Sayings

Sayings

• Kviabor-taixtioxnghw

zhoaan-piexnpien

to make all necessary preparations

afpuikiern

muscleman

zexpag-hiornglaam; ze pag, ngx laam (坐北向南)

(for a sunny home) sit (situated) north, face towards south

U ciah køq u liah.

You have eaten and you take something. refers to when you are a guest at someone's home. You are fed as well as given things to take home.

Chitzhuix-pøehcih

seven mouths, eight tongues: all talking at once

Ciah khaq toaxkhof

eat well

Harnji na thak øe bad, zhuiechiw tøh phaq sifkad.

(It means that you can't understand all the Han characters even if you studied until you could tie your beard into a knot.)

chitkorng-pøehkorng 七講八講

wag one's tongue too freely

korng-peqzhat

to tell a lie

Ciah ti syn, zheng ti bin.

Eating is for your body and wearing is for your appearance.

Ciaqpng hongtex-toa. (Ciah png hongtex toa.)

When eating dinner, you feel you were as great as a king.

Kutlat ciah, pintvoa zøx. (Kutlat ciaqlat, pintvoa thwn noa.)

Eats hard but work lazy.

Uxthaau-uxbøea.

From the beginning to the end.

Kaki, khvoax bøextiøh hvi'ar. (Hvi'ar svef nng hiøh, kaki khvoax be tiøh.)

Nobody can see their own ears.

Cidhvi jip, cidhvi zhud. (Cid'hvixkhafng jip, cid'hvixkhafng zhud.)

One ear in and one ear out.

Toaxlat, siøhlat.

Make efforts, work efficiently.

Toa si hviaf, søex si ti.

Older brother is on the leader, younger brother is the follower.

Svahøex kax goxhøex.

A three-year old kid teaches a five-year old kid.

Svaf korng, six mxtiøh.

Speak three times make four times errors.

Sva'ee laang, kviaa goxtiaau-lo.

Three people try to walk on five roads.

Hog tøe hog jiin ky.

the lucky land does a lucky person live

Hør giah bøo køex svaf tai.

richness(fortune) does not last past three generations.

Ciaqpng ciah ka laukvoa, zøx khangkhøex zøx ka uiekvoaa.

Eat till you sweat but work till you are chilled ( you work harder to eat than to do work )

Zhunthvy auxbuo bin. (Zhunthvy auxbuo bin, bøeq piexn cit sikafn.)

spring weather changes frequently (like a step mother face/mood)

Naxu ieen, øe zørhøea. (U ieen bøo ieen, tagkef laai zørhøea.)

Svaf nii cidhoarn, go nii cidloan

chinchviu teq uxn tauxiuu, from http://taiwan-id.blogspot.com/

Cidlaang ciah cidpvoax, kafmzeeng poaa boe soax. (Cidlaang ciah cidpvoax, kafmzeeng ciaq bøexsvoax.)

Table

• http://www.taiwanchurch.org/taibun/eng-tai.html

MTL	Harnji	English
hvoathaau-hybin	歡頭喜面	beaming with joy, all smiles
hoanthiefn-hytøe; hvoathvy-hytøe	歡天喜地	exceedingly glad, jumping with joy
Hvixkhafng khaq tang. / hvixkhafng-tang	耳空重	Ear hole is heavier (hard of hearing)
Hvixkhafng-tang ee laang kofng'oe chinchviu teq siøme.	耳空重的人講話親像咧相罵	Heavy-ear-hole-people talking [sounds] just like they are scolding/fighting
Toaxkeq-køef ban thii.	大格雞慢啼	Larger-breed chicken slower to crow.
Liao cvii, siauzay.	了錢消災	spend money, avert calamity
Mxkviaf cidban, siong kviaf baxn'id.	毋驚一萬上驚萬一	people are not afraid of spending money, but they are afraid of something unexpected