Conjunctions: 同, 毋過, 抑係, 假使, 因為, 雖然 and 就算

01

同 — Joining Nouns

同 (tungˇthùng) links one noun to another, giving and or with. It joins nouns only, and cannot be used to string two clauses together.

• 𠊎有一隻狗仔同貓仔。

  ngaiˇ iuˊ idˋ zagˋ gieuˋ eˋ tungˇ meu eˋngài yû yit chak kiéu é thùng meu é

  I have a dog and a cat.

• 𠊎有六個兄弟同七個姐妹。

  ngaiˇ iuˊ liugˋ ge hiungˊ ti tungˇ qidˋ ge jiaˋ moingài yû liuk ke hiûng thi thùng chhit ke chiá moi

  I have six brothers and seven sisters.

• 𠊎會講英語同韓語。

  ngaiˇ voi gongˋ inˊ ngiˊ tungˇ honˇ ngiˊngài voi kóng yîn ngî thùng hòn ngî

  I can speak English and Korean.

To join two clauses, they are simply set side by side with nothing between them, and the relation is left to be understood.

• 開了，請落來啊。

  koiˊ leˋ qiangˋ log loiˇ akhôi lé chhiáng lo̍k lòi a

  It's open now; please come down.

02

毋過 — But

毋過 (mˇ gom̀ ko) introduces a contrast with what has just been said. It stands at the head of the second clause, exactly where English puts but.

• 佢兜無看著，毋過佢兜聽著了。

  giˇ deuˊ moˇ kon doˋ mˇ go giˇ deuˊ tangˊ doˋ leˋkì têu mò khon tó m̀ ko kì têu thâng tó lé

  They didn't see it, but they heard it.

• 吾公年紀大了，毋過當有活力。

  ngaˊ gungˊ ngienˇ giˋ tai leˋ mˇ go dongˊ iuˊ fad lidngâ kûng ngièn kí thai lé m̀ ko tông yû fa̍t li̍t

  My grandfather is old, but he's very energetic.

• 毋過這係真个！

  mˇ go iaˋ he ziinˊ gem̀ ko yá he chṳ̂n ke

  But it's true!

03

抑係 — Or

抑係 (ia heya he) offers an alternative and belongs above all to questions, where it sets two possibilities against each other. It is built transparently from a first element and the linking verb 係 (he).

• 好抑係毋好？

  hoˋ ia he mˇ hoˋhó ya he m̀ hó

  Good or not good?

• 香草个抑係巧克力个？

  hiongˊ coˋ ge ia he kauˋ kiedˋ lid gehiông chhó ke ya he kháu khiet li̍t ke

  The vanilla one or the chocolate one?

• 抑係美國人？

  ia he miˊ guedˋ nginˇya he mî koet ngìn

  Or American?

04

假使 — If

假使 (gaˋ siiˋká sṳ́) opens a condition, and the clause that depends on it follows. That second clause very often carries an adverb meaning then, which marks it as the consequence.

• 假使𠊎係你，𠊎就毋會恁樣做。

  gaˋ siiˋ ngaiˇ he nˇ ngaiˇ qiu mˇ voi anˋ ngiongˇ zoká sṳ́ ngài he ǹ ngài chhiu m̀ voi án ngiòng cho

  If I were you, I wouldn't do it like that.

• 假使你問一隻問題，你會得著一隻答案。

  gaˋ siiˋ nˇ mun idˋ zagˋ mun tiˇ nˇ voi dedˋ doˋ idˋ zagˋ dabˋ onká sṳ́ ǹ mun yit chak mun thì ǹ voi tet tó yit chak tap on

  If you ask a question, you will get an answer.

• 假使你同𠊎講，𠊎就會分你錢了。

  gaˋ siiˋ nˇ tungˇ ngaiˇ gongˋ ngaiˇ qiu voi bunˊ nˇ qienˇ leˋká sṳ́ ǹ thùng ngài kóng ngài chhiu voi pûn ǹ chhièn lé

  If you had told me, I would have given you the money.

05

因為 and 雖然

因為 (inˊ viyîn vi) gives a reason and 雖然 (suiˊ ienˇsûi yèn) concedes a fact that runs against the main statement. Both stand at the head of their clause, and 雖然 (suiˊ ienˇsûi yèn) regularly pairs with 毋過 (mˇ gom̀ ko) in the clause that follows — a doubling English does not allow, since although and but cannot appear in the same sentence.

• 因為𠊎當懶尸。

  inˊ vi ngaiˇ dongˊ lanˊ siiˊyîn vi ngài tông lân sṳ̂

  Because I'm very lazy.

• 𠊎需要一台車仔，因為𠊎愛駛車仔去上班。

  ngaiˇ xiˊ ieu idˋ toiˇ caˊ eˋ inˊ vi ngaiˇ oi siiˋ caˊ eˋ hi songˊ banˊngài sî yeu yit thòi chhâ é yîn vi ngài oi sṳ́ chhâ é hi sông pân

  I need a car, because I have to drive to work.

• 雖然𠊎無學習，毋過𠊎通過了考試。

  suiˊ ienˇ ngaiˇ moˇ hog xib mˇ go ngaiˇ tungˊ go leˋ kauˋ siisûi yèn ngài mò ho̍k si̍p m̀ ko ngài thûng ko lé kháu sṳ

  Although I did not study, I passed the exam.

06

就算 — Even If

就算 (qiu sonchhiu son) also opens a clause that gives ground, but where 雖然 (suiˊ ienˇsûi yèn) concedes something that is so, this one concedes something that merely might be — even if. The clause answering it regularly carries a word meaning even or still.

• 就算𠊎有當多錢，𠊎也做毋得買車仔。

  qiu son ngaiˇ iuˊ dongˊ doˊ qienˇ ngaiˇ ia zo mˇ dedˋ maiˊ caˊ eˋchhiu son ngài yû tông tô chhièn ngài ya cho m̀ tet mâi chhâ é

  Even if I had a lot of money, I still couldn't buy a car.