Main & Subordinate Clause in Penang Hokkien
Go Back1.0 A clause is a group of words containing a subject and a verb. There are two types: the main clause and the subordinate clause.
1.1 The main clause makes a complete statement. I let him know.
Wah4 hor33 ie1 cai1.
The boy walked to school.
Heh1-leh1 gin1na4 knia2 khee3 ok3terng2. 1.2 The subordinate clause is joined to the main clause by a joining word to complete a statement. The subordinate clause cannot stand on its own; it needs a main clause to form a sentence known as a complex sentence. ... that I love to eat durians.
... kong4 wah4 su1ka1 ciak3 du3rian1.
... who missed the bus ...
... ceh3 boh3 tiok3 bas1 eh2... 1.3 The subordinate clause can be attached to the main clause using a joining word that can either be a relative pronoun or a subordinating conjunction. In the following examples, the subordinate clause is underlined while the joining word is shown in bold. I let him know that I love to eat durians.
Wah4 hor33 ie1 cai1 kong4 wah4 su1ka1 ciak3 du3rian1.
The boy who missed the bus walked to school.
Heh1-leh1 ceh3 boh3 tiok3 bas1 eh3 gin1na4 knia2 khee3 ok3terng2.
2.0 Construction of Subordinate Clauses
As mentioned, a subordinate clause can be constructed using a joining word, which can be a subordinating conjunction or a relative pronoun.2.1 Using a Subordinating Conjunction The main subordinating conjunction in English is "that" (in Malay it is "yang"), while in Penang Hokkien, it is "kong4". A subordinate clause in Penang Hokkien is formed in the same way as in English. The subordinating conjunction is usually the first word within the subordinate clause.
In the following complex sentences, the subordinate clause is underlined while the subordinating conjunction is shown in bold. He found out that the bus has left.
Ie1 cai1 tiok1 kong4 bas1 khee3 liau4.
I told the police that my house was burglarised. (literally, "that thief entered my house")
Wah1 kong4 hor33 ma1ta1 thnia1 kong4 wah4-eh3 chu3 jip3 chat1.
They found out that Penang Hokkien is easy to learn.
Ie1lang2 cai1 tiok1 kong4 Pi3nang3 Su33 Hok1kien1 wa3 eng3 ok1. 2.2 Using a Relative Pronoun The relative pronouns in English include who, whom, whose and which, among others. In English, the relative pronoun is placed at the front of the subordinate clause, which is then attached to the antecedent (the item it mentions) in the main clause. I spoke to the old man whose son is a lawyer.
In the above sentence, "whose son is a lawyer" is the subordinate clause. The main clause is "I spoke to the old man". The relative pronoun is "whose" while the antecedent is "the old man".
In Penang Hokkien, the possessive particle eh3 (or eh2, if it is the final word in the sentence) is used in place of the relative pronoun. Unlike the relative pronoun, the possessive particle is placed at the end of the subordinate clause. In the examples below, the relative pronouns (eh3) is in bold, the subordinate clause is underlined, while the antecedent is italicized. I spoke to the old man whose son is a lawyer.
Wah4 kong1 wa3 ka1 heh1-leh1 lau3 lang2, ie1-eh3 knia4 co1 law1ya1 eh2. In Penang Hokkien, the subordinate clause can appear in front of or behind the antecedent, but the possessive particle must always appear at the end of the subordinate clause. In the examples below, the relative pronouns and possessive particle (eh3) are in bold, the subordinate clauses are underlined, while the antecedents are italicized. The Indian man who sells bread has come to see you.
Heh1-leh1 beh3 lo3ti1 eh3 Ke1ling1na4 lai3 choay3 lu4.
The woman whom the rich man married is very beautiful.
Heh1-leh1 ca3bor4 heh1-leh1 uh3 lui3 lang2 kaw3in1 eh2 cin3 sui4.
The money which I put on the table is gone.
Heh1-leh1 lui1 wah4 haeh3 ti1 tok1teng4 eh2 bo2 khee3 liau4.
Penang Hokkien Grammar
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