Demonstratives: 這 and 該 — Hailu Hakka Grammar

There are two demonstratives, and the division between them is a plain matter of distance: (liaˊliá) points at what is near, (gaikài) at what is further off or has already been mentioned. There is no three-way split, so these two cover everything English manages with this and that.

這本書當生趣。
liaˊ bunˊ shuˋ dongˋ senˋ ciˇliá pún shû tông sên tshi
This book is very interesting.
該水當燒。
gai shuiˊ dongˋ shauˋkài shúi tông shâu
That water is very hot.
該隻模特兒又高又瘦。
gai zhag mu tidˋ rhi rhiu+ goˋ rhiu+ seuˇkài chak mù thi̍t yì yiů kô yiů seu
That model is tall and slim.

A Classifier Comes Between

A demonstrative counting a thing does not sit straight against its noun. The classifier goes in the middle, giving DEMONSTRATIVE + CLASSIFIER + NOUN, exactly as a number does. The exception is a substance that cannot be counted — water, rice, air — which takes no classifier, which is why (gai shuiˊkài shúi) above has nothing between the two words.

這隻動物園有當多動物。
liaˊ zhag tung+ vudˋ rhan rhiuˋ dongˋ doˋ tung+ vudˋliá chak thůng vu̍t yàn yiû tông tô thůng vu̍t
This zoo has many animals.
這條褲有幾長？
liaˊ tiau fuˇ rhiuˋ giˊ chongliá thiàu fu yiû kí chhòng
How long are these trousers?
這間店仔既經關門了。
liaˊ gienˋ diamˇ er giˇ ginˋ guanˋ mun leˋliá kiên tiam èr ki kîn kôan mùn lê
This shop has already closed.

Standing Alone

Both can be used by themselves as a complete noun phrase, meaning this one and that one. Here no classifier appears, since there is no noun for it to attach to.

這忒貴了。
liaˊ ted guiˇ leˋliá thet kui lê
This is too expensive.
該係麼个？
gai heˇ maˋ gaiˇkài he mâ kai
What is that?
莫食該！
mogˋ shidˋ gaimo̍k shi̍t kài
Don't eat that!

Places

The same two words with a place syllable added give (liaˊ vui+liá vůi) here and (gai vui+kài vůi) there, which are the ordinary way of saying where something is.

𠊎个報紙在這位。
ngai gaiˇ boˇ zhiˊ diˇ liaˊ vui+ngài kai po chí ti liá vůi
My newspaper is here.
𠊎个書在該位。
ngai gaiˇ shuˋ diˇ gai vui+ngài kai shû ti kài vůi
My book is there.
該位當多人。
gai vui+ dongˋ doˋ nginkài vůi tông tô ngìn
There are a lot of people there.

A second syllable, one naming a side rather than a spot, gives (gai pienˊkài phién) over there — further off than (gai vui+kài vůi), and used when pointing.

若个電腦在該片。
ngia gaiˇ tien+ noˊ diˇ gai pienˊngià kai thie̊n nó ti kài phién
Your computer is over there.

Plurals

With (deuˋtêu) they become these and those, and again no classifier is called for once the plural suffix is in place.

這兜又愛幾多錢？
liaˊ deuˋ rhiu+ oiˇ giˊ doˋ cienliá têu yiů oi kí tô tshièn
How much do these cost?

該 Doing the Work of 'the'

Hakka has no definite article. Once something has been mentioned it is picked up again with (gaikài), which is why that word appears in many places where English would say the rather than that.

該隻婦人家當在該牽狗散步。
gai zhag fu+ ngin gaˋ dongˋ diˇ gai kienˋ gieuˊ sanˇ pu+kài chak fů ngìn kâ tông ti kài khiên kiéu san phů
That woman is walking her dog right now.
該張好看个相片掛在壁項。
gai zhongˋ hoˊ kon+ gaiˇ siongˇ pienˊ guaˇ diˇ biag hong+kài chông hó kho̊n kai siong phién koa ti piak ho̊ng
The beautiful photo hangs on the wall.

In the course

Sentences from Lingora’s Hailu Hakka course

92 of the course's 500 sentences use this, the first in lesson 2. A few of them, with the words “Demonstratives: 這 and 該” is about in bold:

這係𠊎个朋友，Anna。佢係一個學生仔。
liaˊ heˇ ngai gaiˇ pen rhiuˋ, Anna. gi heˇ rhid gaiˇ hogˋ sangˋ er.liá he ngài kai phèn yiû, Anna. kì he yit kai ho̍k sâng èr.
This is my friend, Anna. She is a student.
Lesson 2
這水當冷。該水當燒。
liaˊ shuiˊ dongˋ langˋ. gai shuiˊ dongˋ shauˋ.liá shúi tông lâng. kài shúi tông shâu.
This water is cold. That water is hot.
Lesson 68
𠊎在市場。該位當多人。
ngai diˇ shi+ chong. gai vui+ dongˋ doˋ ngin.ngài ti shi̊ chhòng. kài vůi tông tô ngìn.
I am at the market. It is very busy.
Lesson 249

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