsahp
90 - gow-tsahp
100 - jee-bah
200 - nun-bah
300 - sa-bah
1000 - jee-cheng
2000 - nun-cheng
10,000 - jee-mahng
100,000 - tsahp-mahng
1,000,000 - jeebah-mahng
1,000,000,000 - jeecheng-mahng
1,000,000,000,000
half - * bwah
less - kah jyuh
more - kah tsay
Ordinal Numbers[edit]
first - day-eet
second - day- * dee
third - day-sa
fourth - day-she
fifth - day-go
...
twentieth
...
hundredth - day jee-bah
...
thousandth - day jee-chien
Time[edit]
now - jeemah or jeetzoon
later - kah dahng-ay or shuh dahng
before - ee jun
early - dtsah
earlier - kah dtsah
morning - tao dtsah
in the morning - tzai kee
tomorrow morning - miyah tsai kee tao dtsah
afternoon - ay boh
in the afternoon -
evening - ay ahm
in the evening -
night - ahm
in the night - ahm-sheea
Clock time[edit]
one o'clock AM - tao tza jeet diam
two o'clock AM - tao tza nen diam
noon - dyong dow
one o'clock PM - ay boh jeet diam
two o'clock PM - ay boh nen diam
midnight
Duration[edit]
minute - whhun
5 minutes - go whhun
hour - diam jun
5 hours - go diam jun
day - * leet
5 days - go * leet
week - * lay bai
5 weeks - go * lay bai
month - whay * leet
5 months - go whay * leet
year - nee
5 years - go nee
Days[edit]
today - gyah * de * deet
the day before yesterday - tzuh * leet
yesterday - dtsah-ung
tomorrow - miyah tsai
the day after tomorrow - ow * leet
this week - tsi * day bai
last week - den * day bai
the week before last week - jen * lay bai
next week - ow * lay bai
the week after next week - ow ow * lay bai
Monday - bai-it
Tuesday - bai- * dee
Wednesday - bai-sa
Thursday - bai-shee
Friday - bai-go
Saturday - bai- * lahk
Sunday - * lay-bai