Teochew phrasebook

Teochew (潮汕話/潮汕话 Diê5 suan3 uê7 or 潮州話/潮州话 Diê5 ziu1 uê7), also Romanized as Chiuchow, is the main language of the Chaoshan region in Eastern Guangdong, around the cities of Shantou, Chaozhou and Jieyang. It is also fairly common in Hong Kong and among overseas Chinese, especially in Southeast Asia, with Bangkok, Phnom Penh, Pontianak and Johor Bahru being examples of Southeast Asian cities where Teochew speakers form the majority among the ethnic Chinese community.

Each of the three main Teochew-speaking cities in China, as well as each overseas region where it is spoken, has its own slightly different variant, though they are similar enough not to hinder mutual comprehension; the prestige dialect is that of Chaozhou, though the Shantou dialect is more commonly heard due to the city's economic dominance. The overseas variants are influenced by other local languages; the Teochew spoken in Singapore and Malaysia has loan words from Malay and Hokkien, while the Teochew spoken in Thailand has loan words from Thai.

All Chinese languages, in general, use the same set of characters in reading and writing in formal settings, based on standard Mandarin. This means that a Teochew speaker and a Mandarin speaker cannot talk to each other, but either can generally read what the other writes. However, when Teochew is written in a more colloquial form, there are significant differences with standard Mandarin, thus necessitating the use of some extra characters not commonly used in Mandarin, and meaning that a Mandarin speaker will not be able to understand everything. Use the Chinese phrasebook for reading most writing in Teochew-speaking areas.

Teochew is closely related to Minnan Hua and Hainanese, but only partly mutually intelligible with Minnan Hua and mutually unintelligible with Hainanese. Teochew is not mutually intelligible with Mandarin or Cantonese, but it is common for Teochew speakers to also know one or both of those. Foreigners in the region usually choose to learn Mandarin rather than Teochew because it is much more widely used.

Pronunciation guide
Like other dialects of Chinese, Teochew is written using Chinese characters but employs its own unique pronunciation. Traditional Chinese characters are used in some overseas Teochew communities, while simplified characters are used in mainland China. Where differences exist, in this guide, we write the traditional Chinese characters before the slash and simplified Chinese character after it.

Peng'im, which was developed by the Guangdong provincial government in 1960, is generally the most common system for Romanizing Teochew, and will be used in this guide. See Wikipedia for details if needed. However, as most native speakers do not know how to read Romanized Teochew, stick to Chinese characters for written communication.

Vowels
The letters a, i and u are pronounced as in Spanish, Italian and German.

Vowels can also be nasalized in Teochew. In Peng'im, this is represented by an n at the end of the syllable after the vowel.

Consonants
While Mandarin only distinguishes between aspirated and unaspirated (unvoiced) consonants, and English only distinguishes between voiced and unvoiced consonants meaning-wise, Teochew makes a distinction in both cases. This means that aspirated unvoiced (p, t, k, c), unaspirated unvoiced (b, d, g, z), and unaspirated voiced (bh, gh, r) are all separate phonemic consonants in Teochew. Pronouncing everything accurately is therefore going to be a challenge for native English or Mandarin speakers. However, unlike in Mandarin, there is no "tongue rolling" (pinyin zh, ch, sh, r) initial consonant.

Teochew retains some final consonants of Middle Chinese that Mandarin has lost, such as b, g, and m. On the other hand, Teochew has lost the n final consonant that Mandarin has retained, and you will often hear native Teochew speakers mispronouncing the n final as ng when speaking Mandarin. The final m and ng are pronounced as in English, but b and g are different. They are similar to English p and k but unreleased. This means that the mouth moves into the position of making the consonant, but no burst of air is released.

Furthermore, an h at the end of a syllable in Peng'im represents a glottal stop (ʔ); this is the sound in the middle of the English word 'uh-oh'.

Tones
Teochew is a tonal language, meaning that the tone must be correct in order to convey the correct meaning. Tone sandhi is rather complex in Teochew, which makes it a little harder to learn than Mandarin. In general, tone sandhi occurs on all syllables of a word other than the final syllable.

