Demonstratives: 這 and 該

01

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 該水 (ge suiˋke súi) above has nothing between the two words.

• 這條褲有幾長？

  iaˋ tiauˇ fu iuˊ giˋ congˇyá thiàu fu yû kí chhòng

  How long are these trousers?

• 這間店仔既經關門了。

  iaˋ gienˊ diam eˋ gi ginˊ guanˊ munˇ leˋyá kiên tiam é ki kîn kôan mùn lé

  This shop has already closed.

02

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。

  iaˋ tedˋ gui leˋyá thet kui lé

  This is too expensive.

• 該係麼个？

  ge he maˋ geke he má ke

  What is that?

• 莫食該！

  mog siid gemo̍k sṳ̍t ke

  Don't eat that!

03

Places

Followed by 位 (vi) the two become place words — here and there — and these are the ordinary way of saying where something is.

• 吾个報紙在這位。

  ngaˊ ge bo ziiˋ di iaˋ vingâ ke po chṳ́ ti yá vi

  My newspaper is here.

• 吾个書在該位。

  ngaˊ ge suˊ di ge vingâ ke sû ti ke vi

  My book is there.

• 該位當多人。

  ge vi dongˊ doˊ nginˇke vi tông tô ngìn

  There are a lot of people there.

A different second syllable, one naming a side rather than a spot, gives 該片 (ge pienˋke phién) over there. It points at a direction or a general area, where 該位 (ge vike vi) picks out a definite place.

• 若个電腦在該片。

  ngiaˊ ge tien noˋ di ge pienˋngiâ ke thien nó ti ke phién

  Your computer is over there.

04

Plurals

With 兜 (deuˊtêu) 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？

  iaˋ deuˊ iu oi giˋ doˊ qienˇyá têu yu oi kí tô chhièn

  How much do these cost?

• 該兜船仔當貴。

  ge deuˊ sonˇ eˋ dongˊ guike têu sòn é tông kui

  Those boats are very expensive.

05

該 Doing the Work of 'the'

Hakka has no definite article. Once something has been mentioned it is picked up again with 該 (geke), 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仔散步。

  ge zagˋ fu nginˇ gaˊ dongˊ di ge kienˊ gieuˋ eˋ san puke chak fu ngìn kâ tông ti ke khiên kiéu é san phu

  That woman is walking her dog right now.

• 該張好看个相片掛在壁項。

  ge zongˊ hoˋ kon ge xiong pienˋ gua di biagˋ hongke chông hó khon ke siong phién koa ti piak hong

  The beautiful photo hangs on the wall.