Personal pronouns
Jinzhefng taixbengsuu 🔊 (人稱代名詞; personal pronouns; ref. to Chinese pronouns and 臺灣閩南語常用代名詞)
Personal pronouns Person Singular Plural First
person我
goar 🔊
I, meExclusive Inclusive 阮†
goarn 🔊 / gurn 🔊
we, us咱†
larn 🔊
we, usSecond
personInformal Formal 恁†
lirn 🔊
you你†
lie 🔊
youn/a
n/a
n/aThird
person伊
y 🔊
(s)he, him, her𪜶†
yn 🔊
they, them
Goar
- see also: zuxgvor
- Goar kah'ix`lie 🔊
- I like you.
Goarn
goarn (阮† we (exclusive)), gurn
- usually means "we" (not including listener). Can also mean you (singular) in a polite manner. For example, "How are we doing today?" to really mean "How are you doing today?"
- "Lie aix khix tøfui?" (normal)
- A girl asks her boyfriend, "Goarn aix khix tøfui?" (polite). Equivalent to "Lie aix..." but it's more inclusive.
- goarn-taw, goarn-amar
- Gurn is more common in the north
- Goarn is used in the south (Tvafkao and Tailaam)
- However, in Tailaam, goarn is used for males; gurn is used for females
Larn
- The inclusive "larn" may be used to express politeness or solidarity, as in the example of a speaker asking a stranger "Where do we live?", but meaning "Where do you live?".
- Speaker asks stranger, "Larn toax ti tøfui?"
- Speaker means, "Lie toax ti tøfui?" in a polite manner.
Lie
Lirn
lirn (恁† (plural) you / (possessive) your)
- Thaekhofng peng'iuo, lirn hør! 🔊
- Friends from outer space, hello! (see Greetings of the Voyager Golden Record)
- Lirn-taw ti tøfui? 🔊
- Where is your home/house?