Teochew has 8 different tones, denoted with a superscript number after the syllable in Peng'im. Tone sandhi is rather complex in Teochew, making it harder to learn than Mandarin. In general, tone sandhi occurs on all syllables other than the final syllable of a word.

Tone 9 as seen in the table occurs only after tone sandhi, and is described as a high falling tone.

Basics

 * Hello. : 汝好.  le2 ho2.
 * How are you? : 汝好無？/汝好无？ le2 ho2 bho5?
 * Not bad : 𠁞孬/𠀾孬 bhoi6 mo2
 * Fine, thank you. :  好，㩼謝. /好，㩼谢.  ho2, zoi7 sia7.
 * What is your name? : 汝叫乜名? le2 giê3 mih4 mian5?
 * My name is ______ . : 我個名是 ______. /我个名是 ______.  ua2 gai7 mian5 si6 ______ .
 * Nice to meet you. : 很高興見到你. (heng² gao¹ hêng³ gin³ dao³ le²)
 * Please. :  請. /请.  cian2.
 * Thank you. : 㩼謝. /㩼谢.  zoi7 sia7.
 * You're welcome. : 免客氣. /免客气.  miang2 kêh4 ki3.
 * Excuse me. (getting attention) : . ( )
 * Excuse me. (begging pardon) : 孬意思.  mo2 i3 se3.
 * I'm sorry. : 對唔住. /对唔住.  dui3 m6 zu6.
 * Goodbye : 再见. /再見.  zai3 giang3.
 * Goodbye (informal) : . ( )
 * I can't speak Teochew. : 我唔曉呾潮汕話. /我唔晓呾潮汕话.  ua2 m6 hiou2 dan3 diê5 suan1 uê7.
 * Do you speak English? : 請問汝會曉呾英文𠁞？/请问汝会晓呾英文𠀾？ cian2 mung7 le2 oi6 hiou2 dan3 êng1 bhung5 bhoi6?
 * Is there someone here who speaks English? : 請問有人會曉呾英文無？/请问有人会晓呾英文无？ cian2 mung7 u6 nang5 oi6 hiou2 dan3 êng1 bhung5 bho5?
 * Help! : 救命！ giu3 mian7!
 * Look out! : 小心！ (siê2 sim1!)
 * Good morning. : . ( )
 * Good evening. : . ( )
 * Good night. : . ( )
 * Good night (to sleep) : . ( )
 * I don't understand. : 我𠁞聽. /我𠀾听.  ua2 bhoi6 tian1
 * Where is the toilet? : 廁所在底塊？/厕所在底块？ cê3 so2 do6 di7 go3?

Problems

 * Leave me alone. : . ('Mai tan tiang te wa' .'')
 * Don't touch me! : ! ('mai tang wa !'')
 * I'll call the police. : . ('wa ka ma ta / ceng pia' .'')
 * Police! : 警察！ gêng6 cag4!
 * Stop! Thief! : ! ! (U nang tau kiok ! !)
 * I need your help. : . ('wa ai le siou hu wa' .'')
 * It's an emergency. : . ('ane ui hiam' .'')
 * I'm lost. : . ('wa emcai wa todiko' .'')
 * I lost my bag. : . ('wa kai pau bo to ke a' .'')
 * I lost my wallet. : . ( .)
 * I'm sick. : . ('wa pua pe' .'')
 * I've been injured. : . (' .'')
 * I want to see a doctor. : 我愛睇醫生. /我爱睇医生. ua2 ain3 toin2 ui1 sêng1.
 * Can I use your phone? : ? ('wa oi sai eng le kai tiang ue bue?' ?'')

Numbers
Numbers in Teochew follow the same system as other varieties of Chinese.

