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Expressing Duration in Penang Hokkien

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Having learned to express time, we next learn to express duration in Penang Hokkien.

Question Words related to Duration


  1. cor3 ku4 [tsɔ-ku] : how long (a time)
  2. ti3si2 [tsɔ-ku] : how long (a time), also pronounced ki3si2
  3. liau4 [liau] : already
  4. ceng2 [tseŋ] : ago

Short durations


  1. pnua3 [puã] : half

  2. miau4 [miau] : second(s)

  3. -leh3 ji3 [le-dzi] : minute(s), colloquial reading

  4. hun3ceng1 [hun-tseŋ] : minute(s), literary reading

  5. tiam1ceng1 [tiam-tseŋ] : hour

Long durations


  1. jit1 [dzit] : day
  2. meh2 [mɛ] : night
  3. leh1pai3 [le-pai] : week
  4. goay1 [goeʔ] : month
  5. ni2 [ni] : year

Questions & Answers


  1. Ie1 lai2 cor2 ku4?
    How long does he come?
    ("he - comes - how long")

  2. Ie1 lai2 nor3 jit1.
    He comes for two days.
    ("he - comes - two - days")

  3. Ee1 lai2 cor2 ku4?
    How long does she come?
    ("she - comes - how long")

  4. Ee1 lai2 snar3 tiam1ceng1 liau4.
    She came three hours already.
    ("she - came - three - hours - already")

  5. Ki3si2 ie1 lai2?
    When did he come?
    ("when - he - come ?")

  6. Ie1 lai2 pnua1 tiam1ceng1 liau4.
    He came half an hour already.
    ("He - came - half - hour - already")

  7. Ie1 lai2 cit3 tiam1ceng1 liau4.
    He came one hour already.
    ("He - came - one - hour - already")

  8. Ie1 lai2 cit3 tiam1ceng3 pnua3 liau4.
    He came one and a half hours already.
    ("He - came - one - hour - half - already")

  9. Ie1 lai2 kau1-leh3 ji3 liau4.
    He came 45 minutes already. (colloquial form)
    ("He - came - nine - classifier - words - already")

  10. Ie1 lai2 see1-cap3-gor3 hun3ceng1 liau4.
    He came 45 minutes already. (literary form)
    ("He - came - 45 - minutes - already")

  11. Ie1 lai2 snar3 jit3 ceng2.
    He came three days ago.
    ("He - came - three - days - ago")

  12. Ie1 lai2 teng1 leh1pai3.
    He came last week.
    ("He - came - previous - week")

  13. Ie1 lai2 teng1 goay1.
    He came last month.
    ("He - came - previous - month")

  14. Ie1 lai2 cit3 goay1 liau4.
    He came one month already.
    ("He - came - one - month - already")

  15. Ie1 lai2 cit3 ni3 ceng2.
    He came one year ago.
    ("He - came - one - year - ago")

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