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Classifiers are words that correspond to the grouping of items. They are words that "classify" a noun, for example, a cake of soap, a school of fish - the words in italics are the classifiers. They are known in Malay as Penjodoh Bilangan. Although they appear in English, classifiers are more commonplace in Asian languages including Malay, Mandarin, Japanese and of course Penang Hokkien.
A major difference between English and Penang Hokkien (or for that matter, Malay, Mandarin, etc.) is that most Asian languages use a classifier in addition to an indefinite article (a, an) or number. The classifier is always attached to the article or number.
"I buy a car" in Penang Hokkien is "wah beh4 chit-teng chia" (literally I - buy - a+classifier - car). The "teng" is the classifier for "chia" (car). You can't say "wah beh chit chia", but you can drop the whole article-classifier, to say "wah beh chia" (literally, I - buy - car).
"I buy two cars" in Penang Hokkien is "wah beh noh-teng chia" (I - buy - two+classifier - cars). You cannot say Wah beh noh chia.
List of Classifiers
leh2: General Classifier
This is the general classifier to use for items, and comes in useful when shopping.
Lu4 boak3 kooi1-leh2? How many do you want? (Literally: you - want - how-many)
Wah4 boak3 noh3 leh2: I want two. (Literally: I - want - two+classifer)
Wah4 boak3 ta3ta3 leh2: I want every item. (Literally: I - want - everyone)
teh3 also teh1: Classifier for piece
Use for bread, planks, tiles, and other things with a flat surface.
Wah chiak1 chit3-teh1 lo3ti1 I eat a piece of bread.
liap1 also liap3: Classifier for items with a solid shape
Used for rocks, eggs, balls, and other things with a "body".
Wah chiak3 noh3-liap3 nooi3 I eat two eggs.
Lu chiak3 kooi1-liap3 nooi3? How many eggs did you eat? (Literally, you - eat - how-many - eggs)
Wah chiak3 noh3-liap1. I eat two.
Note the change in tone for "liap" between "two eggs" and simply "two".
khien4 also khien3: Classifier for people
Used for people in general.
Wah hien3-tiok1 noh khien3 lang2, chit khien4 si3 tah3por1, chit khien4 si3 cha3bor4.
I saw two persons, one is a man, one is a woman.
chiah3 also chiah1: Classifier for animals
Used for chicken, cats, dogs, birds, crocodile, elephant, tiger, butterflies, frogs, etc.
Wah beh4 chit chiah1 keh1 I bought a chicken.
Kooi1-chiah3? How many?
Chit3 chiah3 One.
boay4 also boay1: Classifier for long-bodied animals, usually marine animals.
Used for fish, prawns, cuttlefish, squid.
Wah beh4 sarh boay1 hu2 I bought three fish.
Kooi1 looi1? How much?
Ch'arp3-goh3 khor1 RM15.
Ha1mik1 hu? What fish?
Chit1 boay1 har1'nga1 hu, norh3 boay1 phek3 ch'yau1. One sting-ray and two white-pomfrets.
View Glossary of Penang Hokkien Words
Return to Learn Penang Hokkien mainpage
  
   
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