Grammar – B

Bān-it – Just in case / on the odd chance that

Bat – Have…-ed (at some time in the past)

Bē koh / bōe koh – Never again

Bē khah su – Be just as good as / are no worse than

Bē su / bōe su – Be like / be no more than

Bē tàng / bōe tàng  - Cannot (physically do or achieve something)

Bē [verb] tit / bōe [verb] tit – Can’t (physically [verb] / are not allowed to [verb]

Beh – Going to …

Beh [verb] chìn-chêng – Before [verb]-ing

Beh ná – How could you / how are you going to be able to / how do you expect to …

Beh thài  - How could you / how are you going to be able to / how do you expect to …

Bián-tit – To save the trouble of … / avoid the inconvenience (or waste) of …

Bīn-lîm / biān-lîm – Face (task, problem, etc.)

Bīn-tùi  - Face (task, problem, etc.)

Bô – Otherwise

Bô - What the heck…; Are you (serious / crazy / out of your mind / etc.) …

Bô – Might as well / should / need to

Bô [time] -For only [time] / after only [time] / not even for [time]

Bô…bô… – [Often used for emphasis or simply as a colorful way to speak]

Bô… bē sái / bōe sái – Have to…, have no choice but to…

Bô…mā bô… – Neither…nor…

Bô X , tioh8 bô/ m̄ Y – Not Y unless /not Y until X

Bô beh koh – Never want to … again / will no longer

X bô Y hiah-ni̍h-á/hiah-ni̍h [Stative Verb] – X is not as [Stative Verb] as Y

Bô it-tēng – Not necessarily / not likely

Bô kán-tan (chiah) -With great difficulty / it took a lot of effort to

Bô kò· tit -(without) bothering to / (not) bother to / no longer continue to

Bô-kóan – No matter what/how

Bô koh [verb] – No longer

Bô kóng – Not be considered as / not be

Bô-lūn … (lóng …) – No matter who/what/how/how much/etc….

Bô nāi-hô – Have no choice but to

Bô pí…(iā) koh khah.. – There’s no one / nothing that is more…than…

Bô pòaⁿ [measure word / time word] – Not one…, not a single…

Bô phah-sǹg – Without expecting / unexpectedly

Bô ta̍t-tit – Not be worth it

Bô tiāⁿ-tioh8 – Might / might very well

Bô thang – Not very; not really

Bōe [verb] tit  - [see: bē [verb] tit]

Bōe koh – [see: bē koh]

Bōe su – [see: bē su]

Bōe tàng  - [see: bē tàng]

Bo̍h-kóng (sī) – Moreover / furthermore

Bóng [verb] – (Without hope of success or particular purpose, but) [verb] anyway

Bān-it

Just in case; on the odd chance that

Chhiú-ki-á iáu sī chah leh, bān-it ū lâng beh chhōe lí, ē-tàng má-siōng liân-lo̍k.

Just in case someone wants find you, go on and bring the cellphone so that they can immediately get in touch.

Kā hoat-phiò siu hō· hó-sè, bān-it tio̍h ài thè-hòe iá koh tio̍h ài iōng.

Make sure that you get a receipt, since on the off chance you need to return the goods, you’ll need to use it.

Bat

Have…-ed (at some time in the past)

Related: Iā bat; pat

Góa bat khì kòe Pak-kiaⁿ kap Siōng-hái.

I have been to Peking and Shanghai.

Góa chîaⁿ-kú í-chêng chīu bat i ah.

I met her a long time ago.

Kàu taⁿ, i it-hiòng m̄ bat chhēng chi̍t-su se-bí-loh.

Until now, he had never worn a suit.

Bē koh / bōe koh

Never again

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Pa̍t-lâng bē koh siōng-sìn i só· kóng ê ōe ah.

Others will never again believe what he says.

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Góa āu-pái bōe koh lim chiú ah.

I will never drink again.

Bē khah su

Be just as good as; are no worse than

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Chit-má Tiong-kok-chè ê bē khah su Tâi-ôan-chè ê.

 These days Chinese-made ones are just as good as Taiwan-made ones.

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Góa siūⁿ lióng-pêng ê bûn-bêng kok ū te̍k-sek; chóng-sī kóng Tang-iûⁿ ê bûn-bêng bē khah su Se-iûⁿ, che kiaⁿ chò kóng-liáu siuⁿ chū-khoa.

I think that the civilizations of both sides each have special aspects; however to say that Eastern civilization is just as good as Western, I’m afraid this is speaking a bit too boastfully.

Bē su / bōe su

Be like; be no more than

Note: Usually implies some dislike or dissatisfaction with the subject.

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I ê kha-chhng bē-su ū gō·-pah kin tāng ê khóan.

His butt seems like it’s as heavy as 500 catties. (= he’s too tired or lazy to get up and move)

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Gûn-hâng sêng-tam liáu tōa-pō·-hūn ê chhàu-miâ-siaⁿ, khá-lô-châi soah hōng pi-chiáⁿ-hòa, jio̍k-sè-hòa, bōe su in sī siōng bû-nāi-hô ê chi̍t-tīn lâng.

