Learning Taiwanese / Hokkien / Minnan / Min

[ironlady]

I'm not up on the specifics at the moment, but a Romanization system for Hokkien would need to represent the phonemes of the language, not every phonetic sound. Any phonemes that were predictible from context would not need to be represented specifically (cf. quan vs chuan in HP -- the "uan" certainly sounds different, yet is written identically).

I was once offered a missionary visa to update the Maryknoll textbooks. Sort of wish I'd taken it, but at the time it just seemed too weird for words.

[rice_t]

Taffy, the Taiwanese input "Taiwanese Pack 2.1" that can be downloaded from Tailingua (which is nice, by the way) is disliked by my antivirus SW (Avira), which thinks that it is a virus (trojan TR/skillis.FG). I remember now that I had it installed before and that Avira quarantined it, after which it ceased to work (well, obviously). Apart from that it works quite nicely...

[gorupo]

Ok... sorry to interrupt. I have to bring this to a lower level with my question XD

I have a question for something like: I am happy I met you

A Taiwanese girl who speaks hokkien told me something like: wa yo hua-hi lai sheksai lee

However... as far as I know... You are is something that sounds more like: wa shi and for "to meet" I never heard something like that before. Any clue on which one would be more accurate? Im a bit confused now O.o

[rice_t]

I have a question for something like: I am happy I met you

A Taiwanese girl who speaks hokkien told me something like: wa yo hua-hi lai sheksai lee

However... as far as I know... You are is something that sounds more like: wa shi and for "to meet" I never heard something like that before. Any clue on which one would be more accurate? Im a bit confused now O.o

Sounds OK with me, except for that I don't know what the yo is supposed to be. I'd probably say Goa1 chin7 hoaⁿ7-hi1 shek3-sai7-li7 (我真歡喜熟似汝 or 我很高興認識你). There are probably other ways to say the same thing.

Se'k-sāi does not mean to meet, but rather "to know" or "to get to know/acquainted with". And very similar to Mandarin, in Taiwanese you don't need the 'auxiliary' verb "to be" with adjectives, the adjective itself can have verbal character.

[Dragonbones]

Sounds OK with me, except for that I don't know what the yo is supposed to be.

I don't remember the Romanization but that I think would be something like a jyo(k) ("very", with falling tone and a stop) not yo.

[gorupo]

Thank you guys! you rock.

[gorupo]

then... let's say jyo(k) replaces Chin when It's meant to be "to be very"? or... do they add? like Goa jyo chin ?

[rice_t]

then... let's say jyo(k) replaces Chin when It's meant to be "to be very"? or... do they add? like Goa jyo chin ?

Yes, jiok can replace chin. To my ears jiok would sound a bit more colloquial, but which one is used could also be a regional thing.

[EM learning Ho-lo]

No comments posted on this subject for a minute...

...I've been making my own efforts to learn Hō-ló (台語) lately…

http://a-bas-le-ciel.blogspot.ca/2012/0 ... fruit.html

…and I've also started a "Google Group" to try to bring together foreigners learning the language with native speakers who might be willing to "teach" it (or at least answer questions, provide suggestions, etc.).

I'll open a separate topic of discussion for this, however, if anyone stumbles on this old thread, go to the "google groups" website, and search for "learning ho-lo" (or put 台語 into the search, as this appears in the group's formal name) and you can sign up to join the discussion.

It's an open forum for anyone with a sincere interest in the language.

[tommy525]

chia and cheowk pretty much inter-changeable

both mean fei chang in mando (very in english)

fei chang in taiwanese is "huee shiong "