Negative particle syntax is parallel to Mandarin about 70% of the time. Here is a fairly complete description (parallel usage to Mandarin is bolded):
- 毋 - (is) not + noun (Mandarin: 不)
- 伊毋是阮老母 She is not my mother.
- 毋 - (does) not + verb/will not + verb (Mandarin: 不)
- 伊毋來 He does not come./He will not come.
- verb + 未 + particle - (is) not able to (Mandarin: 不)
- 我看未著 I am not able to see it.
- 未 + helping verb - can not (opposite of ē/會 is able to/Mandarin: 不)
- 伊未曉講英語 He can't speak English.
- helping verbs that go with 未
- 未使 - is not permitted to (Mandarin: 不可以)
- 未曉 - does not know how to (Mandarin: 不会)
- 未當 - not able to (Mandarin: 不能)
- 莫 - do not (imperative) (Mandarin: 別)
- 莫講! Don't speak!
- 无 - do not + helping verb (Mandarin: 不)
- 伊無侎來 He is not going to come.
- helping verbs that go with 無:
- 侎 - want to + verb; will + verb
- 愛 - must + verb
- 應該 - should + verb
- 合意 - like to + verb
- 無 - does not have (Mandarin: 沒有)
- 伊無錢 He does not have any money.
- 無 - did not (Mandarin: 沒有)
- 伊無來 He did not come.
- 無 - is not + adjective (Mandarin: 不)
- 伊無婎 She is not beautiful.
- An exception can be made for 好 (good), 不好 = 無好 - not good.
- back to main article
- view negative particles in simplified Chinese script
Famous quotes containing the words dialect, negative, particles and/or traditional:
“The eyes of men converse as much as their tongues, with the advantage that the ocular dialect needs no dictionary, but is understood all the world over.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)
“Parents need to recognize that the negative behavior accompanying certain stages is just a small part of the total child. It should not become the main focus or be pushed into the limelight.”
—Saf Lerman (20th century)
“O my countrymen!—be nice;Mbe cautious of your language;—and never, O! never let it be forgotten upon what small particles your eloquence and your fame depend.”
—Laurence Sterne (1713–1768)
“What Mrs. Thatcher did for women was to demonstrate that if a woman had enough desire she could do what she wanted, do anything a man could do.... Mrs. Thatcher did not have one traditional feminine cell in her body.”
—Julie Burchill (b. 1960)