Teochew Sayings

Teochew Sayings

Direct Translation

Proper Translation

Chinese New Year Greetings:

Sin₃zia`₃ ju₁₀ i₅.

New year according wish.

(Wish you) the new year would be according to your wishes.

Tan₁₀tan₁₀ ju₁₀i₅.

Same same according wish.

Same wishes to you.

Sin₃ni₁ khuai₅₄lag₁, sin₃ni₁ kian₂₀khan₃.

New year happy, New year healthy.

(Wish you a) happy new year (and a) healthy new year.

How to marry and eat well:

Ai`<sub>54</sub> choa<sub>0</sub> g`ia₄₂ bou₄, Sou₃Lag₁₀Nio₁; Ai`<sub>54</sub> ziad<sub>10</sub> ho<sub>42</sub> her<sub>1</sub>, ped<sub>10</sub>tou42chio`₃.

Wish marry in beautiful wife, Sou Lag Nio; Wish eat good fish, white-belly pomfret.

(If you) wish to marry a beautiful wife, (look for  someone who looks like the famous Teochew beauty) Sou Lag Nio; (if you) wish to eat good fish, (it would be) white pomfret (a delicious but expensive fish).

Showing little interest in buying:

Ziad₁₀pa₄ boi₄₂ pao₃.

Eat full buy bun.

Buying buns when (you have) already eaten, i.e. showing little interest in buying.

How to Live:

Ziad₁₀ me₄, kia`<sub>10</sub> me<sub>4</sub>; ua`₅₄ ug₁, za₄₂ che`₄.

Eat fast, walk fast; late sleep, early wakeup.

Eat fast, walk fast; go to sleep late but early to rise.

Good things do not last forever:

Nan₁ bo₁₀ chai`₃ jig₁₀ ho₄,

hue3 bo₁₀ ped₀₁ jig₁₀ an₁.

People don’t have thousand days good, flowers don’t have hundred days red.

No one stays healthy for 1000 days,

No flower blooms for 100 days.

Effect on relationship by separation:

Zeg₁₀ni₁ ziao₃, no₂₀ni₁ hiao₃, sa`₃ni₁ pan₅₄pan₅₄ tiao₀.

One year worried, two years heartless, three years let go.

Feel worried in the first year of separation, become heartless in the second year, let go (feelings/relationship) in the third year.