Modal Verbs: 做得, 會, 愛 and 需要

01

做得 — Can, May

做得 (zo dedˋcho tet) covers both being able to do something and being allowed to. It is the everyday word for can, and paired with 無 (moˇmò) at the end it makes the ordinary polite request.

• 你做得看著𠊎無？

  nˇ zo dedˋ kon doˋ ngaiˇ moˇǹ cho tet khon tó ngài mò

  Can you see me?

• 你做得打開這隻罐仔無？

  nˇ zo dedˋ daˋ koiˊ iaˋ zagˋ gon eˋ moˇǹ cho tet tá khôi yá chak kon é mò

  Can you open this bottle?

• 你做得降低兜仔無？

  nˇ zo dedˋ gong daiˊ deuˊ eˋ moˇǹ cho tet kong tâi têu é mò

  Can you lower it a little?

Its negative is 做毋得 (zo mˇ dedˋcho m̀ tet), and on its own 做得 (zo dedˋcho tet) serves as an affirmative reply — sure, that's fine.

• 噢，做毋得！

  oˊ zo mˇ dedˋô cho m̀ tet

  Oh, that's not possible!

02

會 — Knowing How

會 (voi) is ability of the learned kind — a skill acquired by practice, such as speaking a language or playing an instrument. It does not cover permission, and it does not cover being physically able on one occasion.

• 你兜會講麼个語言？

  nˇ deuˊ voi gongˋ maˋ ge ngiˊ ngienˇǹ têu voi kóng má ke ngî ngièn

  What languages can you speak?

• 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.

• 佢會彈鋼琴。

  giˇ voi tanˇ gong kimˇkì voi thàn kong khìm

  She can play the piano.

03

會 — Will, Would

The same 會 (voi) placed before a verb says that something will happen or is likely to. Hakka has no future tense, so this is one of the two ways a future event is expressed, and it leans towards prediction rather than intention.

• 有成時一切都會出差錯。

  iuˊ sangˇ siiˇ idˋ qiedˋ du voi cudˋ caˊ coyû sàng sṳ̀ yit chhiet tu voi chhut chhâ chho

  Sometimes everything goes wrong.

• 肉會臭火𤊶了。

  ngiugˋ voi cu foˋ ladˋ leˋngiuk voi chhu fó lat lé

  The meat is going to burn.

• 𠊎啉咖啡還係會睡忒。

  ngaiˇ limˊ gaˊ biˊ hanˇ he voi soi tedˋngài lîm kâ pî hàn he voi soi thet

  Even if I drink coffee, I'll still fall asleep.

Its negative, 毋會 (mˇ voim̀ voi), therefore covers both cannot and will not.

04

愛 — Needing and Intending

愛 (oi) before a verb expresses necessity or a settled intention — have to, be going to. Where 會 (voi) predicts, 愛 (oi) commits.

• 𠊎兜這下愛走了。

  ngaiˇ deuˊ iaˋ ha oi zeuˋ leˋngài têu yá ha oi chéu lé

  We have to leave now.

• 𠊎愛去超市。

  ngaiˇ oi hi ceuˊ siingài oi hi chhêu sṳ

  I need to go to the supermarket.

• 𠊎需要駕照正做得駛車仔。

  ngaiˇ xiˊ ieu ga zeu zang zo dedˋ siiˋ caˊ eˋngài sî yeu ka cheu chang cho tet sṳ́ chhâ é

  I need a driving licence before I can drive.

Its negative is 毋使 (mˇ siiˋm̀ sṳ́), no need to, which removes an obligation rather than denying a fact.

• 毋使細義。

  mˇ siiˋ se ngim̀ sṳ́ se ngi

  No need to be so polite.

05

需要 — Needing

需要 (xiˊ ieusî yeu) is a heavier to need, and unlike the others it takes a noun as readily as a verb. It states a requirement rather than an intention.

• 𫣆俚需要談談啊。

  enˊ liˋ xiˊ ieu tamˇ tamˇ aên lí sî yeu thàm thàm a

  We need to talk.

• 佢需要朋友。

  giˇ xiˊ ieu penˇ iuˊkì sî yeu phèn yû

  He needs a friend.