Hakka Interview: Language Documentation

March 2019

Listen to the interview:

Hakka (Consultant) gi tung ngai ah da ah nei loi sing nga pu. you giu zak ji moi. ngai ah suk ngai ah ba hei ti si.
Intonation Units (Consultant) gi tung ngai ah da ah nei loi sing nga pu you giu zak ji moi ngai ah suk ngai ah ba hei ti xi
Words and Morphemes (Consultant) Gi tung ngai ah da ah nei loi sing nga pu you giu zak ji moi ngai ah suk ngai ah ba hei ti xi
Gloss (Consultant) 3SG with 1SG.POSS grandfather grandmother come Singapore POSS nine num.CLF brother-sister 1SG.POSS uncle 1SG.POSS father AUX fourth
English Free Translation (Consultant) He came with my grandfather and grandmother to Singapore. (He) has nine sibilings (in total). My uncle-- My father is the fourth child.
 
Hakka (Consultant) ngai ah da ah nei you si lai ng moi. uh loi ki qin hai hei, hei zou, zou sam cai fong. mm hei ngai ah ba hei--
Hakka (Interviewer) ngi eh ah ba zou sam ah?
Intonation Units (Consultant) ngai ah da ah nei you si lai ng moi uh loi ki qin hai hei hei zou zou sam cai fong mm hei ngai ah ba hei
Words and Morphemes (Consultant) ngai ah da ah nei you si lai ng moi loi ki qin hai hei hei zou zou sam cai fong mm hei ngai ah ba hei
Gloss (Consultant) 1SG.POSS grandfather grandmother POSS four sons five daughter come go find AUX AUX AUX do make clothes tailor NEG AUX 1SG.POSS father AUX
English Free Translation (Consultant) My grandparents have four sons, five daughters. When they came here they tried to find a job that does tailoring. No, my father does--
Intonation Units (Interviewer) ngi eh ah ba zou sam ah
Words and Morphemes (Interviewer) ngi eh ah ba zou sam ah
Gloss (Interviewer) 2SG.POSS father make clothes PART
English Free Translation (Interviewer) Your father makes clothes?
 
Hakka (Consultant) ngai ah ba hei gao shu. ngai ah da zou sam. ngai ah ba gao zong wun. gi hei gao shu. ngai ah nei--
Hakka (Interviewer) oh, then ngi eh ah ma? then ngi eh ah ma?
Intonation Units (Consultant) ngai ah ba hei gao shu ngai ah da zou sam ngai ah ba gao zong wun gi hei gao shu ngai ah nei
Words and Morphemes (Consultant) ngai ah ba hei gao shu ngai ah da zou sam ngai ah ba gao zong wun gi hei gao shu ngai ah nei
Gloss (Consultant) 1SG.POSS father AUX teach book 1SG.POSS grandfather make clothes 1SG.POSS father teach Mandarin 3SG AUX teach book 1SG.POSS grandmother
English Free Translation (Consultant) My father teaches. My grandfather makes clothes. My father teaches Mandarin. He teaches. My grandmother--
Intonation Units (Interviewer) oh, then ngi eh ah ma then ngi eh ah ma
Words and Morphemes (Interviewer) oh ngi eh ah ma ngi eh ah ma
Gloss (Interviewer) PART 2SG.POSS mother 2SG.POSS mother
English Free Translation (Interviewer) Oh, what about your mother? Then what about your mother?
 
Hakka (Consultant) oh oh ngai ah ma hei mo zou gung eh. gi mo tung ngai gong gou ah.
Hakka (Interviewer) ngi de mama. zo ma gai ngi eh ah da loi sing nga pu?
Intonation Units (Consultant) oh oh ngai ah ma ah ma hei mo zou gung eh gi mo tung ngai gong gou ah
Words and Morphemes (Consultant) oh oh ngai ah ma hei mo zou gung eh gi mo tung ngai gong gou ah
Gloss (Consultant) PART PART 1SG.POSS mother AUX NEG do work PART 3SG NEG with 1SG say before PART
English Free Translation (Consultant) Oh, oh. My mother didn't work. He didn't tell me.
Intonation Units (Interviewer) ngi de mama zo ma gai ngi eh ah da loi sing nga pu
Words and Morphemes (Interviewer) ngi mama zo ma gai ngi eh ah da loi sing nga pu
Gloss (Interviewer) 2SG.POSS mother why 2SG.POSS grandfather come Singapore
English Free Translation (Interviewer) Your mother. Why did your grandfather come to Singapore?
 
Hakka (Consultant) ngai hei xiong ngai xiong hei tai pu zhung kwek hou ku la. ah da ah nei jiu lei sing nga pu lor. goh ki hou, hou hou ku la.
Intonation Units (Consultant) ngai hei xiong ngai xiong hei tai pu zhung kwek hou ku la ah da ah nei jiu lei sing nga pu lor goh ki hou hou hou ku la
Words and Morphemes (Consultant) ngai hei xiong ngai xiong hei tai pu zhung kwek hou ku la ah da ah nei jiu loi sin nga pu lor goh ki hou hou hou ku la
Gloss (Consultant) 1SG AUX think 1SG think AUX Da Pu China very bitter PART grandfather grandmother AUX come Singapore PART go over very very very bitter PART
English Free Translation (Consultant) I'm just guessing Da Pu, China was very tough. So my grandfather and grandmother just decided to come Singapore. Migrating was very, very difficult.
 
