Grammar – I

Í … lâi kóng – As … goes / for … 

Í … lâi (chhut-miâ / ū bīn-chú / kiáu-ngō) – (Famous) for / (proud) of

Í … ûi … - Take … as … / regard … as …

Í … ûi chú - Rely primarily on… / regard…as most important / take … as central

[Verb] í-āu – After [verb] -ing  

Í-chêng - [Time] ago; [time] before

 

Í góa (teh) khòaⁿ – In my opinion / as I see it 

… í-gōa – Besides; other than; in addition to 

Í-keng…ah – Already 

Í-lâi – Since (time) / the whole time that 

 

Iá koh – Also / in addition / (what) else

Iá-sī – Or / as well as

Ia̍h – Still / as before  

Iáu-koh - Also (is a matter of) / in addition is // even more / even more so 

Iáu koh – Still / to this point 

Iáu-sī – Still // would be (better to) / nevertheless 

In-ūi … (só-í … / ê koan-hē) – Because (of) / due to

Iōng / Í … (lâi) [khòaⁿ / ōaⁿ-chhú / phêng-lūn / hêng- iông / etc.) - Use ... [to view / trade for / evaluate / measure /name etc.) 

Iōng ... chhiú-tōaⁿ - By means of … / using a certain means or device 

Iōng ... hong-sek / sin-hūn / miâ-gī / etc. - In / using (a certain) ... way / capacity / title / etc.

 Iōng ... lêng-le̍k  / Í … lêng-le̍k / gán-kong - By / according to a certain ability / vision 

Iōng ... lí-iû - On the grounds of / for a certain reason 

Iōng ... sok-tō - At a certain speed 

Iōng ... ê sim-thāi - With ... attitude / with a ... heart

Iōng ... thāi-tō / sim-chêng / cheng-sîn - With a certain attitude / emotion / spirit

Iōng ... ūi chú - Focus on / take ... as central

Iōng tī - Be used for... 

It-hiòng - All along / up till now

It-lâi ... , jī-lâi ... - First of all ... , and secondly ... 

It-tàn - Once / at the time that 

It-tēng (ài)...(chiah)… - Certainly (have to) / Must / insist on 

It-ti̍t - Repeatedly / continually

It-ti̍t kàu ... (ūi chí) - Only when finally / (all along) up until 

Iú [someone] (lâi) – Is / was / will be done by [someone] 

Iú … hiòng … chóan-piàn – Change / be transformed from … to …

Iú-lī – Be beneficial for / be good for 

Iû-gôan – Still / as before  

Iû-kî – Especially

 Iū-koh – And even worse / what’s worse /what’s more

Í … khòaⁿ-hoat/lêng- le̍k/gán-kong

By or according to a certain ability or vision

Related: Iōng … khòaⁿ-hoat/lêng-le̍k/gán-kong

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Í lí ê lêng-le̍k lâi kóng, ôan-chôan ē-tàng sêng-taⁿ pí chit ê chek-jīm koh khah tōa ê kang-chok.

As far as your ability is concerned, you can fully take take on a job with more responsibility.

Í … lâi (chhut-miâ / ū bīn-chú / kiáu-ngō)

(Famous) for; (proud) of

Kńg-tang-lâng í chia̍h lâi chhut-miâ.

Cantonese people are famous for eating.

Bí-kok-lâng it-hiòng lóng í ū chhòng-chō-le̍k lâi kám-kak chiok ū bīn-chú.

Americans have always prided themselves on their creativity.

Í … lâi kóng

As … goes; for …

Í chit ê kè-siàu lâi kóng, chit tâi tiān-náo ê kong-lêng iáu koh sǹg sī put-chí-á chiâu ê.

At this price, this computer’s capability is still considered pretty complete.

Í tn̂g-kî lâi kóng, chhiam-tīaⁿ chi̍t-ê chū-iû bō∙-e̍k hia̍p-tēng pēng m̄ sī bô khó-lêng.

In the long term, signing a free trade agreement is actually not impossible.

