Hokkien/Lesson 1

It is appropriate to start off the introduction to Min Nan with the common greeting: Lí hó. Below is a dialogue between two people meeting each other for the first time.

The Han characters provided below are for reference and are consistent with the Taiwanese Minnan Recommended Hanzi Usage (台灣閩南語推薦用字) which has been promoted by the government of Taiwan. Individual usage may vary from speaker to speaker based on preference.

Vocabulary
Note: Visit this lesson's Stroke Order subpage to see images and animations detailing how to write the following characters. Audio files of the words are linked from the POJ when available. Problems listening? See media help.

Basic Sentences
1. 我叫Amy.
 * Góa kiò Àiměi.
 * I'm called Amy.

Sentences using sī [是]
1.
 * Góa sī Tiong-kok-lâng.
 * I am a Chinese person.

2. 伊是Jenny.
 * I sī Jenny.
 * She is Jenny.

3.
 * In sī Eng-kok-lâng.
 * They are English.

1. 伊毋是Tony.
 * I m̄-sī Tony.
 * He is not Tony.

2.
 * Góa m̄-sī Bí-kok-lâng.
 * I am not American.

The question particle sī-bò· [是無]
The declarative example sentence in #1 is transformed into an interrogative in #2.

1. 伊是Jenny.
 * I sī Jenny.
 * She is Jenny.

2. 伊是Jenny是無？
 * I sī Jenny sī-bò·?
 * She is Jenny, isn't she?

The question particle ne [呢]
1. 我叫Tony, 你呢？
 * Góa kiò Tony, lí neh?
 * I'm called Tony. How about you?

2.
 * Amy sī Tiong-kok-lâng, i neh?
 * Amy is Chinese. How about him?

Question words
1. 怹是佗位的人？
 * In sī tó-ūi ê lâng?
 * Where are they from?

2.
 * siáⁿ-lâng sī Bí-kok-lâng?
 * Who is American?

3. 伊是啥人？
 * I sī siáⁿ-lâng?
 * Who is she?