In this episode, we’ve talked about the holiday season, going to a restaurant with friends, and a few expressions you can use to toast someone. Also, we talked about the use of “kā” as “for”, or a beneficiary marker.
These show notes use tables and rich formatting. Please visit the episode webpage for an optimal viewing experience.)
| TAIWANESE | ENGLISH |
| Sìng-tàn-tseh | Christmas |
| Kuè-nî | Lunar New Year |
| hué-ko | hot pot |
| si̍k-sāi | to be familiar with |
| Guá kā lín kài-siāu--tsi̍t-ē. | Let me introduce both of you. |
| kài-siāu | to introduce |
| verb + --tsi̍t-ē | a moment
Usage note: when used after a verb, it means to take a short moment to do sth. It can also be used to show politeness or to soften a request because it sounds like what you’re going to do or ask someone to do won’t take too much time. |
| Guá kā lí kài-siāu tsi̍t uī pîng-iú. | Let me introduce you to a friend of mine. |
| Tsit uī sī guán tông-sū. | This is my colleague. |
| Tse (sī) gúan hāu-senn. | This is my son. |
| Lín ū siánn-mih tshiú-lōo-tshài? | Are there any recommended dishes? (literally: You have what specialty dishes?) |
| tshiú-lōo-tshài | specialty dish |
| Ē-tàng kā gúan kài-siāu--tsi̍t-ē--bô? | Could you introduce them to us? |
| Ū siūnn-beh tsia̍h siánn-mih--bô? | Is there anything you want to eat? |
| Ū siūnn-beh tiám siánn-mih--bô? | Is there anything you want to order? |
| Ū lâng siánn-mih bô tsia̍h--bô? | Does anyone have any special dietary restrictions or preferences? (literally: someone what doesn’t eat?) |
| Guá tsia̍h hái-sán ē kuè-bín. | I am allergic to seafood. |
| hái-sán | seafood |
| kuè-bín | allergy; to have an allergic reaction |
| Guá tsia̍h sòo. / Guá tsia̍h tshài. | I am vegetarian. |
| Guá bô tsia̍h bah. / Guá bô tsia̍h tsho. | I don’t eat meat. |
| tsia̍h hong-piān-tshài | To accept a dish as vegetarian even if meat is set to the side. (literally: to eat convenient-veggies) |
| kā lâng kìng-tsiú | to toast to someone |
| Guá kìng--lí. | Let me make a toast to you. (Cheers!) |
| Kan--lah! | Bottoms up! (Cheers!) |
| Lán/ta̍k-ke lâi kan--tsi̍t-pue! | Let’s (= you and I, or all) make a toast! (Cheers!) |
| Hōo ta--lah! | Drink up! (Cheers!) (literally: let it be dry!) |
| Guá kan-pue, lí suî-ì. | I’ll finish my glass, but feel free to drink as much as you like. |
| Hōo guá tshiánn. | I’ll treat you. Let me pay for this. |
| Ta̍k-ke tsiàu pun-phenn. | To split the bill. Each pays his/her part accordingly. |
| pun-phenn | to divide, to share (expenses, amount, load) |
*Syllables that have been greyed out require a tone change
PREPOSITION “KĀ” AS BENEFICIARY MARKER
In episode 9, we already talked about one use of “kā”, which is to bring an object earlier in the sentence so that the emphasis can shift to the action done to the object.
In this episode, we talked about another use of “kā”, namely as a “beneficiary” marker. It is used to show that an action is done “for” or “to benefit” someone or something.
Let’s look at some examples:
1. “Let me introduce to you a friend of mine.”
| Subject | “kā” + sb/sth | Verb phrase |
| Guá | kā lí | kài-siāu tsi̍t uī pîng-iú. |
| (I) | (for you) | (introduce a friend) |
2. “Let me introduce both of you.”
| Subject | “kā” + sb/sth | Verb phrase |
| Guá | kā lín | kài-siāu--tsi̍t-ē. |
| (I) | (for you, plural) | (introduce for a moment) |
This sentence can also mean let me introduce you (plural) to something or someone.
3. “He cooked two dishes for grandma.”
| Subject | “kā” + sb/sth | Verb phrase |
| I | kā a-má | tsú nn̄g puânn tshài. |
| (he) | (for grandma) | (cook two dishes) |
4. “The students cleaned the classroom for the teacher.”
| Subject | “kā” + sb/sth | Verb phrase |
| Ha̍k-sing | kā lāu-su | tshing kàu-sik. |
| (students) | (for the teacher) | (clean the classroom) |
To learn more about this grammar point, 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: A TOAST TO YOUR HEALTH!
Our One Bite Challenge this week is not a saying but more like a semi-set, creative expression:
“Kìng lí tsi̍t pue tê, tsiok lí sin-thé kiān-khong bô būn-tê.”
Let met toast you a cup of tea, wishing you good health without issue.
Let’s break down the sentence:
| TAIWANESE | ENGLISH |
| kìng | to respect; to offer something politely to someone to show your respect |
| pue | a cup, glass of |
| tê | tea |
| tsiok | tsiok + sb + sth
to wish, to offer good wishes to someone |
| sin-thé | body (overall health) |
| kiān-khong | healthy |
| būn-tê | problem, issue; question |
Many toasts like this are used in special occasions such as New Year’s Eve dinner, birthday parties, weddings, etc. It’s part of the (traditional?) Taiwanese culture. Sometimes people would even improvise a bit depending on the situation.
For example, you could replace “tê” (tea) with “tsiú” (alcohol). Since the rhyme changes, you will have to come up with another blessing at the end such as “tn̂g-huè-siū” (to live long). So be creative and try saying something nice when you toast someone! Cheers!
Music Credit: TeknoAXE