Classifiers

01

The General-Purpose Ones

隻 (zhagchak) is the broadest classifier, covering animals along with a wide range of objects and even abstract things, and it is the safe fallback when nothing more specific comes to mind. 個 (gaiˇkai) is the other general one, used for people and for things with no more particular classifier of their own.

• 𠊎有六個兄弟摎七個姊妹。

  ngai rhiuˋ liug gaiˇ hiungˋ ti+ lauˋ cid gaiˇ ziˊ moiˇngài yiû liuk kai hiûng thi̊ lâu tshit kai tsí moi

  I have six brothers and seven sisters.

• 𠊎有三個老弟摎三個阿哥。

  ngai rhiuˋ samˋ gaiˇ loˊ taiˋ lauˋ samˋ gaiˇ a+ goˋngài yiû sâm kai ló thâi lâu sâm kai å kô

  I have three younger brothers and three older brothers.

• 𠊎有一隻問題。

  ngai rhiuˋ rhid zhag munˇ tingài yiû yit chak mun thì

  I have a question.

02

Classifiers for People

儕 (sasà) counts people specifically. 個 (gaiˇkai) counts them too, and is the form heard for customers, teachers and elders alike — Hailu draws no separate polite classifier for people.

• 這個人在該食東西。

  liaˊ gaiˇ ngin diˇ gai shidˋ dungˋ siˋliá kai ngìn ti kài shi̍t tûng sî

  This person is eating.

• 你兩儕都毋著了。

  ngi liongˊ sa du+ m chogˋ leˋngì lióng sà tů m̀ chho̍k lê

  You two are both wrong.

• 𠊎摎一個同事係最好个朋友。

  ngai lauˋ rhid gaiˇ tung sii+ heˇ zuiˇ hoˊ gaiˇ pen rhiuˋngài lâu yit kai thùng sṳ̊ he tsui hó kai phèn yiû

  A colleague and I are the best of friends.

03

Chosen by Shape and Kind

The remaining classifiers are selected according to what sort of thing the noun is. The choice belongs to the noun and has to be learned with it, much as grammatical gender has to be learned in European languages.

• 條 (tiauthiàu) — long, flexible things, and four-legged animals.
• 台 (toithòi) — machines and vehicles.
• 輛 (liongliòng) — bicycles.
• 間 (gienˋkiên) — rooms and shops.
• 本 (bunˊpún) — books.
• 粒 (liabliap) — small round things.
• 莢 (gabkap) — bananas and pods.

• 𠊎愛買一莢弓蕉摎六隻雞卵。

  ngai oiˇ maiˋ rhid gab giungˋ ziauˋ lauˋ liug zhag gaiˋ lonˊngài oi mâi yit kap kiûng tsiâu lâu liuk chak kâi lón

  I want to buy a banana and six eggs.

• 𠊎分你一粒阿司匹林治頭那痛。

  ngai bunˋ ngi rhid liab a+ siiˋ pid lim chi+ teu na tungˇngài pûn ngì yit liap å sṳ̂ phit lìm chhi̊ thèu nà thung

  I'll give you an aspirin for the headache.

• 𠊎有一台汽車，一輛自行車，還有一台機車。

  ngai rhiuˋ rhid toi hiˇ chaˋ rhid liong cii+ hang chaˋ han rhiuˋ rhid toi giˋ chaˋngài yiû yit thòi hi chhâ yit liòng tshṳ̊ hàng chhâ hàn yiû yit thòi kî chhâ

  I have a car, a bicycle, and a motorcycle.

• 這隻農場有兩條馬仔摎三條羊仔。

  liaˊ zhag nung chong rhiuˋ liongˊ tiau maˋ er lauˋ samˋ tiau rhong erliá chak nùng chhòng yiû lióng thiàu mâ èr lâu sâm thiàu yòng èr

  This farm has two horses and three sheep.

• 這係一間鞋店。

  liaˊ heˇ rhid gienˋ hai diamˇliá he yit kiên hài tiam

  This is a shoe shop.

04

Containers and Units

Words for containers, portions and units of measure fill the same slot, so a bottle of whiskey or a cup of coffee is built exactly like any other counted noun, with nothing corresponding to English of.

• 一罐威士忌。

  rhid gonˇ vuiˋ siiˇ ki+yit kon vûi sṳ khi̊

  a bottle of whiskey

05

When the Noun Is Left Out

Once it is clear what is being talked about, the noun itself can be dropped and the number and classifier left to stand alone. The classifier is what keeps such a phrase grammatical, which is part of why it can never be skipped.

• 無，斯有幾隻。

  mo sii+ rhiuˋ giˊ zhagmò sṳ̊ yiû kí chak

  No, just a few.

• 𫣆俚買一本新个。

  enˋ li maiˋ rhid bunˊ sinˋ gaiˇên lì mâi yit pún sîn kai

  We'll buy a new one.