Demonstratives: 這 and 彼

01

Standing Alone

Used by itself as a pronoun, this is 這 (tsechetse1) and that is 彼 (hehehe1). This is the form you meet in introductions and identifications.

• 這是我的朋友Anna。

  tse sī guá-ê pîng-iú Annache sī góa-ê pêng-iú Aⁿatse1 si7 gua2-e5 ping5-iu2 Anna1

  This is my friend Anna.

• 這是我的電腦。

  tse sī guá-ê tiān-náuche sī góa-ê tiān-náutse1 si7 gua2-e5 tian7-nau2

  This is my computer.

02

In Front of a Noun

Before a noun the readings change to tsit and hit, and — this is the part English speakers forget — a CLASSIFIER must follow. You cannot put 這 (tsitchittsit4) straight against a noun.

• 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.

• 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.

03

Here and There

The place words belong to the same near/far pair: 遮 (tsiachiatsia1) here and 遐 (hiahiahia1) there. They behave as nouns, so they follow 佇 (tītīti7) when they mark a location.

• 我的報紙佇遮，我的冊佇遐。

  guá-ê pò-tsuá tī tsia guá-ê tsheh tī hiagóa-ê pò-chóa tī chia góa-ê chheh tī hiagua2-e5 po3-tsua2 ti7 tsia1 gua2-e5 tsheh4 ti7 hia1

  My newspaper is here, my book is over there.

The near/far contrast is often drawn inside a single sentence, which is the clearest way to hear the difference.

• 這水真冷，彼水真燒。

  tsit tsuí tsin líng he tsuí tsin siochit chúi chin léng he chúi chin siotsit4 tsui2 tsin1 ling2 he1 tsui2 tsin1 sio1

  This water is very cold, that water is very hot.

Two things in that sentence go against what was said above, and both are normal. Substances that cannot be counted — water, rice, air — take no classifier, so 這 (tsitchittsit4) sits straight against 水 (tsuíchúitsui2). And the second one is said he, not hit: the standalone reading turns up before a mass noun too.

• 彼是啥？

  he sī siánnhe sī siáⁿhe1 si7 siann2

  What's that?

04

Like This

按呢 (án-neán-nean2-ne1) completes the set with manner — like this, so, in that case — and often opens a reply that reacts to what was just said. It counts as a demonstrative because it points at a way of doing something the same way 這 (tsechetse1) points at a thing.

• 你為啥物欲按呢做？

  lí uī-siánn-mih beh án-ne tsòlí ūi-siáⁿ-mih beh án-ne chòli2 ui7-siann2-mih4 beh4 an2-ne1 tso3

  Why do you want to do it that way?

• 我無按呢想。

  guá bô án-ne siūnngóa bô án-ne siūⁿgua2 bo5 an2-ne1 siunn7

  I don't think so.