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)
“In a country where misery and want were the foundation of the social structure, famine was periodic, death from starvation common, disease pervasive, thievery normal, and graft and corruption taken for granted, the elimination of these conditions in Communist China is so striking that negative aspects of the new rule fade in relative importance.”
—Barbara Tuchman (1912–1989)
“The atoms of Democritus
And Newton’s particles of light
Are sands upon the Red Sea shore,
Where Israel’s tents do shine so bright.”
—William Blake (1757–1827)
“There are two kinds of fathers in traditional households: the fathers of sons and the fathers of daughters. These two kinds of fathers sometimes co-exist in one and the same man. For instance, Daughter’s Father kisses his little girl goodnight, strokes her hair, hugs her warmly, then goes into the next room where he becomes Son’s Father, who says in a hearty voice, perhaps with a light punch on the boy’s shoulder: “Goodnight, Son, see ya in the morning.””
—Letty Cottin Pogrebin (20th century)