[verb] ē / ōe [complement]
Will be able to [verb]
Môe-kùi-hoe mā chèng ē o̍ah.
Roses will also grow here.
I ê bīn-hêng-á seⁿ-tio̍h bē bái, mā chin chhong-bêng, m̄-kó góa kā i tàu bē ha̍h.
Her face isn’t bad, and she’s very smart, but I just don’t click with her.
Chit-khóan kóe-chí liâm-piⁿ nōa-khì, khǹg tī léng-chông-sek tio̍h pó-chûn ē hó-sè.
This kind of fruit goes bad really fast; put it in the walk-in refrigerator and it’ll keep fine.
[Verb] ē lo̍h khì
Continue to [verb]
Khò· chò kah eh-eh sè-sè, beh ná chhēng ē lo̍h khì?
His pants are so tight, how can he keep wearing them?
Seng-lí bái kah giōng beh chò bōe lo̍h khì.
Business is so bad that I’m almost not able to keep going.
[Verb] ē / ōe hó // [Verb] bē / bōe hó
Be able to successfully [verb]
Be unable to successfully [verb]
Chit-hāng tāi-chì, góa it-hiòng siong-sìn lán chò ē-hó.
I believed all along we could take care of this matter.
Tāi-lio̍k mûi-thé kā tō-pán kiò chò chhut-pán-gia̍p “i bōe hó ê gâm-chèng.”
The Mainland media describes book pirating as the publishing industry’s “untreatable cancer.”
Ē sái
(1) Can; allowed to
(2) Might as well; should (do the recommended action)
Related: Kui-khì, though the latter is more often a recommendation in a situation with no good choices.
Góa kiàn-gī siang-hong ē-sái kìⁿ chi̍t ê bīn, án-ne bô tiāⁿ-tio̍h tùi hòa-kái hō-siōng ê ngō-hōe ū pang-chō.
I propose that the two sides go ahead and sit down together, which might help to clear up mutual misunderstandings.
Góa kiàn-gī lín n̄ng ê lâng ē-sái kìⁿ chi̍t ê bīn, kóng kóng leh.
I think that the two of us should get together and talk it over.
Ē tit kòe / Ē tit kè // bē tit kòe / bē tit kè / bōe tit kòe / bōe tit kè
Be able to; be sufficient to
Be unable to; (not) be sufficient to
Chit kóa būn-tôe lóng kap hiān-tāi Tiong-kok ê hoat-tián chiok ū koan-hē, cho̍at-tùi m̄-sī iōng chi̍t ê “Khóng-chú-kong” tio̍h kái-soeh ē tit kòe ê.
These issues are all closely related to the development of modern China, and absolutely can not be explained by a “Confucius.”
[Verb] ē / ōe tiâu // [verb] bē / bōe tiâu
Be able to take / handle / keep
Be unable to take /handle / keep
Lâng lôan-ài, lí kìm bē tiâu.
You can’t forbid people from falling in love.
Chit-má tāi-ha̍k chin chē, lí it-tēng khó ē tiâu.
There are so many colleges now, so you will definitely be able to test into one.
Koh-khah jīn-chin tha̍k chu, mā khó bōe tiâu.
No matter how hard I study, I still can’t pass the test.
Hui-chiu ê lān-bîn chē kah kiông beh hō· keh-piah ê kok-ka tòng bē tiâu.
There are so many refugees in Africa that things have just about reached the point where neighboring countries can no longer control their flow.
Ē-tàng / ōe-tàng
Can; be (physically) able to
Lán hi-bāng Iraq ê chio̍h-iû chhut-kháu chin kín tio̍h ē-tàng hoe-ho̍k.
We hope that Iraq’s oil exports will be able to quickly recover.
Góa kan-na e-tàng chioh lí chi̍t-sut-á chîⁿ.
I can only lend you a little bit of money.
Éng-kòe
Before; formerly
Éng-kòe, Khazakstan ê siú-to∙ siat tī Almaty, chit-mái í-keng soá khì Astana.
Formerly, the capital of Khazakstan was in Almaty, but now it’s moved to Astana.
I éng-kòe chò bó∙ chi̍t-ê La-teng Bí-chiu kok-ka ê chóng-thóng.
He once served as president of some Latin American country.
Chí sī góa éng-kòe lóng siūⁿ bē kàu kap lí kóng siōng-kú ê chi̍t-piàn ōe, kèng-jiân sī tī chit chióng tiûⁿ-ha̍p, í-āu siūⁿ beh kap lí kóng saⁿ-n̄ng-kù-á, iā chhōe-bô lí ê lâng ah.
It’s just that there was a time when I never thought that I’d talk to you about such an old thing, but then to find myself in this kind of situation, where I want to say a few things to you, but can never see you again.
Éng-pái
Used to be; formerly; once
Éng-pái chia lóng sī chhân-hn̂g, chit-má chhù khí kah móa-móa sī.
This used to be all fields; now it’s all built up with houses.
Éng-pái góa tòa chng-kha ê sî, ài tiò hî, lia̍h chúi-kē.
When I used to live in the country, I liked to fish and hunt for frogs.
