Gai - how to use this in Teochew

Gai 個 is complicated to use in Teochew. Let me list how to use gai 個 in Teochew. This character 個 can be said as gai2, gai5, gai7 and go6. The majority of the examples listed below are from Zhang Xiao Shan’s second edition dictionary.

Gai5

Teochew	English	Mandarin
gai5 nang5 個人	one person, alone without company, by oneself	一個人｜一个人
Most Mandarin educated people will say it like Mandarin, as “zêg8 gai5 nang5一個人。”  However, we Teochew have a different grammar from Mandarin, which a relatively new language from the North, compared with our mother tongue which is over thousands of years old. You can say:
go6 nang5 個人	alone without company, by oneself	單獨的
gai5 nang5 個人	one person	gai5 = one
gai5 個	one	一個
gai5 ngeng5 no6 liab8	one dollar two pieces	一塊錢兩個
個銀二粒

 
However, if you were asked, how many people?

Gui2 nang5 幾人? How many people? And you want to say two people, the answer is: no6 gioh4 二腳。

gai5 個	that one	那個
Gai5 ab8 si6 kang1 gai7 個盒是空個。	That box is empty.	那個盒子是空的。
gai5 個	this one	這個
Gai5 buê1 si6 ua2 gai7 個杯子是我個。	This is my cup.	這個杯子是我的。
gai5 haon3 個好	one wish to	一個同意｜一个同意
gai5 nguang6 個願	one agreed	一個願意｜一个愿意
By now, I hope the penny has dropped that we Teochew people do NOT like zêg8 in the front of a sentence unless absolutely essential.
di7gai5  底個	Which one?	哪一個  哪個
mih4gai5 乜個	What?	shen2me5 甚麼｜甚么
muêh8mih4gai5 物乜個	What are you doing?	搞什麼鬼｜搞什么鬼

 

 Gai5 to represent the Mandarin ba3 把 and jiang1 將

gai5 個	particle marking the following noun as a direct object	ba3 把
gai5 個	introduces the object of a main verb	jiang1 將｜将 used in the same way as ba3 把
Gai5 i1 liah8 lai5 bag8 個伊掠來縛。	Catch him and tie him up.	將他綁起來。 Take him and tie him up.

Gai5 to represent the Mandarin xiang4 向 gen1 跟 dui4 對

Gai5 i1 dan3 m6cêng1co2	Have not said clearly to him.	跟他說不清楚。
個伊呾唔清楚。
Gai5 le2 huan1hi2.	Congratulations (to you)!	向你道喜。
個汝歡喜
Gai5 ua2 sio1hu6 soi2 uan2. 個我相輔洗碗。	Help me to wash up.	幫我洗碗。

 Gai2 個 to represent Mandarin shi4 是

i1 gai2 hag8sêng1伊個學生。	He is a student.	他是學生。
suan1deng2 zêng6 gai2 ciu7 山頂淨個樹。	The hilltop is covered with trees.	山上淨是樹。
gai2 mih4gai5 個乜個	What is this?	是什麼｜是什么
gai2 ua2 gai7 個我個	It is mine	是我的

 Why don’t you try and translate this sentence into Teochew?

The ground is covered with leaves.

滿地淨是樹葉。

 Gai2 個 to represent Mandarin dao4di3 到底 and jiu1jing4 究竟

Gai2 zo3ni5個咋呢 ?	After all, what is going on?	到底怎麼了 ?
Gai2 u6 ian2 a7 bho5 個有影啊無 ?	After all, is there such a matter?	究竟有沒有這回事 ?

 Gai7 個 as a possessive particle

ua2 gai7 我個	mine	我的
ua2 gai7 ze1 我個書	My book.	我的書
I1 gai7 ing5big4 伊個鉛筆。	His lead pencil.	他的鉛筆。
bêh8bêh8 gai7 cion5 白白個牆	A clean wall.	乾淨的牆壁
siu3li6 gai7 gêng2sêg4 秀麗個景色	A beautiful scenery.	秀麗的景色
Zian3lai5 coh4nang5 gai7 puê6cioh8 正來撮人個被蓆。	The bedding belonging to the people who arrived recently.	剛剛來那些人的鋪蓋。
Dua7 gai7 keh4 i1 大個乞伊。	Give him the big one.	大的給他。
Zaih8 gai7 huan1u6 食個還有。	There is still leftover food.	吃的東西還有。
I1 gai7 mo2 tang6. 伊個孬動。	Don’t touch his things.	他的東西動不能。
Zui2 gai2 ngang5 gai7 水個凝個。	The water is cold.	水是涼的。
I1 gai2 dui3 Guang2ziu1 lai5 gai7.  伊個對廣州來個。	He is from Guangzhou.	他是從廣州來的。