Recalled again on the contextual nature of Hokkien, how phrases and words can mean different things. 🙂
Examples:
- chu bi = ‘neighbour’ VS ‘house beside’
- zui = ‘water’ VS ‘watery’
As Hokkien is more colloquially used and do not follow any strict rules, local Hokkien used here in Singapore may differ from the more formal use of Hokkien in Taiwan.
Examples (Singapore – Taiwan):
- Just now (balu – tou seng)
- Balu has its origins from the Malay word ‘baru’
- Tou seng = 头先
- Money (lui – jngee)
- Wet market (pasat – chai ji yat 菜市场)
- Anyhow say (qin cai gong – si sua gong)
New vocabulary learned:
- eh1 bo1 中午
- bi4 chuat4 秘诀 (Formal Hokkien)
- pek4 bo1 法宝 (Secret weapon in Singapore context can refer to one’s secret to success)
[140 words]
Learning Hokkien 