Change of State with 矣 (--ah)

01

Now, But Not Necessarily Past

The clearest way to feel 矣 (--ah--ah--ah4) is to add now or already to your English. 這本冊足舊 (tsit pún tsheh tsiok kūchit pún chheh chiok kūtsit4 pun2 tsheh4 tsiok4 ku7) is this book is very old; add 矣 (--ah--ah--ah4) and it becomes this book has got very old — the same description, but presented as news.

• 這本冊足舊矣。

  tsit pún tsheh tsiok kū --ahchit pún chheh chiok kū --ahtsit4 pun2 tsheh4 tsiok4 ku7 --ah4

  This book has got very old.

• 阮查某囝讀大學矣。

  guán tsa-bóo-kiánn tha̍k tāi-ha̍k --ahgoán cha-bó͘-kiáⁿ tha̍k tāi-ha̍k --ahguan2 tsa1-boo2-kiann2 thak8 tai7-hak8 --ah4

  Our daughter is in college now.

It often appears alongside 已經 (í-kingí-kengi2-king1) already, which makes the sense of change explicit.

• 我的筆已經足舊矣。

  guá-ê pit í-king tsiok kū --ahgóa-ê pit í-keng chiok kū --ahgua2-e5 pit4 i2-king1 tsiok4 ku7 --ah4

  My pen is already very old.

• 這間店已經關門矣。

  tsit king tiàm í-king kuainn-mn̂g --ahchit keng tiàm í-keng koaiⁿ-mn̂g --ahtsit4 king1 tiam3 i2-king1 kuainn1-mng5 --ah4

  The shop has already closed.

• 我的舊辦公椅歹去矣。

  guá-ê kū pān-kong-í pháinn --khì --ahgóa-ê kū pān-kong-í phaíⁿ --khì --ahgua2-e5 ku7 pan7-kong1-i2 phainn2 --khi3 --ah4

  My old office chair has broken.

02

With Something About to Happen

矣 (--ah--ah--ah4) also marks a change that is just arriving rather than one already complete, which is why it pairs so naturally with 欲 (behbehbeh4) about to. English reaches for now or off to here.

• 我欲去超市矣。

  guá beh khì tshiau-tshī --ahgóa beh khì chhiau-chhī --ahgua2 beh4 khi3 tshiau1-tshi7 --ah4

  I'm off to the supermarket now.

• 公車欲到站啊

  kong-tshia beh kàu-tsām --ahkong-chhia beh kàu-chām --ahkong1-tshia1 beh4 kau3-tsam7 --ah4

  The bus is about to arrive.

03

With Adjectives

Put 矣 (--ah--ah--ah4) after an adjective and you get has become — the quality is presented as a new development rather than a standing fact. This is extremely common when reacting to something, in shops especially.

• 傷細矣。

  siunn sè --ahsiuⁿ sè --ahsiunn1 se3 --ah4

  It's too small.

• 傷長矣。

  siunn tn̂g --ahsiuⁿ tn̂g --ahsiunn1 tng5 --ah4

  It's too long.

It is equally at home in a short reply on its own.

• 開矣，請入來。

  khui --ah tshiánn ji̍p lâikhui --ah chhiáⁿ ji̍p lâikhui1 --ah4 tshiann2 jip8 lai5

  It's open — please come in.

04

Toneless

矣 (--ah--ah--ah4) carries no tone of its own — written --ah, it leans on the word in front of it. Say it lightly and quickly; giving it a full tone is one of the things that marks out a beginner.

05

Not the Same as a Past Tense

Resist mapping 矣 (--ah--ah--ah4) onto English -ed. A plain verb can describe something finished long ago with no marker at all, and 矣 (--ah--ah--ah4) can describe a present state. What it always signals is the transition into that state.