Note: ig4 is used in the ones and tens place (except for the number 1 itself) and in ordinal numbers, whereas zêg8 is used for multiples of numbers 100 and greater, as well as before counter words. Note: 二 ri6 is used in the ones and tens place (except for the number 2 itself) and in ordinal numbers, whereas 兩/两 no6 is used for multiples of numbers 100 and greater, as well as before counter words.
 * 0 : 空 kang3
 * 1 : 一 zêg8 / ig4
 * 2 : 兩/两 no6 / 二 ri6
 * 3 : 三 san1
 * 4 : 四 si3
 * 5 : 五 ngou6
 * 6 : 六 lag8
 * 7 : 七 cig4
 * 8 : 八 boih4
 * 9 : 九 gao2
 * 10 :十 zab8
 * 11 :十一 zab8 ig4
 * 12 :十二 zab8 ri6
 * 13 :十三 zab8 san1
 * 14 :十四 zab8 si3
 * 15 :十五 zab8 ngou6
 * 16 :十六 zab8 lag8
 * 17 :十七 zab8 cig4
 * 18 : 十八 zab8 boih4
 * 19 : 十九 zab8 gao2
 * 20 : 二十 ri6 zab8
 * 21 : 二十一 ri6 zab8 ig4
 * 22 : 二十二 ri6 zab8 ri6
 * 23 : 二十三 ri6 zab8 san1
 * 30 : 三十 san1 zab8
 * 40 : 四十 si3 zab8
 * 50 : 五十 ngou6 zab8
 * 60 : 六十 lag8 zab8
 * 70 : 七十 cig4 zab8
 * 80 : 八十 boih4 zab8
 * 90 : 九十 gao2 zab8
 * 100 : 一百 zêg8 bêh4
 * 200 : 兩百/两百 no6 bêh4
 * 300 : 三百 san1 bêh4
 * 1,000 : 一千 zêg8 coin1
 * 2,000 : 兩千/两千 no6 coin1

Like Mandarin, Teochew groups numbers starting from 10,000 into units of four digits starting with 萬/万 bhuêng7. "One million" would therefore be "one hundred ten-thousands" (一百萬/一百万) and "one billion" would be "ten hundred-millions" (十億/十亿).


 * 10,000 : 一萬/一万 zêg8 bhuêng7
 * 20,000 : 兩萬/两万 no6 bhuêng7
 * 100,000 : 十萬/十万 zab8 bhuêng7
 * 1,000,000 : 一百萬/一百万 zêg8 bêh4 bhuêng7
 * 10,000,000 : 一千萬/一千万 zêg8 coin1 bhuêng7
 * 100,000,000 : 一億/一亿 zêg8 êg8
 * 1,000,000,000 : 十億/十亿 zab8 êg8
 * 1,000,000,000,000 : 一兆 zêg8 diou6
 * number _____ (train, bus, etc.) : _____號/_____号 _____ ho7
 * half : 半 buan3
 * less : 少 ziê2
 * more : 㩼 zoi7

Time

 * now : 只陣/只阵 zi2 zung5
 * later :( kin kia )
 * before : ('ku ca' '')
 * morning : 眠起 mung5 ki2 / 猛早 mên2 za2
 * noon : 日晝/日昼 rig8 dao3
 * afternoon : 下旰 ê7 gua3
 * evening : 暝昏 mên5 hung1
 * night : 暝旰 mên5 gua3 / 暝暗 mên5 am3
 * midnight : 半暝 buan3 mên5

Clock time

 * 1:00 : 一点/一點 zêg8 diam2
 * 2:00 : 两点/兩點 no6 diam2
 * 2:30 : 两点半/兩點半 no6 diam2 buan3 / 两点三十分/兩點三十分 no6 diam2 san1 zab8 hung1
 * 3:00 : 三点/三點 san1 diam2

Duration

 * _____ minute(s) : _____ 分鐘/_____ 分钟 _____ hung1 zêng1
 * _____ hour(s) : _____ 點鐘/_____ 点钟 _____ diam2 zêng1
 * _____ day(s) : _____ 日 _____ rig8
 * _____ week(s) : _____ 禮拜/_____ 礼拜 _____ loi2 bai3
 * _____ month(s) : _____ 個月/ _____ 个月 _____ gai5 ghuêh8
 * _____ year(s) : _____ 年 _____ ni5