The banks have assumed most of the opprobrium, while the “card slaves” conversely are seen as victimized and the underdog, as if they were the group of people most without fault.

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Pak-hân í-keng kóng Liân-ha̍p-kok An-lí-hōe ê chè-chhâi bē su sóan-chiàn, só·-í in mā bô teh kiaⁿ Liân-ha̍p-kok tùi Pak-hân ê chè-chhâi hêng-tōng.

North Korea already said that the United Nations Security Council sanctions are the same as a declaration of war, so they already do not fear action on sanctions against North Korea by the UN.

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Chèng-hú ê keng-chè choan-ka ke-chin hoaⁿ-hí, in-ūi chéng-kò ê keng-chè o̍ah-tāng bē-su hái-éng giâ–khí-lâi, m̄-koh tùi kok-pia̍t ka-têng ê lī-ek tian-tò bài.

 Government economic specialists are very happy, since overall economic activity seems to have risen like a wave, but it’s conversely not to the benefit of individual households.

Bē tàng / bōe tàng

Cannot (physically do or achieve something)

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Kà gí-giân ê sî, bōe-tàng bô kóng bûn-hòa.

When you teach a language, you can’t not talk about culture.

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Hia̍p-gī sêng-lo̍k kóng, Tiong-kok chèng-hú ē àn-chiàu Tēng Siáu-pêng ê “it-kok lióng-chè” chèng-chhek, khak-pó Tiong-kok ê siā-hōe-chú-gī chè-tō· bōe tiàm Hiong-káng si̍t-hêng, khak-pó Hiong-káng tû-liáu gōa-kau kah kok-hông í-gōa, tī kî-thaⁿ kok hong-bīn hiáng-siū ko-tō· chū-tī, it-ti̍t kàu-kah 50-nî āu ê 2047 nî lóng bē-tàng kái-piàn.

The agreement promises that the Chinese government will, in adherence to Deng Xiaopings’s “one country, two systems” policy, ensure that the Chinese socialist system will not be introduced into Hong Kong, guarantee that aside from foreign relations and national defense, in all other aspects Hong Kong will enjoy a high degree of autonomy; this cannot change until 50 years later in 2047.

Bē [verb] tit / bōe [verb] tit

Can’t (physically) [verb]; not allowed to [verb]

Note: Tit is in almost all cases pronounced with the neutral tone.

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Chit kiāⁿ tāi-chì gōa-lâng bōe chhap chhiú tit.

Outsiders cannot get involved in this affair.

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Lí chit ê lâng bōe kóan tit!

You just won’t listen to anyone! [= can't be controlled]

Beh

1. Try

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Lí tàu-té beh kóng sím-mi̍h?

What exactly are you trying to say?

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Lí lâi ah oh, góa tú-hó beh chhōe lí.

Oh, you’re here now; I was just going to try looking for you.

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2. Will; going to; was; was going to

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Kun-kù khó-khò ê siau-sit thàu-lō·, iû-kè teh beh tī chi̍t lé-bài lāi-té tiau-seng.

According to reliable information, the price of oil will adjust upwards within the next week.

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Siàu-liân-lâng chiah-ê m̄-bat būn-hòa, m̄-bat le̍k-sú, m̄-bat ha̍k-būn, m̄-bat tāi-chì, Bí-kok beh thài ē ōaⁿ-sin chìn-pō·.

For young people to be so ignorant of culture, history, scholarship, and things in general, how can America renew itself and progress?

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Lâng tī Niú-iok ê Tē-kak-sin Chóng-lí chhú-siau i gôan-lâi phah-sǹg tī Pài-jī beh tòa Liân-ha̍p-kok Tāi-hōe téng-thâu ê ián-soat.

 In New York, Prime Minister Thaksin cancelled the speech that he originally planned to give on Tuesday at the United Nation’s General Assembly.

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Góa ê jīm-bū m̄-sī beh chham Tiong-kok-lâng chiàⁿ-bīn chhiong-tu̍t, sī beh kā bō·-e̍k tâm- phòaⁿ khui hō· sêng-kong.

My mission was not to get into direct conflict with the Chinese, it was to successfully hold trade negotiations.

Beh [verb] chìn-chêng

Before [verb]-ing

Related: tī … chìn-chêng

 

Lí beh khùn chìn-chêng ài sé chhùi-khí.

 Before you go to bed, you need to brush your teeth.

 

Tī beh koaiⁿ ji̍p kaⁿ-ka̍k chìn-chêng, i iau-kiû chia̍h gû-pâi chi̍t tǹg.

 Before he was to be locked up in prison, he asked to have a meal of steak.

 

Beh cháu chìn chêng, ài ē kì tit kā chùi koaiⁿ hō· ân.

Before leaving, you need to remember to turn the water off.