Lesson 1
Learn Taiwanese Step by Step
for Taiwanese Americans
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Lesson 1
Zef  si  ~ .      Zef  mxsi  ~. 
      Goar  si  ~.     Goar  nxsi  ~.
Zef  kiarm  si  ~ .  Zef  kiarm  mxsi ~.
      Goar kiarm si ~.  Goar kiarm nxsi ~.
This  is  ~.     This  is  not  ~.
        I  am  ~,      I am not  ~.
Is this   ~?     Isn't  this  ~.
        Am  I   ~?    Am  I  not  ~?.

Note:   Vowel  phonetogram in red is the changed tone by liaison.
Vocabulary and Pronunciation:
  zef  [tse   {this};            hef  [he  {that};
      ciah'ee [ciah!e^e] {these};     hiah'ee [hiahee^e  {those};
  Si !  [si   {Yes !};           Mxsi !  [!msi]    {No !};
  si ~  [si ~] {is(am,are) ~};  mxsi ~  [!msi ~] {is (am,are) not ~};
  kiarm si ~ [kiam si ~] {is it ~};  kiarm mxsi ~ [kiam !msi~]{isn't it ~};
  goar  [goa+ {I};     lie  [li+ {you};   [!i  {he};     yi  [!i {she};
       goarn [goan+] {we (without you)} larn  [lan+] {we};
  lirn [lin+ {you(pl.)};     yn  [!in {they}

Text  and Exercise of Lesson 1

Zef   si   zheq.     Hef   si   ienpid. 
  Zef   mxsi   zabcix.
                Hef   mxsi   kngrpid. 
Zef   kiarm   si   lie   ee   zheq? 
     Mxsi,  hef   mxsi   goar   ee   zheq.
                Hef   ma   mxsi   yi   ee   zheq.
Goarn   si   Bykog-laang.
     Lie   si   Taioaan-laang.
Goarn   si   hagsefng.      Lie   si  lauxsw.
     Yi   mxsi   Bykog-laang. 
            Yi   ee   lauxpe   si   Hoatkog-laang.
       .
Hef   si   simbuun.
     Si   kin'afjit   ee   sinbuun.
             Hef   si   Engguo   ee   simbuun.
Citpurn  zheq  kiarm  si  khohak  ee  zheq?
      Mxsi,  zef   si   legsuo   ee   zheq.
zheq [tseq]{book} si zheq [si tseq]{is a book}, ienpid [!ienpid] {pencil}, mxsi zabcix [!msi tsabci]{is not a magazine} kngrpid [kng+pid] {fountainpen}, lie ee ~ [li+ !e~]{your ~} goar ee ~ [goa+!e~] {my ~}, ma [ma]{either}, yi ee ~ [!i !e~]{her}, Bykog-laang [bikogla^ng]{American} Taioaan-laang [tai!anla^ng] {Taiwanese}, hagsefng [hagseng]{student} lauxsw [lausu] {teacher} lauxpe [laupe]{father}, Hoatkog-laang [hoatkogla^ng] {French}, sinbuun [sinbu^un] {newspaper}, kin'afjit ee ~ [kinaajit !e ~] {today's ~} Engguo [!enggu+] {English}, citpurn [ciitpun+]{this(book)} khohak [kohak] {science}, legsuo [legsu+] {history},

Hit'ee  laang  si  sviaflaang?
  .
Hit'ee  laang  si  goarn-kongsy  ee  thaukef.
                  Y  si  Oong Tarngsuxtviuo.
  .
Ti  y  ee  pvi'ar  ee,  si  sviaflaang?
                Yi  si  Oong Thaethaix.
   .
Oong Tarngsuxtviuo, Oong Thaethaix, 
                                lirn  hor!
   .
Oo?    Liim+Siensvy,  lie   hor!
                Ar  cit'ui  leq?
    .
Y  si   Khor+Siensvy; 
              si   goar   yzeeng   ee   tong'oh.
  .
Hox,  Khor+Siensvy,  hexnghoe,  henxghoe!
     Tvaf   lirn   boeq   khix   tofui?
  .
Goarn   boeq   khix   hoefchiazam;
     U   cidee   peng'iuo   tuy   Taipag   laai.
            Goarn   boeq   khix   gviaciq+y. 
    .
Si  afnny;   ciu  chviar  lirn  sienkviaa!
  .
Tosia,  goarn   sienkviaa,  zaehoe.
hit'ee laang  [hit¤ela^ng]{that person} si sviaflaang [si sviala^ng] {who is}, goarn-kongsy [goankongsi]{our company}, thaukef [tauke] {boss}, Oong Tafngsuxtviuo [!ongtangsutviu+]{President Oong} ti ~ [ti~] {at ~}, pvy'ar [pvi!a+] {side}, ee [!e^e]{the person}, Oong Thaethaix [!ongtai+tai]{Mrs. Oong}, hor [ho+]{good}, oo? [!o^o]{oh?} Liim+Siensvy [li^im siensvi] {Mr. Liim}, ar [!a]{and} cit'ui [cituui] {this person} leq [leq]{let me ask}, Khor+Siensvy [ko+ siensvi] {Mr. Khor}yzeeng [!itse^eng] {formerly}, tong'oh [tong!oh]{classmate} hexngho [henghoe] {nice meeting}, tvaf [tva]{now} boeq khix [boeqki] {want to go}tofui [touui] {where}, hoefchiazam [hoeciatsam]{railway station}, cidee ~[cid!e ~] {one ~} peng'iuo [pengiiu+] {friend}, tuy ~ [tui ~] {from ~}, Taipag [taipag] {Taipei}, laai [la^ai]{come} gviaciq [gviaciq] {meet and welcome}, gviaciq+y [gviaciq!i]{welcome him} afnny [!anni] {like this}, ciu ~ [ciu ~] {then ~} chviar [cvia+] {please},   sienkviaa [sienkvia^a] {go ahead}, tosia [tosia]{thank you} zaehoe [tsai+hoe] {good-bye}

Learn Taiwanese Step by Step (Lesson 1)                        by Professor Liim Keahioong