予 (hōo): Give, Let and the Passive

01

Giving

With a recipient and a thing, it is simply give.

• 我予你一粒阿司匹林治頭疼。

  guá hōo lí tsi̍t lia̍p a-suh-pi-lîm tī thâu-thiànngóa hō͘ lí chi̍t lia̍p a-suh-pi-lîm tī thâu-thiàⁿgua2 hoo7 li2 tsit8 liap8 a1-suh4-pi1-lim5 ti7 thau5-thiann3

  I'll give you an aspirin for your headache.

• 請予我一杯咖啡佮一个三明治。

  tshiánn hōo guá tsi̍t pue ka-pi kah tsi̍t ê sann-bîng-tīchhiáⁿ hō͘ góa chi̍t poe ka-pi kah chi̍t ê saⁿ-bêng-tītshiann2 hoo7 gua2 tsit8 pue1 ka1-pi1 kah4 tsit8 e5 sann1-bing5-ti7

  A coffee and a sandwich, please.

• 少年的，請閣予我一杯茶。

  siàu-liân --ê tshiánn koh hōo guá tsi̍t pue têsiàu-liân --ê chhiáⁿ koh hō͘ góa chi̍t poe têsiau3-lian5 --e5 tshiann2 koh4 hoo7 gua2 tsit8 pue1 te5

  Excuse me — another cup of tea, please.

Ordering and requesting are built on exactly this frame, so it is worth having ready before you go anywhere near a restaurant.

• 請予我一碗湯、一寡飯佮一杯茶。

  tshiánn hōo guá tsi̍t uán thng tsi̍t-kuá pn̄g kah tsi̍t pue têchhiáⁿ hō͘ góa chi̍t oán thng chi̍t-kóa pn̄g kah chi̍t poe têtshiann2 hoo7 gua2 tsit8 uan2 thng1 tsit8-kua2 png7 kah4 tsit8 pue1 te5

  A bowl of soup, some rice and a cup of tea, please.

02

Giving To Someone

After another verb, 予 (hōohō͘hoo7) marks who ends up with the result — English to in send it to me. The recipient follows 予 (hōohō͘hoo7) and the whole phrase goes at the end.

• 我送一个禮物予阿爸。

  guá sàng tsi̍t ê lé-bu̍t hōo a-pahgóa sàng chi̍t ê lé-bu̍t hō͘ a-pahgua2 sang3 tsit8 e5 le2-but8 hoo7 a1-pah4

  I gave a present to my father.

• 阮阿爸買一个禮物予阿母。

  guán a-pah bé tsi̍t ê lé-bu̍t hōo a-búgoán a-pah bé chi̍t ê lé-bu̍t hō͘ a-búguan2 a1-pah4 be2 tsit8 e5 le2-but8 hoo7 a1-bu2

  My father bought a present for my mother.

• 我到了後寄一張明信片予你。

  guá kàu liáu-āu kià tsi̍t tiunn bîng-sìn-phìnn hōo lígóa kàu liáu-āu kià chi̍t tiuⁿ bêng-sìn-phìⁿ hō͘ lígua2 kau3 liau2-au7 kia3 tsit8 tiunn1 bing5-sin3-phinn3 hoo7 li2

  I'll send you a postcard after I arrive.

• 到的時陣，請敲電話予阮。

  kàu ê sî-tsūn tshiánn khà tiān-uē hōo guánkàu ê sî-chūn chhiáⁿ khà tiān-ōe hō͘ goánkau3 e5 si5-tsun7 tshiann2 kha3 tian7-ue7 hoo7 guan2

  When you arrive, please give us a call.

03

Letting

Give someone an action rather than an object and you get permission or causation — let me, allow me to. English switches verb entirely here, but Taiwanese keeps the same word.

• 講予我知，發生啥物代誌？

  kóng hōo guá tsai huat-sing siánn-mih tāi-tsìkóng hō͘ góa chai hoat-seng siáⁿ-mih tāi-chìkong2 hoo7 gua2 tsai1 huat4-sing1 siann2-mih4 tai7-tsi3

  Let me know — what happened?

• 伊佇咧開門，欲予我入去。

  i tī-leh khui-mn̂g beh hōo guá ji̍p khìi tī-leh khui-mn̂g beh hō͘ góa ji̍p khìi1 ti7-leh4 khui1-mng5 beh4 hoo7 gua2 jip8 khi3

  She's opening the door to let me in.

• 你敢會當予我看相片？

  lí kám ē-tàng hōo guá khuànn siòng-phìnnlí kám ē-tàng hō͘ góa khoàⁿ siòng-phìⁿli2 kam2 e7-tang3 hoo7 gua2 khuann3 siong3-phinn3

  Could you let me see the photo?

It stretches to the person an action is aimed at, even when nothing changes hands.

• 伊讀這本冊予伊後生聽。

  i tha̍k tsit pún tsheh hōo i hāu-senn thianni tha̍k chit pún chheh hō͘ i hāu-seⁿ thiaⁿi1 thak8 tsit4 pun2 tsheh4 hoo7 i1 hau7-senn1 thiann1

  She's reading this book to her son.

04

A Note on the Passive

予 (hōohō͘hoo7) has a third job, which follows from the second: give an action to someone and you can also let them do it TO you. That is the passive, built as OBJECT + 予 (hōohō͘hoo7) + DOER + VERB. The one thing to remember is that the doer can never be left out — where English says it was broken with nobody named, Taiwanese must say who broke it. Recognising the shape is enough for now.

05

Together With 共

共 (kākāka7) and 予 (hōohō͘hoo7) often appear in the same sentence, one marking what is handled and the other who ends up with it. This is the ordinary way to ask someone to pass you something.

• 你敢會當共鹽提予我？

  lí kám ē-tàng kā iâm the̍h hōo guálí kám ē-tàng kā iâm the̍h hō͘ góali2 kam2 e7-tang3 ka7 iam5 theh8 hoo7 gua2

  Could you pass me the salt?

• 你若需要鬥相共，敲電話予我。

  lí nā su-iàu tàu-sann-kāng khà tiān-uē hōo guálí nā su-iàu tàu-saⁿ-kāng khà tiān-ōe hō͘ góali2 na7 su1-iau3 tau3-sann1-kang7 kha3 tian7-ue7 hoo7 gua2

  If you need help, give me a call.