Amoy (linguistics)/Negative particles/traditional
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[edit] Negative particles
Negative particle syntax is parallel to Standard Mandarin about 70% of the time. Here is a fairly complete description (parallel usage to Mandarin is bolded):
- 不 - is not + noun (Mandarin: 不)
- 伊不是阮老母 She is not my mother.
- 不 - does not + verb/will not + verb (Mandarin: 不)
- 伊不來 He does not come./He will not come.
- verb + 未 + particle - is not able to (Mandarin: 不)
- 我看未著 I am not able to see it.
- 未 + helping verb - can not (opposite of ē is able to/Mandarin: 不)
- 伊未曉講英語 He can't speak English.
- helping verbs that go with 未
- 未使 - is not permitted to (Mandarin: 不可以)
- 未曉 - does not know how to (Mandarin: 不会)
- 未當 - not able to (Mandarin: 不能)
- 莫 - do not (imperative) (Mandarin: 別)
- 莫講! Don't speak!
- 无 - do not + helping verb (Mandarin: 不)
- 伊無侎來 He is not going to come.
- helping verbs that go with 無:
- 侎 - want to + verb; will + verb
- 愛 - must + verb
- 應該 - should + verb
- 合意 - like to + verb
- 無 - does not have (Mandarin: 沒有)
- 伊無錢 He does not have any money.
- 無 - did not (Mandarin: 沒有)
- 伊無來 He did not come.
- 無 - is not + adjective (Mandarin: 不)
- 伊無婎 She is not beautiful.
- An exception can be made for 好 (good), 不好 = 無好 - not good.
