The Marker 摎 (lauˋ)

01

Bringing the Object Forward

Ordinary word order is subject, verb, object. 摎 (lauˋlâu) rearranges it: the object is pulled in front of the verb and marked, giving SUBJECT + 摎 (lauˋlâu) + OBJECT + VERB. The point of the reordering is to leave the end of the sentence free for what actually happened to the object, which is the part worth hearing.

• 𠊎落來以後佢摎門關起來了。

  ngai logˋ loi rhiˋ heu+ gi lauˋ mun guanˋ hiˊ loi leˋngài lo̍k lòi yî he̊u kì lâu mùn kôan hí lòi lê

  After I came down, she shut the door.

• 𠊎既經摎手機仔借分你了。

  ngai giˇ ginˋ lauˋ shiuˊ giˋ er ziaˇ bunˋ ngi leˋngài ki kîn lâu shiú kî èr tsia pûn ngì lê

  I've already lent you my cell phone.

• 請摎帳單分𠊎好無？

  ciangˊ lauˋ zhongˇ danˋ bunˋ ngai hoˊ motshiáng lâu chong tân pûn ngài hó mò

  Could you give me the bill, please?

02

What Kind of Object

The construction wants a definite object — something both speakers already know about — which is then acted upon and changed, moved, shut, lent or handed over. Because the object is old news it is moved out of the way. The verb at the end almost always carries a complement saying where the object ended up.

• 𠊎毋知𠊎摎佢放在哪了。

  ngai m diˋ ngai lauˋ gi biongˇ diˇ nai+ leˋngài m̀ tî ngài lâu kì piong ti nåi lê

  I don't know where I put them.

• 你做得摎這隻句仔翻譯到越南語無？

  ngi zoˇ ded lauˋ liaˊ zhag giˇ er fanˋ rhidˋ doˇ rhadˋ nam ngiˋ mongì tso tet lâu liá chak ki èr fân yi̍t to ya̍t nàm ngî mò

  Could you translate this sentence into Vietnamese?

• 你做得摎筆記型電腦借分𠊎無？

  ngi zoˇ ded lauˋ bid giˇ hin tien+ noˊ ziaˇ bunˋ ngai mongì tso tet lâu pit ki hìn thie̊n nó tsia pûn ngài mò

  Could you lend me the laptop?

03

Done For Somebody

The same word marks the person on whose behalf something is done, answering to English for me rather than marking an object at all. The person named is not affected by the action — somebody else does the work and they get the benefit.

• 去店仔摎𠊎買一打雞卵。

  hiˇ diamˇ er lauˋ ngai maiˋ rhid daˊ gaiˋ lonˊhi tiam èr lâu ngài mâi yit tá kâi lón

  Go to the shop and buy a dozen eggs for me.

• 佢在該摎𠊎剪頭那毛。

  gi diˇ gai lauˋ ngai zienˊ teu na moˋkì ti kài lâu ngài tsién thèu nà mô

  He is cutting my hair for me.

• 你做得摎𠊎再拿一雙無？

  ngi zoˇ ded lauˋ ngai zaiˇ naˋ rhid sungˋ mongì tso tet lâu ngài tsai nâ yit sûng mò

  Could you get me another pair?

04

Spoken To, Spoken With

With verbs of saying and meeting, 摎 (lauˋlâu) marks the other party to the exchange — the one spoken to, or the one something is done together with.

• 摎𠊎講仰般了。

  lauˋ ngai gongˊ ngiongˊ banˋ leˋlâu ngài kóng ngióng pân lê

  Tell me how it went.

• 當歡喜摎你認識。

  dongˋ fonˋ hiˊ lauˋ ngi nginˇ shidtông fôn hí lâu ngì ngin shit

  I'm very happy to meet you.

• 你想愛摎佢交朋友無？

  ngi siongˊ oiˇ lauˋ gi gauˋ pen iuˋ mongì sióng oi lâu kì kâu phèn yû mò

  Do you want to make friends with him?

05

Joining Two Nouns

Standing between two nouns with no verb to follow, 摎 (lauˋlâu) is simply and. It links nouns and noun phrases only; two whole clauses are not joined this way.

• 𠊎有一隻狗摎貓仔。

  ngai rhiuˋ rhid zhag gieuˊ lauˋ ngiauˇ erngài yiû yit chak kiéu lâu ngiau èr

  I have a dog and a cat.

• 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.

• 𠊎會講英語摎韓語。

  ngai voi+ gongˊ rhinˋ ngiˋ lauˋ hon ngiˋngài vo̊i kóng yîn ngî lâu hòn ngî

  I can speak English and Korean.

06

Telling Them Apart

Position will not separate the first three uses, since every one of them sits before the verb. What comes after decides. A thing being acted on is an object. A person who gains by the action is a beneficiary. A person on the other end of a verb of speaking is the addressee. The fourth use is the one position does settle: two nouns side by side with no verb between them is simply and.