The words expressing the relations of nouns to one another are placed,
some of them before and some of them after the governed substantive.
‘At’ or ‘to’ is expressed by \{la°}/ (拉). Thus \{°ngoo peh la° yi}/
(我撥拉伊), “I gave it to him.”
‘To’ or ‘towards’ in the sense of direction is expressed by \{tau°}/
(到). Thus: \{°ngoo iau° tau° °Zaung-°he chi°}/ (我要到上海去), “I wish to
go to Shanghai.” ‘To’ or ‘towards’ is also expressed by \{te°}/ (對),
as in the expression to speak to a person. Thus: \{°ngoo te° yi wo°}/
(我對伊話), “I said to him.” ‘From’ is expressed by \{dzoong}/ (從).
Thus: \{°ngoo dzoong °Zaung-°he le}/ (我從上海來), “I came from
Shanghai.”
‘With’ is expressed by \{tah}/ 搭 or \{doong}/ 同. Thus: \{°ngoo tah yi
bak wo°}/ (我搭伊白話) or \{°ngoo doong yi bak wo°}/ (我同伊白話), “I
talked with him.”
‘Instead of’ is \{thi°}/ (替) or \{°de thi°}/ (代替). Thus: \{°ngoo °de
thi° yi tsoo°}/ (我代替伊做), “I do it instead of him.” The idea of
doing it for a person is expressed by \{theh}/ (忒). Thus: \{°ngoo theh
yi tsoo°}/ (我忒伊做), “I will do it for him.”
‘In’ is expressed by placing \{la°}/ (拉) or \{leh-la°}/ (拉拉) before
the noun and \{°li}/ (裏) or \{°li-hyang°}/ (裏向) after the noun.
Thus: \{la° vaung-°ts °li}/ (拉房子裏) means, “In the house.” \{La°
siang-°ts °li}/ (拉箱子裏) means “In the box.”
‘On’ is expressed by placing \{la°}/ or \{leh-la°}/ before the noun
and \{laung°}/ (上) after it. Thus: \{la° loo° laung°}/ (拉路上) means,
“On the road.” \{La° de-°ts laung°}/ (拉擡子上) means, “On the table.”
\{Nga°}/ (外) means “out.” The usual expression is \{nga°-deu}/ (外頭)
“outside.” It follows the noun.
Other prepositions will be introduced later.
The most common connective is \{°lau}/ (佬) and corresponds quite
closely to our use of “and.” Thus \{°ngoo iau° °ma ‘a-°ts °lau mah}/
(我要買鞋子佬襪) means, “I wish to buy shoes and stockings.” Nouns are
often placed beside one another without any connective between them.
\{Tah-ts}/ (搭之) is used much in the same sense as \{°lau}/ (佬).
‘Also’ is \{°‘a-°z}/ (也是) or \{°‘a}/ (也). Thus: \{di°-kuh °‘a-°z hau
kuh}/ (第個也是好個) means, “This also is good.” \{°Ngoo °‘a iau° °ma}/
(我也要買) means, “I also wish to buy.” \{°Ngoo wan iau° °ma}/ (我還要買)
means, “I still wish to buy.”