Í … ûi …

Take … as; Regard … as …

 

Lán í “lâu-á-chhù” chit-ê gí-sû ûi chin hó ê lē lâi soat-bêng Koaⁿ-ōe bûn-hoat kap Tâi-gí bûn-hoat ê bô kāng. 

Let’s take the word “apartment building” as a good example to explain the difference between Mandarin and Taiwanese grammar.

 

I chèng-koân tī Tâi-oân ê bo̍k-tek chú-iàu sī thê-kiōng hóan-kong ê kun-su, pēng m̄-sī í jîn-bîn hok-chí ûi khó-liāng, soah bô hoat-tō͘ tit-tio̍h chôan-bîn chi-chhî.

The objective of his rule in Taiwan was primarily to provide military needs for a counterattack, and certainly did not take the people’s welfare as a consideration, and so in the end there was no way to get the support of the whole people.

(Chiung, Wi-vun Tiaffalo.  Tâi-ûan Gûan-khì Pó-tián: ùi Tâi-gí Sio̍k-gān-gí Khòaⁿ Tâi-ûan Li̍k-sú.  Tainan: National Cheng Gung University Press, 2007, p. 50)

Í … ûi chú

Rely primarily on… ; regard…as most important ; take … as central

Rel: iōng … ūi chú / khò…chóan-chia̍h

Góa í lí ê ì-kiàn ûi chú.

I regard your opinion as key.

Tâi-ôan ê keng-chè lóng sī í tiong-sió khì-gia̍p kap kok-chè bō·-e̍k ûi chú.

Taiwan’s economy relies primarily on small and medium enterprises and international trade.

Thiat-ha̍k, sîn-ha̍k gí-giân sui-jiân iáu sī í La-teng-bûn ûi chú, put-jī-kò, siáu-soat-tiong ê tùi-ōe khai-sí chhái-iōng pún-tē-oē.

Although the language of philosophy and theology was still mainly Latin, the dialogue in novels began to make use of vernaculars.

Í góa (teh) khòaⁿ

In my opinion; as I see it

Í góa (teh) khòaⁿ, chit kiāⁿ tāi-chì pēng bô chiah-ni̍h-á kán-tan.

In my opinion, this matter is actually not that simple.

… í-gōa

Besides; other than; in addition to

Related: Tû-liáu … (í-gōa)

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I kan-na ê-hiáu chia̍h í-gōa, sím-mi̍h pún-sū to bô.

Besides eating, he can’t do anything well.

Í-chêng

[Time] ago; [time] before

Related: chêng

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Kàu-kah bo̍k-chiân ûi-chí, kho-ha̍k-ka hoat-hiān kóng Tē-kiû téng siāng-kài kó∙-chá ê giâm-chio̍h chha-put-to hêng-sêng tī 45~46 ek nî í-chêng.

Scientists have discovered that the oldest rocks on the Earth were formed about 4.6 to 4.6 billion years ago. (zh-min-nan.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toē-kiû)

Bô gōa kú í-chêng, chóng-thóng iá koh chhin-sin khì pian-kài sī-chhat, ūi tio̍h kā kéng-hông jîn-ôan ka-iû.

Not very long before, the president also personally visited the border to inspect it himself and to give a morale boost to the border patrol agents.

í-āu

After

 

Hā khò í-āu, ha̍k-seng lóng cháu-cháu khì ah.

After class let out, the students all ran off in all directions.

 

I hui-siông théng-sēng in ê tōa-hàn gín-á, kiat-kó hāi tio̍h gín-á chia̍h tōa-hàn í-āu siáⁿ-mi̍h tāi-chì lóng bōe hiáu ka-kī chò.

He really spoiled his oldest kid, and as a result he made it so that after the kid grew up he couldn’t do anything for himself. 

 

Ū chi̍t kóa lâng î-bîn Bí-kok í-āu, oân-ná pó-liû tio̍h in chó-kok ê hō·-chiàu, pēng bô hòng-khì in gôan-chāi ê kok-chek, sî ūi-tio̍h beh piáu-tat in tùi chó-kok chhim-kāu ê bîn-chok chêng-kám.

After some people immigrate to America, they still retain their home country’s passport, so as to express their deep nationalistic feelings towards their country of birth.