Degree Adverbs: 真, 足, 誠 and 傷 — Taiwanese Hokkien Grammar

An adjective standing as a predicate normally needs a degree word in front of it. A bare adjective on its own tends to sound like the start of a comparison rather than a complete statement, so she is happy comes out as she VERY happy.

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.
真清爽。
tsin tshing-sóngchin chheng-sóngtsin1 tshing1-song2
Very refreshing.

The Three 'Verys'

(tsinchintsin1), (tsiokchioktsiok4) and (tsiânnchiâⁿtsiann5) all mean very and are largely interchangeable. (tsinchintsin1) is the most common; (tsiokchioktsiok4) feels a little stronger and more colloquial.

真歡喜佮你熟似。
tsin huann-hí kah lí si̍k-sāichin hoaⁿ-hí kah lí se̍k-sāitsin1 huann1-hi2 kah4 li2 sik8-sai7
Very pleased to meet you.
你的鞄足重。
lí-ê kha-báng tsiok tānglí-ê kha-báng chiok tāngli2-e5 kha1-bang2 tsiok4 tang7
Your bag is very heavy.
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.

Stronger and Excessive

(ū-kàuū-kàuu7-kau3) is emphatic — really, downright, and also enough when you are asking whether there is as much as you need.

這个敢有夠大？
tsit ê kám ū kàu tuāchit ê kám ū kàu tōatsit4 e5 kam2 u7 kau3 tua7
Is this one big enough?

(siunnsiuⁿsiunn1) is different in kind: it means too, more than you want, and always carries a complaint.

這傷貴矣。
tse siunn kuì --ahche siuⁿ kùi --ahtse1 siunn1 kui3 --ah4
This is too expensive.

Degree or Comparison?

Keep these apart from (khahkhahkhah4) more and (siōngsiōngsiong7) most. Those compare one thing against another; the degree adverbs here simply say how much, with nothing to compare against. They occupy the same slot before the adjective, so only one appears at a time.

Never With 是

Remember that no linking verb appears here. She is very happy has no word for is — the degree word plus the adjective is the entire predicate.

In the course

Sentences from Lingora’s Taiwanese Hokkien course

102 of the course's 500 sentences use this, the first in lesson 4. A few of them, with the words “Degree Adverbs: 真, 足, 誠 and 傷” is about in bold:

我感覺足好矣！我無破病。我真健康。
guá kám-kak tsiok hó--ah! guá bô phuà-pēnn. guá tsin kiān-khong.góa kám-kak chiok hó--ah! góa bô phòa-pēⁿ. góa chin kiān-khong.gua2 kam2-kak4 tsiok4 ho2--ah4! gua2 bo5 phua3-penn7. gua2 tsin1 kian7-khong1.
I feel great! I am not sick. I am healthy.
Lesson 64
這水真冷，彼水真燒。
tsit tsuí tsin líng, he tsuí tsin sio.chit chúi chin léng, he chúi chin sio.tsit4 tsui2 tsin1 ling2, he1 tsui2 tsin1 sio1.
This water is cold. That water is hot.
Lesson 68
伊有一台足慢足俗的車。
i ū tsi̍t tâi tsiok bān tsiok sio̍k ê tshia.i ū chi̍t tâi chiok bān chiok sio̍k ê chhia.i1 u7 tsit8 tai5 tsiok4 ban7 tsiok4 siok8 e5 tshia1.
She has a slow, cheap car.
Lesson 110

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