In this episode, we’ve learned some useful phrases about catching a cold or the flu. Also, we introduced you to one of many usages of the word “tio̍h”.
These show notes use tables and rich formatting. Please visit the episode webpage for an optimal viewing experience.)
| TAIWANESE | ENGLISH |
| khuànn i-sing | to see a doctor |
| Lí tsuè-kīn kám ū khah hó? | Are you feeling better lately? |
| Ū khah hó--ah. | I'm feeling better now. |
| kám-mōo | common cold or flu; to catch a cold |
| liû-hîng kám-mōo / liû-kám | the flu |
| kuânn--tio̍h | to catch a cold |
| kuânn | cold (when talking about weather or an environment that feels cold) |
| Guā-kháu tsiok kuânn. | It’s really cold outside. |
| líng | cold (when talking about things that have a cold temperature) |
| Lí ê tshiú tsin líng! | Your hand is really cold! |
| tsìng-thâu | symptom |
| nâ-âu thiànn | sore throat |
| nâ-âu ngiau / nâ-âu ngiau-ngiau | itchy throat |
| sàu / ka-sàu | to cough |
| khuh-khuh-sàu | to cough multiple times or continuously |
| sat-phīnn | to have nasal congestion / stuffy nose |
| lâu-phīnn / lâu phīnn-tsuí | to have a runny nose |
| phah-kha-tshiùnn | to sneeze |
| kuà tshuì-am | to wear a mask |
| thuân-jiám | to be contagious, to infect, to go around |
| huat-sio | to have a fever |
| sio | hot (things that have a high temperature); to burn |
| jua̍h | hot (weather or an environment that feels hot) |
*Syllables that have been greyed out require a tone change
In this episode, we learned one common usage of the word “tio̍h”, which on its own has a meaning of “to get”, “to hit” or “to hit the mark.” If you suffix “--tio̍h” to a verb, it means the action achieved or attained a result. For example:
“kuânn” cold, to be cold
“Guá khì kuânn--tio̍h.” I got a cold.
There are many verbs that can be suffixed with “--tio̍h”. Here are some more examples:
| TAIWANESE | ENGLISH |
| jua̍h--tio̍h | to be hot + --tio̍h → to get heat stroke |
| siūnn--tio̍h | to think + --tio̍h → to think of, to come up with |
| kóng--tio̍h | to speak + --tio̍h → to speak about/of something |
| khuànn--tio̍h | to look + --tio̍h → to see, to catch sight of |
| ioh--tio̍h | to guess + --tio̍h → to guess right/correctly |
| sio--tio̍h | to burn + --tio̍h → to get burned, to get a burn |
If the “verb + --tio̍h” is at the end of a phrase or sentence, it’s in the neutral tone. Yet if there is an object that comes after, it usually follows the regular tone changes. Compare these two examples:
(1) “I siūnn-tio̍h in bóo.” He thought of his wife.
(2) “Tsit hāng tāi-tsì, i bô siūnn--tio̍h.” He did not think about this issue.
To learn more about this grammar point or ways to talk about illness or your health condition, check out our workbook. It also gives you some additional vocabulary, culture and grammar explanations, and great exercises to reinforce what you’ve learned in this episode.
ONE BITE CHALLENGE: REMAINS PRETTY DESPITE HAVING A RUNNY NOSE
In this episode, we’ve talked about catching a cold and runny noses. Our One Bite Challenge this week is related to runny noses.
“Ài-suí m̄ kiann lâu-phīnn-tsuí.”
Literally, it’s something like “for one’s looks, not being scared of having a runny nose.”
It’s used to describe someone (usually a female) that might show a little skin to look good, such as wearing mini skirts or not wearing coats, even when the weather is cold enough for people to put on more clothes. It often has some kind of jokey or teasing tone.
Let’s break down the sentence:
| TAIWANESE | ENGLISH |
| ài-suí | to want or care about looking pretty |
| m̄ kiann | to be not scared or afraid of |
| lâu phīnn-tsuí | to have a runny nose |
Music Credit: TeknoAXE