Grammar – L

Lâi – To, in order to, for the purpose of

[Time] lâi – For [time]; for the past [time]

Lāi-bīn – Inside / within

Leh1.  [Adds continuous / “-ing” sense to verb.]2.  [Makes a question rhetorical.]

[verb verb] leh – You should [verb] (= a suggestion)

Lêng-khó·  - Would rather … (than …) / Better to … (than …)

Lēng-gōa – The other // in addition / what’s more

Lēng-gōa koh ka siōng – On top of which / besides / added to which

Lī-iōng…lâi – Use…for purpose of…

Lia̍h-chún – Think (wrongly) / believe that

Lia̍h-chò – Think (wrongly) / believe that

Liâm-piⁿ -One minute it’s A and the next B

Liân … – Even

[Verb] liáu – [Change of state]

Liáu-āu – After [verb]-ing

Liáu-liáu - Full of; covered with; completely (gone, used up, etc.)

[Verb] liáu liáu khì – Use all up by [verb]-ing / [verb] all up

Liāu-sióng bē kàu / liāu-sióng bōe kàu – Surprising / unexpected

Lōa … tú lōa … - Rather / fairly

Lóng-chóng – In all / in total

Lú (lâi)… lú … – The more …  the more …

Lû-kî – According to schedule / on schedule / at the scheduled time

Lû-kó… (tioh8) – If … (then)

[Time] lâi

For [time]; for the past [time]

 

Sì-nî lâi góa múi nî lóng thê-chhut siong-koan ê gián-kiù kè-ōe sin-chhéng, kàu taⁿ iáu m̄-bat tit-tio̍h Kok-kho-hōe chi̍t-sián-chîⁿ ê pó͘-chō͘.

For the past four years, I have put in a related research plan request every year, but to this day I still haven’t received a penny in subsidies from the National Science Council.

 

Sòe-lu̍t chiah-ni̍h kôan, kè-khì kúi-nā-nî lâi hán-kiàn ê.

The tax rate that high has rarely been seen in recent years.

Lâi

To, in order to, for the purpose of

Related: iōng lâi

 

Kin-nî ē poah chi̍t ek Bí-kim ê chîⁿ lâi táⁿ-kek hòan-bōe jîn-kháu ê o̍ah-tāng.

This year they’ll appropriate 100 million dollars to combat human trafficking activities.

 

In-ūi khòng-gī kûn-chiòng siuⁿ-kè-thâu kek-táu, só·-í kéng-hong ko-put-jī-chiong tio̍h ài chhut-tōng tāi-liōng ê ôan-kéng lâi î-chhî ti̍t-sū.

Because the protesters got too violent, the police were forced to deploy a large number of officers to keep order.

Lāi-bīn

Inside; within

 

Cho·-chit lāi-bīn tiāⁿ-tiāⁿ chhut-hiān “sè put lióng li̍p” ê phài-hé, siàu-liân-lâng siūⁿ beh tī tan-ūi lāi-bīn hoat-tián, tio̍h ài sóan chi̍t pêng khiā.

Inside organizations there often develop mutually antagonistic factions, and when young people are looking to get ahead in their work unit, they need to choose a side.

 

Kun-kù Sè-kài Gûn-hâng ê thóng-kè, chôan-kiû jîn-kháu lāi-bīn, kan-taⁿ chhit pha ū tiān-náo, kan-taⁿ sì pha ū ki-hōe bong tio̍h bāng-chè bāng-lō·.

According to World Bank figures, among the whole world’s population, only seven percent have computers, and only four percent have the opportunity to connect to the internet.

Leh

1.  Adds continuous, “-ing” sense to verb.

 

Sam-lîm chit ê toa chhng-khò· kái-thé liáu-āu, chiah ê cho̍k-kûn ê keng-chè, bûn-hòa chū-li̍p ê ki-chhó· mā tòe leh bô–khì.

After the destruction of the “great warehouse” the forest, the basis for her peoples’ economy and autonomous culture followed in turn.

 

Eng-kok ê Cornwall-jîn í-keng sit-khì in ê gí-giân, chóng–sī in m̄-nā o̍ah leh, jîn-kháu koh ū cheng-ka.

The Cornish people of England have already lost their language, yet they are not only still living, but the population has even increased.

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2.  Makes a rhetorical point.

 

Lí ūi sím-mi̍h chi̍t pái koh chi̍t pái khéng gôan-liōng i leh?

Why are you willing to forgive him time after time?

