The verb \{°chi}/ (起) is often used as an auxiliary verb after the
principal verb to express the idea of {inception}. Thus \{dok-°chi}/
(讀起) means “Begin to read.” \{°Chi}/ also expresses the idea of
{erectness}, but when used in this sense, \{le}/ (來) follows the
\{°chi}/. Thus \{Lih-°chi-le}/ (立起來) means “Stand up.” \{Lok-°chi-le}/
(䟿起來) means “Get up.” It also has a {progressive} meaning, as when you
say \{Doh-°chi-le}/ (讀起來) it means “read on,” “go on reading.”
We have the \{°chi}/, also used in combination with \{tuh}/ (得). Thus
\{Lok-tuh-°chi}/ (䟿得起) means “Able to get up.” \{Lok-’veh-°chi}/
(䟿勿起) means “Unable to get up.” \{°Ma-tuh-°chi}/ (買得起) means “Can
afford to buy it.” \{°Ma-’veh-°chi}/ (買勿起) means “Cannot afford to
buy it.” \{Kwhung°-’veh-°chi}/ (睏勿起) means “unable to sleep.”
\{Khoen°-’veh-°chi}/ (看勿起) means “to look down upon,” “to disdain.”
\{°Zaung}/ (上) and \{°‘Au}/ (下) are used both as principal verbs and
as auxiliaries. Thus we have the expressions \{°Zaung san}/ (上山),
meaning “to go up hill.” \{°‘Au san}/ (下山), “to go down hill.”
\{°‘Au zen}/ (下船), “to go on board a boat,” \{°Zaung su}/ (上書),
“to take an advanced lesson in a book,” etc. In these cases they are
used as principal verbs.
As auxiliary verbs, they express motion upwards and motion downwards.
They are not confined to verbs of motion, but are used freely with
other verbs. To both of them \{le}/ (來) and \{chi°}/ (去) are
frequently added.
Thus we have \{dok-°‘au-chi°}/ (讀下去), meaning “Read on down.”
\{Tsoo°-°‘au-chi°}/ (做下去), meaning “Go on doing it.” \{Thiau°-°‘au-le}/
(跳下來), meaning “Jump down.” \{Thiau°-°zaung-chi°}/ (跳上去), meaning
“Jump up to that place.” \{Thiau°-°zaung-le}/ (跳上來) “Jump up to
this place.”
Although the Chinese language is, strictly speaking, a monosyllabic
language, yet as has already been noticed there is a strong
tendency to use two or more words together forming as it were
disyllables or trisyllables. In this lesson some verbs are used,
composed of two characters occurring together.