Noun Phrases with 的 (Nominaliser)

01

Relative Clauses

This is how Taiwanese builds what English does with who, which and that. The clause goes FIRST, then 的 (êêe5), then the noun — or nothing at all, if the noun is obvious.

• 是啊，有啥物我會當鬥相共的無？

  sī-ah ū siánn-mih guá ē-tàng tàu-sann-kāng ê --bôsī-ah ū siáⁿ-mih góa ē-tàng tàu-saⁿ-kāng ê --bôsi7-ah4 u7 siann2-mih4 gua2 e7-tang3 tau3-sann1-kang7 e5 --bo5

  Yes — is there anything I can help with?

02

Closing a Question

A question about a completed event often ends in 的 (êêe5), which frames the whole thing as the one that happened and puts the focus on the detail being asked about — when, or where, rather than whether.

• 啥物時陣發生的？

  siánn-mih sî-tsūn huat-sing --êsiáⁿ-mih sî-chūn hoat-seng --êsiann2-mih4 si5-tsun7 huat4-sing1 --e5

  When did it happen?

• 佇佗位發生的？

  tī tó-uī huat-sing --êtī tó-ūi hoat-seng --êti7 to2-ui7 huat4-sing1 --e5

  Where did it happen?

The same shape gives you superlatives standing alone — the smallest, the cheapest — with no noun needed at all.

• 第四隻是上細的。

  tē-sì tsiah sī siōng sè --êtē-sì chiah sī siōng sè --ête7-si3 tsiah4 si7 siong7 se3 --e5

  The fourth one is the smallest.

• 這是你揣會著上俗的。

  tse sī lí tshuē ē --tio̍h siōng sio̍k êche sī lí chhōe ē --tio̍h siōng sio̍k êtse1 si7 li2 tshue7 e7 --tioh8 siong7 siok8 e5

  This is the cheapest one you'll find.

03

是 … 的 for Past Events

There is a very common frame where 是 (sīsīsi7) opens and 的 (êêe5) closes, wrapped around something that already happened. It does not ask whether the event took place — that is taken for granted — it puts the spotlight on the circumstances: when, where, how.

• 我是八月十二拜一出世的。

  guá sī peh-gue̍h tsa̍p-jī pài-it tshut-sì --êgóa sī peh-goe̍h cha̍p-jī pài-it chhut-sì --êgua2 si7 peh4-gueh8 tsap8-ji7 pai3-it4 tshut4-si3 --e5

  I was born on Monday the twelfth of August.

• 你一九八八年出世的。

  lí it-kiú-pat-pat nî tshut-sì --êlí it-kiú-pat-pat nî chhut-sì --êli2 it4-kiu2-pat4-pat4 ni5 tshut4-si3 --e5

  You were born in 1988.

• 你是第一个注意著的人！

  lí sī tē-it ê tsù-ì --tio̍h ê lânglí sī tē-it ê chù-ì --tio̍h ê lângli2 si7 te7-it4 e5 tsu3-i3 --tioh8 e5 lang5

  You're the first person to notice!

04

的時陣: Saying 'When'

Put a clause in front of 的時陣 (ê sî-tsūnê sî-chūne5 si5-tsun7), literally the moment of, and you get an English when-clause. It is the ordinary nominaliser doing its job on the noun moment, and it always comes first, before the main clause.

• 我愛睏的時陣無法度讀冊。

  guá ài-khùn ê sî-tsūn bô-huat-tōo tha̍k-tshehgóa ài-khùn ê sî-chūn bô-hoat-tō͘ tha̍k-chhehgua2 ai3-khun3 e5 si5-tsun7 bo5-huat4-too7 thak8-tsheh4

  When I'm sleepy I can't study.

• 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.

05

Telling the Three Apart

All three uses are the same syllable, so read the surroundings. If a noun follows, it is joining a modifier to that noun. If a person or thing comes before it and a noun follows, it is possessive. If nothing follows, 的 (êêe5) has turned what came before into a noun on its own — or is closing off the sentence.