 

Àn-chóaⁿ hō· Tiong-kok bûn-hòa kó-lāu thôan-thóng ê hû-hō ū hiān-tāi-kám leh, àn-chóaⁿ chhòng-chō chhut koh khah chē ê, ē-tàng tāi-piáu hiān-tāi Tiong-kok ê bûn-hòa hû-hō leh, án-chóaⁿ thàu-kōe chit kóa hû-hō hiòng gōa-kok-lâng tián-sī chi̍t ê hiān-tāi Tiong-kok, chiah sī lán hiòng sè-kài kài-siāu Tiong-kok ê koan-kiàn.

How to give ancient and traditional Chinese cultural markers a modern feel, how to create more cultural markers that can represent modern China, how to use these cultural markers to demonstrate modern China for foreigners, these will be key to introducing China to the world.

[verb verb] leh

You should [verb]; a suggestion

 

Saⁿ-khò tio̍h ut ut leh, khah hó khòaⁿ.

You should iron your clothes. They’ll look better.

 

Lín hôaiⁿ-ti̍t chá-bān lóng tio̍h ài chhú-lí chit kiāⁿ būn-tôe, li kui-khì kóaⁿ-kín chhú-lí chhú-lí leh!

You’re going to have to take care of this problem at some point, so you should simply go ahead and take care of it!

 

Lín hôaiⁿ-tit chá-bān ē kiat-hun, koaⁿ-kín kiat kiat leh!

You’re going to get married sooner or later anyway, so just get married already!

Lêng-khó•

Would rather A (than B); better to A (than B)

Related: kam-gōan

 

Tùi lâng sī m̄-sī ū lêng-hûn chit-hāng tāi-chì, goa lêng-khó sìn kî ū, put-khó sìn kî bû.

As for whether men have souls, I’d rather believe that we do than that we don’t.

 

I lêng-khó ka-kī chia̍h khui, mā pháiⁿ-sè chiàm lâng ê pan-gî.

He would rather take a loss than feel bad about taking advantage of someone.

Lēng-gōa

The other; in addition; what’s more

 

Chi̍t ê phài-hē the̍h tio̍h khôan-lī, tng teh âng, tāi-piáu tio̍h lēng-gōa chi̍t phài-hē bô sè-le̍k.

When one faction gets power or becomes favored, it means that the other faction is less powerful.

 

Lēng-gōa, i jīn-ūi nā-chún Tâi-ôan ē-sái piàn-chò Liân-ha̍p-kok ê chi̍t-ôan, Bí-kok tio̍h ē-sái tiông-sin kiám-thó in chi̍t-ê Tiong-kok ê chèng-chhek.

He also thinks that if Taiwan can become a member of the U.N., the U.S. could then reconsider its one-China policy.

 

Tòe-tio̍h sûn-hôan lī-sek ê lúi-chek, giâ sin-chè hêng kū-chè ê ok-sèng sûn-hôan, ngē-ngē chō-chiū chhut “khá-lô·-châi” chit ê sin-cho̍k-kûn, lēng-gōa gûn-hâng chhui-siau ê chhiú-hoat bô thò-tòng, chin chē khá-lô-châi iōng sio-hé-thòaⁿ lâi chū-sat he̍k-chiá ūi tio̍h kái-koat būn-tôe khì hōan-chōe.

The vicious cycle of taking on new debt to pay off old debt following the accumulation of periodic interest is what created this new tribe of “Card Slaves,” and in addition banks’ hard-sell techniques have not not been appropriate, and many card slaves have used hibachi grills to kill themselves, or have turned to crime to take care of their problems.

Lēng-gōa koh ka siōng

On top of which; besides; added to which

 

Kē kai-chân ê khiā-bîn ê tì-sek chúi-chún chin kē, iū koh khoat-khiàm ōe-seng ê siông-sek, lēng-gōa koh ka siōng pa̍t ê kok-ka só· koan ê ōe-seng kah i-liâu ēng-phín óng-óng bōe tit kàu su-iàu ê lâng ê chhiú-lāi, tì-sú e̍k-chêng it-ti̍t khok-tōa.

The lower-class people who live there have a very low level of knowledge, and lack even common knowledge about health and sanitation; what’s more, the medical and health products that other nations donate often do not reach the very people who need them, leading to a situation in which the disease keeps spreading.

Lī-iōng…lâi

Use…for purpose of…

 

Tiān-iáⁿ chè-chok-jîn lī-iōng tiān-iáⁿ lâi soan-thôan ka-kī ê su-sióng, ka-kī ê koan-liām.

Filmakers use movies to propogate their own thinking and ideas.

 

Chôa-thâu lī-iōng tī Se-hong kok-ka chhōe tio̍h ko sin-súi ê kang-chok lâi kóai-phiàn siū-hāi-chiá.

Snakeheads use finding a high-paying job in the West to as a lure to trick their victims.