Location and Time with 佇 (tī) — Taiwanese Hokkien Grammar

(tītīti7) is the general-purpose locative, covering English at, in and on in one word. Taiwanese has few prepositions, and this one does a great deal of the work.

你的電腦佇遐。
lí-ê tiān-náu tī hialí-ê tiān-náu tī hiali2-e5 tian7-nau2 ti7 hia1
Your computer is over there.
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.

Before the Verb

When a location frames an action, (tītīti7) and its place come BEFORE the verb, not after it as in English. Read it as at the bank, work rather than work at the bank.

我的爸母佇銀行食頭路。
guá-ê pē-bú tī gîn-hâng tsia̍h-thâu-lōogóa-ê pē-bú tī gîn-hâng chia̍h-thâu-lō͘gua2-e5 pe7-bu2 ti7 gin5-hang5 tsiah8-thau5-loo7
My parents work at a bank.
佇教堂正斡。
tī kàu-tn̂g tsiànn uattī kàu-tn̂g chiàⁿ oatti7 kau3-tng5 tsiann3 uat4
Turn right at the church.

A small group of verbs is the exception, and they are the ones about being somewhere rather than doing something there. With (tuàtòatua3) live, the place follows the verb, exactly as in English.

我少年時蹛佇中國。
guá siàu-liân sî tuà tī tiong-kokgóa siàu-liân sî tòa tī tiong-kokgua2 siau3-lian5 si5 tua3 ti7 tiong1-kok4
When I was young I lived in China.

Precise Positions

For anything more exact than at, a position word follows the noun — (tíng-bīnténg-bīnting2-bin7) on top, (lāi-télāi-télai7-te2) inside. The frame is (tītīti7) + NOUN + POSITION, so the noun is sandwiched.

我佇表格頂面簽名。
guá tī pió-keh tíng-bīn tshiam-miâgóa tī pió-keh téng-bīn chhiam-miâgua2 ti7 pio2-keh4 ting2-bin7 tshiam1-mia5
I signed at the top of the form.
佇冰櫥內底。
tī ping-tû lāi-tétī peng-tû lāi-téti7 ping1-tu5 lai7-te2
In the fridge.

Asking and Answering Where

(tī tó-uītī tó-ūiti7 to2-ui7) where is simply (tītīti7) with the question word for which place, and the answer keeps the same shape — which makes this one of the easiest exchanges to master.

物食佇佗位？
mi̍h-tsia̍h tī tó-uīmi̍h-chia̍h tī tó-ūimih8-tsiah8 ti7 to2-ui7
Where's the food?
查某囝佇佗位？
tsa-bóo-kiánn tī tó-uīcha-bó͘-kiáⁿ tī tó-ūitsa1-boo2-kiann2 ti7 to2-ui7
Where's your daughter?
伊佇學校。
i tī ha̍k-hāui tī ha̍k-hāui1 ti7 hak8-hau7
She's at school.

Time As Well

The same word introduces points in time, where English would switch to at or on depending on the noun.

𪜶攏是佇這个時陣煮食。
in lóng-sī tī tsit ê sî-tsūn tsú-tsia̍hin lóng-sī tī chit ê sî-chūn chú-chia̍hin1 long2-si7 ti7 tsit4 e5 si5-tsun7 tsu2-tsiah8
They always cook at this time.

In the course

Sentences from Lingora’s Taiwanese Hokkien course

35 of the course's 500 sentences use this, the first in lesson 22. A few of them, with the words “Location and Time with 佇 (tī)” is about in bold:

查某囝佇佗位？ - 伊佇學校。
tsa-bóo-kiánn tī tó-uī? - i tī ha̍k-hāu.cha-bó͘-kiáⁿ tī tó-ūi? - i tī ha̍k-hāu.tsa1-boo2-kiann2 ti7 to2-ui7? - i1 ti7 hak8-hau7.
Where is our daughter? - She's at school.
Lesson 242
我佇市場。遐足濟人。
guá tī tshī-tiûnn. hia tsiok tsē lâng.góa tī chhī-tiûⁿ. hia chiok chē lâng.gua2 ti7 tshi7-tiunn5. hia1 tsiok4 tse7 lang5.
I am at the market. It is very busy.
Lesson 249
佇我有新車進前，我著愛騎跤踏車。
tī guá ū sin tshia tsìn-tsîng, guá tio̍h-ài khiâ kha-ta̍h-tshia.tī góa ū sin chhia chìn-chêng, góa tio̍h-ài khiâ kha-ta̍h-chhia.ti7 gua2 u7 sin1 tshia1 tsin3-tsing5, gua2 tioh8-ai3 khia5 kha1-tah8-tshia1.
I have to ride my bike until I get a new car.
Lesson 301

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