Classifiers — Taiwanese Hokkien Grammar

A number can never sit straight next to a noun. Between them goes a classifier — a small word chosen to suit the kind of thing being counted. English does this only for uncountable nouns (two slices of bread, a pair of trousers); Taiwanese does it for everything.

Number + Classifier + Noun

The order is fixed, and (tsi̍tchi̍ttsit8) in this frame does duty for both one and a.

這是一个查埔人。
tse sī tsi̍t ê tsa-poo-lângche sī chi̍t ê cha-po͘-lângtse1 si7 tsit8 e5 tsa1-poo1-lang5
This is a man.
這是一个查某人。
tse sī tsi̍t ê tsa-bóo-lângche sī chi̍t ê cha-bó͘-lângtse1 si7 tsit8 e5 tsa1-boo2-lang5
This is a woman.
一台舊的收音機。
tsi̍t tâi kū ê siu-im-kichi̍t tâi kū ê siu-im-kitsit8 tai5 ku7 e5 siu1-im1-ki1
An old radio.

The General Classifier 个

(êêe5) is the one to fall back on. It covers people and a wide range of everyday objects, and if you cannot recall the specific classifier for something, (êêe5) will usually pass.

這个人佇咧食物件。
tsit ê lâng tī-leh tsia̍h mi̍h-kiānnchit ê lâng tī-leh chia̍h mi̍h-kiāⁿtsit4 e5 lang5 ti7-leh4 tsiah8 mih8-kiann7
This person is eating.

Specific Classifiers

The specific ones carry meaning, and using the right one sounds markedly more fluent. This course uses forty of them. Among the most common: (tsiahchiahtsiah4) for animals, (tâitâitai5) for vehicles and machines, (púnpúnpun2) for books, (kingkengking1) for rooms, houses and shops, (niániánia2) for garments, (kikiki1) for long thin things, (lia̍plia̍pliap8) for round ones and (uīūiui7) as a polite classifier for people.

這本冊真趣味。
tsit pún tsheh tsin tshù-bīchit pún chheh chin chhù-bītsit4 pun2 tsheh4 tsin1 tshu3-bi7
This book is very interesting.
這本冊足舊矣。
tsit pún tsheh tsiok kū --ahchit pún chheh chiok kū --ahtsit4 pun2 tsheh4 tsiok4 ku7 --ah4
This book is very old now.

After This and That

A demonstrative needs a classifier just as a number does — you cannot say this book with the two words alone. (tsitchittsit4) and (hithithit4) take the classifier straight after them.

彼个查某人佇咧𤆬狗散步。
hit ê tsa-bóo-lâng tī-leh tshuā káu sàn-pōohit ê cha-bó͘-lâng tī-leh chhōa káu sàn-pō͘hit4 e5 tsa1-boo2-lang5 ti7-leh4 tshua7 kau2 san3-poo7
That woman is walking the dog.
彼个人牽狗佇咧走。
hit ê lâng khan káu tī-leh tsáuhit ê lâng khan káu tī-leh cháuhit4 e5 lang5 khan1 kau2 ti7-leh4 tsau2
That person is running with a dog.

Dropping the Noun

Once everyone knows what is being talked about, the noun itself can go, leaving the number and classifier to stand for it. Adding (êêe5) after a describing word does the same job — a new one.

咱買一本新的。
lán bé tsi̍t pún sin êlán bé chi̍t pún sin êlan2 be2 tsit8 pun2 sin1 e5
Let's buy a new one.

Learning Them

Do not try to memorise the list. Learn each classifier with a noun you already know — (púnpúnpun2) with book, (tâitâitai5) with car, (tsiahchiahtsiah4) with dog — and the pattern will generalise on its own.

In the course

Sentences from Lingora’s Taiwanese Hokkien course

163 of the course's 500 sentences use this, the first in lesson 11. A few of them, with the words “Classifiers” is about in bold:

我有兩台汽車，兩台跤踏車，三台機車。
guá ū nn̄g tâi khì-tshia, nn̄g tâi kha-ta̍h-tshia, sann tâi ki-tshia.góa ū nn̄g tâi khì-chhia, nn̄g tâi kha-ta̍h-chhia, saⁿ tâi ki-chhia.gua2 u7 nng7 tai5 khi3-tshia1, nng7 tai5 kha1-tah8-tshia1, sann1 tai5 ki1-tshia1.
I have two cars, two bicycles, and three motorbikes.
Lesson 33
我欲買一莢弓蕉佮六粒雞卵。
guá beh bé tsi̍t ngeh king-tsio kah la̍k lia̍p ke-nn̄g.góa beh bé chi̍t ngeh keng-chio kah la̍k lia̍p ke-nn̄g.gua2 beh4 be2 tsit8 ngeh4 king1-tsio1 kah4 lak8 liap8 ke1-nng7.
I am buying one banana and six eggs.
Lesson 43
我嘛共你買一打雞卵佮一條巧固力。
guá mā kā lí bé tsi̍t tánn ke-nn̄g kah tsi̍t tiâu tsioo-kóo-lè-tòo.góa mā kā lí bé chi̍t táⁿ ke-nn̄g kah chi̍t tiâu chio͘-kó͘-lè-tò͘.gua2 ma7 ka7 li2 be2 tsit8 tann2 ke1-nng7 kah4 tsit8 tiau5 tsioo1-koo2-le3-too3.
I bought a dozen eggs and a candy bar for you too.
Lesson 47

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