Days

 * today : 今日 gim1 rig8 / 囝日 gian2 rig8
 * yesterday : 昨日 za1 rig8
 * tomorrow : 明起 muan3 ki2 / 明日 muan3 rig8
 * this week : 只個禮拜/只个礼拜 zi2 gai5 loi2 bai3
 * last week : 頂個禮拜/顶个礼拜 dêng2 gai5 loi2 bai3
 * next week : 後個禮拜/后个礼拜 ao6 gai5 loi2 bai3


 * Sunday : 禮拜/礼拜 loi2 bai3
 * Monday : 拜一 bai3 ig4
 * Tuesday : 拜二 bai3 ri6
 * Wednesday : 拜三 bai3 san1
 * Thursday : 拜四 bai3 si3
 * Friday : 拜五 bai3 ngou6
 * Saturday : 拜六 bai3 lag8

Months

 * January : 一月 ig4 ghuêh8
 * February : 二月 ri6 ghuêh8
 * March : 三月 san1 ghuêh8
 * April : 四月 si3 ghuêh8
 * May : 五月 ngou6 ghuêh8
 * June : 六月 lag8 ghuêh8
 * July : 七月 cig4 ghuêh8
 * August : 八月 boih4 ghuêh8
 * September : 九月 gao2 ghuêh8
 * October : 十月 zab8 ghuêh8
 * November : 十一月 zab8 ig4 ghuêh8
 * December : 十二月 zab8 ri6 ghuêh8

Colors

 * black : 烏色/乌色 ou1 sêg4
 * white : 白色 bêh8 sêg4
 * gray : 灰色 huê1 sêg4
 * red : 紅色/红色 ang5 sêg4
 * blue :藍色/蓝色 nam5 sêg4
 * yellow : 黃色/黄色 ng5 sêg4
 * green : 青色 cên1 sêg4
 * orange : 柑色 gan1 sêg4
 * purple : 紫色 zi2 sêg4
 * brown : 赤色 ciah4 sêg4

Bus and train

 * How much is a ticket to _____? : ('Ikai pio ku lui?' '')
 * One ticket to _____, please. : ( )wa ai bue cek kai pio
 * Where does this train/bus go? : ( )
 * Where is the train/bus to _____? : ( )
 * Does this train/bus stop in _____? : ( )
 * When does the train/bus for _____ leave? : ( )
 * When will this train/bus arrive in _____? : ( )

Directions

 * How do I get to _____ ? : 請問汝做呢去_____啊？/请问汝做呢去_____啊？ cian2 mung7 le2 zo3 ni5 ke3 _____ a7?
 * ...the train station? : ( )
 * ...the bus station? : ( )
 * ...the airport? : ( )
 * ...downtown? : ( )
 * ...the youth hostel? : ( )
 * ...the _____ hotel? : ( )
 * ...the American/Canadian/Australian/British consulate? : ( )
 * Where are there a lot of _____? : 底塊有好㩼_____啊？/底块有好㩼_____啊？ di7 go3 u6 hoh4 zoi7 _____ a7?
 * ...hotels? : ( )
 * ...restaurants? : ( )
 * ...bars? : ( )
 * ...sites to see? : ( )
 * Can you show me on the map? : ( )
 * street : ( )
 * Turn left. : 斡去倒手爿 uêg4 ke3 do3 ciu2 boin5
 * Turn right. : 斡去正手爿 uêg4 ke3 zian3 ciu2 boin5
 * left : 倒 do3
 * right : 正 zian3
 * in front of the _____ : _____頭前 / _____头前 tao5 zoin5
 * behind the _____ : _____後爿 / _____后爿 ao6 boin5
 * straight ahead : 直直去 dig8 dig8 ke3
 * inside : 內爿/内爿 lai6 boin5
 * outside : 口爿 kao2 boin5
 * towards the _____ : ( )
 * past the _____ : ( )
 * before the _____ : ( )
 * Watch for the _____. : ( )
 * intersection : ( )
 * north : 北 bag4
 * south : 南 nam5
 * east : 東 dang1
 * west : 西 sai1
 * uphill : ( )
 * downhill : ( )

Taxi

 * Taxi! : ( )
 * Take me to _____, please. : ( )
 * How much does it cost to get to _____? : ( )
 * Take me there, please. : ( )

