Talk:Minnan phrasebook/Phonetic phrase list for English speakers

Unconventional romanization. Trying to write phonetically from an (American) english speaking standpoint. Goal is to have an english speaker's first try be fairly close, without reading a bunch of rules for phonetization. Unfortunately, it is difficult to cover all tones this way, especially nasal and breath differences, and thus cannot be completely accurate. Also to note is the author learned Taiwanese from one parent from the south, and one parent from the north.


 * Asterisk precedes words that are very hard to phonetize. It would be nice to get some audio on here for these.


 * Also to note is the phoneme for "* L" or "* D" used below. The best I can describe it is to transition between an "N", "L" and "D" sound. It is not as hard as a "D" but you keep your tongue flat on your palette (as opposed to tip as in "L"). I've chosen "* L" or "* D" depending on, in my opinion, which is the least offensive...

Basics
Hello - * Li hoh -- literally, "you good?"

How are you - * Li hoh-boh; OR Jiak pah bo -- literally, "eat full?"

Not bad - Mbay pngai

Good, Thank you - Informal: Huh, duh shiah. Formal: Huh, gahm shiah

What is your name - * Li-ay myah shee ha mee?

My name is - Wah-ay mya shee

Please - Pbai toh

That's OK / Your Welcome - Me-en Kayk khee

Excuse me - Phai say

Sorry - Informal: Phai say. Formal: * Shid eh

Goodbye - tzai chien

I don't know how to speak English - Wah mbay hyow gong eng-yee

Do you know how to speak English? - * Li gah-ay hyow gong eng-yee

Is there someone here who speaks English? - Jiah gah oo * lahng ay hyow gong eng-yee

I don't understand - Wah tyah bo

Where's the bathroom? - Ben so dee-da lok

Problems
Go Away - Tzow

Don't touch me! - Mai gah-wah mo

I'll call the police. - Informal: Wah kah gien tsah. Formal: Wah ay kah hoh gien tsah.

Police! - Gien tsah

Stop! - Dohng

I need your help. - Wah soo-yow * dee-ay bahm-mahng

I'm lost. - Wah mbo-key

I lost my purse/wallet. - Wah pahng-key wah-ay pay bow

I'm sick. - Wah pwah bee or Wah gahng koh

I've been injured. - Wah dyuh shohng

I need a doctor. - Wah dah-ai ee-shun

Can I use your phone? - Wah gah-ay sai yen * li-ay dyeng-way

Numbers
1 - jeet

2 - nun

3 - sa

4 - shee

5 - go

6 - * lahk

7 - cheet

8 - bway

9 - gow

10 - tsahp

11 - tsah-eet

12 - tsah- * dee

13 - tsah-sa

14 - tsah-she

15 - tsah-go

16 - tsah-lahk

17 - tsah-cheet

18 - tsah-bway

19 - tsah-gow

20 - * lee-tsahp

21 - * leetsahp-eet

22 - * leetsahp- * dee

23 - * leetsahp-sa

...

30 - sa-tsahp

40 - she-tsahp

50 - go-tsahp

60 - * lahk-tsahp

70 - cheet-tsahp

80 - bway-tsahp

90 - gow-tsahp

100 - jee-bah

200 - nun-bah

300 - sa-bah

1000 - jee-cheng

2000 - nun-cheng

10,000 - jee-mahng

100,000 - tsahp-mahng

1,000,000 - jeebah-mahng

1,000,000,000 - jeecheng-mahng

1,000,000,000,000

half - * bwah

less - kah jyuh

more - kah tsay

Ordinal Numbers
first - day-eet

second - day- * dee

third - day-sa

fourth - day-she

fifth - day-go

...

twentieth

...

hundredth - day jee-bah

...

thousandth - day jee-chien

Time
now - jeemah or jeetzoon

later - kah dahng-ay or shuh dahng

before - ee jun

early - dtsah

earlier - kah dtsah

morning - tao dtsah

in the morning - tzai kee

tomorrow morning - miyah tsai kee tao dtsah

afternoon - ay boh

in the afternoon -

evening - ay ahm

in the evening -

night - ahm

in the night - ahm-sheea

Clock time
one o'clock AM - tao tza jeet diam

two o'clock AM - tao tza nen diam

noon - dyong dow

one o'clock PM - ay boh jeet diam

two o'clock PM - ay boh nen diam

midnight

Duration
minute - whhun

5 minutes - go whhun

hour - diam jun

5 hours - go diam jun

day - * leet

5 days - go * leet

week - * lay bai

5 weeks - go * lay bai

month - whay * leet

5 months - go whay * leet

year - nee

5 years - go nee

Days
today - gyah * de * deet

the day before yesterday - tzuh * leet

yesterday - dtsah-ung

tomorrow - miyah tsai

the day after tomorrow - ow * leet

this week - tsi * day bai

last week - den * day bai

the week before last week - jen * lay bai

next week - ow * lay bai

the week after next week - ow ow * lay bai

Monday - bai-it

Tuesday - bai- * dee

Wednesday - bai-sa

Thursday - bai-shee

Friday - bai-go

Saturday - bai- * lahk

Sunday - * lay-bai