Lodging

 * Do you have any rooms available? : ('le u pang keng bo?' '')
 * How much is a room for one person/two people? : ('cek kai pang keng ku lui' '')
 * Does the room come with... : ( )
 * ...bedsheets? : ('pou teng' '')
 * ...a bathroom? : ('ek pe' '')
 * ...a telephone? : 電話/电话 diêng6 uê7
 * ...a TV? : 電視機/电视机 diêng6 si6 gi1
 * May I see the room first? : ('wa oisai/esai toi seng bue? ikai pang keng' '')
 * Do you have anything quieter? : ('le u pangkeng, bue ca kai bue? loncong nang tiam tiam kai' '')
 * ...bigger? :( tua kai kai)
 * ...cleaner? :('Kang nang' '')
 * ...cheaper? :( you phi)
 * OK, I'll take it. : ('wa ai '')
 * I will stay for _____ night(s). : 我愛徛_____暝. /我爱徛_____暝. ua2 ain3 kia6 _____ mên5.
 * Can you suggest another hotel? : ( )
 * Do you have a safe? : ( )
 * ...lockers? : ( )
 * Is breakfast/supper included? : ( )
 * What time is breakfast/supper? : ( )
 * Please clean my room. : ( )
 * Can you wake me at _____? : ( )
 * I want to check out. : ( )

Money

 * Do you accept American/Australian/Canadian dollars? : ( )
 * Do you accept British pounds? : ( )
 * Do you accept euros? : ( )
 * Do you accept credit cards? : ( )
 * Can you change money for me? : ( le hiau ua lui khek wa me? )
 * Where can I get money changed? : ( )
 * Can you change a traveler's check for me? : ( )
 * Where can I get a traveler's check changed? : ( )
 * What is the exchange rate? : ( )
 * Where is an automatic teller machine (ATM)? : ( )

Eating
One peculiarity of Teochew is that it does not distinguish between eating and drinking. As such, the verb 食 (ziah8) is used to refer to both eating and drinking.


 * A table for one person/two people, please. : ( )
 * Can I look at the menu, please? : ( )
 * Can I look in the kitchen? : ( )
 * Is there a house specialty? : ( )
 * Is there a local specialty? : ( )
 * I'm a vegetarian. : ( )
 * I don't eat pork. : 我無食豬肉. /我无食猪肉. ua2 bho5 ziah8 de1 nêg8.
 * I don't eat beef. : 我無食牛肉. /我无食牛肉. ua2 bho5 ziah8 ghu5 nêg8.
 * I only eat kosher food. : ( )
 * Can you make it "lite", please? (less oil/butter/lard) : mai nkah iu
 * fixed-price meal : ( )
 * a la carte : ( )
 * breakfast : ( ciak me cha )
 * lunch : ( ciak e kua )
 * tea (meal) : ( )
 * supper : ( )
 * I want _____. : 我愛_____. /我爱_____. ua2 ain3 _____.
 * I want a dish containing _____. : ( )
 * chicken : 雞/鸡 goi1
 * duck : 鴨/鸭 ah4
 * goose : 鵝/鹅 gho5
 * beef : 牛肉 ghu5 nêg8
 * pork : 豬肉/猪肉 de1 nêg8
 * mutton : 羊肉 iên5 nêg8
 * fish : 魚/鱼 he5
 * ham : 火腿 （hueh tui）
 * sausage : 腊肠 （lak ciang）
 * cheese : ( )
 * eggs : 卵 neng6
 * salad : 杂菜 tchap chye
 * vegetables : 菜 cai3
 * (fresh) fruit : cheh guai
 * bread : 麵包 min7 bao1
 * toast : ( )
 * noodles : 麵/面 min7
 * rice (cooked) : 飯/饭 bung7
 * rice (raw) : 米 bhi2
 * congee / rice porridge : 糜 muê5
 * beans : 豆 dao7
 * May I have a glass of _____? : ( hiau khek wa cek cheng _____ me?)
 * May I have a cup of _____? : ( )
 * May I have a bottle of _____? : ( )
 * coffee : 咖啡 gia1 hui1
 * tea (drink) : 茶 dê5
 * juice : 汁 chap
 * (bubbly) water : 汽水 (ki zui)
 * (still) water : 水 zui2
 * milk : 奶 ni6
 * beer : 啤酒 bi5 ziu2
 * red/white wine : ( )
 * May I have some _____? : ( )
 * salt : 鹽/盐 iam5
 * sugar : 糖 teng5
 * soy sauce : 豉油 si7 iu5
 * fish sauce : 臊湯/臊汤 co1 teng1
 * black pepper : 乌胡椒 (ou hou jio)
 * butter : 牛油 ghu5 iu5
 * Excuse me, waiter? (getting attention of server): ( )
 * I'm finished. : 我食好. ua2 ziah8 ho2.
 * delicious. : 好食 ho2 ziah8
 * Please clear the plates. : ( )
 * The check, please. : 結數/结数 gig4 siou3

Bars

 * Do you serve alcohol? : ( le u boi ciu me? )
 * Is there table service? : ( )
 * A beer/two beers, please. : ( )
 * A glass of red/white wine, please. : ( )
 * A pint, please. : ( )
 * A bottle, please. : ( )
 * _____ (hard liquor) and _____ (mixer), please. : ( )
 * whiskey : ( )
 * vodka : ( )
 * rum : ( )
 * water : 水 zui2
 * club soda : ( )
 * tonic water : ( )
 * orange juice : ( )
 * Coke (soda) :( phi zui )
 * Do you have any bar snacks? : ( )
 * One more, please. :( cek kai ge)
 * Another round, please. : ( )
 * When is closing time? : ( )
 * Cheers! : ( )

Shopping

 * Do you have this in my size? : ( )
 * How much is this? :( cia hok coi lui? )
 * That's too expensive. :( cia khak kue kui )
 * Would you take _____? : ( le ai khiok _____ me? )
 * expensive : 貴/贵 gui3
 * cheap : 便 pin1
 * I can't afford it. : ( wa boi hiau boi )
 * I don't want it. : 我莫 ua2 mai3
 * You're cheating me. : ( )
 * I'm not interested. : (..)
 * OK, I'll take it. : 好，我挈伊. ho2, ua2 kiêh8 i1.
 * Can I have a bag? : ( )
 * Do you ship (overseas)? : ( )
 * I need... : ( )
 * ...toothpaste. : 牙膏 ghê5 go1
 * ...a toothbrush. : 齒漱/齿漱 ki2 ciu3
 * ...tampons. : . ( )
 * ...soap. : 餅藥/饼药 pian2 iêh8
 * ...shampoo. : ( )
 * ...pain reliever. (e.g., aspirin or ibuprofen) : ( )
 * ...cold medicine. : ( )
 * ...stomach medicine. : ... ( )
 * ...a razor. : ( )
 * ...an umbrella. : 雨遮 hou6 zia1
 * ...sunblock lotion. : ( )
 * ...a postcard. : ( )
 * ...postage stamps. : ( )
 * ...batteries. : ( )
 * ...writing paper. : 紙/纸 zua2
 * ...a pen. : 筆/笔 big4
 * ...English-language books. : 英文書/英文书 êng1 bhung5 ze1
 * ...English-language magazines. : 英文雜誌/英文杂志 êng1 bhung5 zab8 zi3
 * ...an English-language newspaper. : 英文報紙/英文报纸 êng1 bhung5 bo3 zua2

Driving

 * I want to rent a car. : 我愛稅車. / 我爱税车. ua2 ain3 suê3 cia1.
 * Can I get insurance? : ( )
 * stop (on a street sign) : ( )
 * one way : ( )
 * yield : ( )
 * no parking : ( )
 * speed limit : ( )
 * gas (petrol) station : ( )
 * petrol : ( )
 * diesel : ( )

Authority

 * I haven't done anything wrong. : ( )
 * It was a misunderstanding. : ( )
 * Where are you taking me? : ( )
 * Am I under arrest? : ( )
 * I am an American/Australian/British/Canadian citizen. : ( )
 * I want to talk to the American/Australian/British/Canadian embassy/consulate. : ( )
 * I want to talk to a lawyer. : ( )
 * Can I just pay a fine now? : ( )