Hakka (Consultant) chou xun lor @@@ jiu hei chou xun. ah chou xun.
Hakka (Interviewer) ngi di ngi eh ah da ah nei hei yong ban loi di bian eh? @@@
Intonation Units (Consultant) chou xun lor jiu hei chou xun ah ah chou xun
Words and Morphemes (Consultant) chou xun lor jiu hei chou xun ah chou xun
Gloss (Consultant) sit boat PART AUX sit boat PART sit boat
English Free Translation (Consultant) Took a boat. Just... they took a boat. Ah, they took a boat.
Intonation Units (Interviewer) ngi di ngi eh ah da ah nei hei yong ban loi di bian eh
Words and Morphemes (Interviewer) ngi di ngi eh ah da ah nei hei yong ban loi di bian eh
Gloss (Interviewer) 2SG know 2SG.POSS grandfather grandmother AUX how come here PART
English Free Translation (Interviewer) Do you know how your grandfather and grandmother came here?
 
Hakka (Consultant) hou hou xiong chou sam zhan li bai ge xun. jiu hei sui xun hei dai tai xun hei hei jiu zhung kwek gong zou ze chou cha hui na li, hou yan ah.
Intonation Units (Consultant) hou hou xiong chou sam zhan li bai ge xun jiu hei sui xuan hei dai tai xun hei hei jiu zhung kwek gong zou ze chou cha hui na li hou yan ah
Words and Morphemes (Consultant) hou hou xiong chou sam zhan li bai ge xun jiu hei sui xun hei dai tai xun hei hei jiu zhung kwek gong zou ze chou cha hui hou na li hou yan ah
Gloss (Consultant) very very like sit three num.CLF week num.CLF boat AUX by boat AUX take big boat AUX AUX AUX China Guangzhou sit car return very there very far PART
English Free Translation (Consultant) Seems like they had to be on the boat for three weeks. Just took a big boat from China, Guangzhou and need to take a car to return there, it's very far.
 
Hakka (Consultant) ngai ah da wei sam nian zhon yi bai, sam nian zhon yi bai.
Intonation Units (Consultant) ngai ah da wei sam nian zhon yi bai sam nian zhon yi bai
Words and Morphemes (Consultant) ngai ah da wei sam nian zhon yi bai sam nian zhon yi bai
Gloss (Consultant) 1SG.POSS grandfather in three year return once three year return once
English Free Translation (Consultant) My grandfather, in three years, only returned once.
 
Hakka (Consultant) tao sen huo?
Hakka (Interviewer) zou det tung ngai gong ah, kak ngin coi sing nga pu eh si gian hei yong ban, sian... gi di ngin sian loi eh si gian hei yong ban ah.
Intonation Units (Consultant) tao sen huo
Words and Morphemes (Consultant) tao sen huo
Gloss (Consultant) eke out life
English Free Translation (Consultant) Eke out a living for themselves?
Intonation Units (Interviewer) zou det tung ngai gong ah kak ngin coi sing nga pu eh si gian hei yong ban sian gi di ngin sian loi eh si gian hei yong ban ah
Words and Morphemes (Interviewer) zou det tung ngai gong ah kak ngin coi sing nga pu eh si gian hei yong ban sian gi di ngin sian loi eh si gian hei yong ban ah
Gloss (Interviewer) Could with 1SG say PART Hakka people in Singapore AUX time AUX how initially 3PL initially come AUX time AUX how PART
English Free Translation (Interviewer) Could you tell me when Hakka people were in Singapore, how, when they first came, how did they... Yes!
 
Hakka (Consultant) jiu hei ngai di la, jiu hei... kak ngin jiu hei zou dong diam, zou cai fong, zou uh- zhong yi, zou yi sen, zou ngyen giang. hei jiu hei kak ngin zou eh si la.
Intonation Units (Consultant) jiu hei ngai di la jiu hei uh kak ngin jiu hei zou dong diam zou cai fong zou uh zhong yi zou yi sen zou ngyen giang hei jiu hei kak ngin zou eh si la
Words and Morphemes (Consultant) jiu hei ngai di la jiu hei kak ngin jiu hei zou dong diam zou cai fong zou zhong yi zou yi sen zou nygen giang hei jiu hei kak ngin zou eh si la
Gloss (Consultant) AUX 1SG know PART AUX Hakka people AUX do pawn do tailor do Taditional Chinese Medicine do doctor do spectacles AUX AUX Hakka people do AUX matters PART
English Free Translation (Consultant) Just from what I know, just... Hakka people just worked as pawnbrokers, tailors, worked in Traditional Chinese Medicine, as doctors, made spectacles. Just-- these were the things Hakka people did.
 
Hakka (Interviewer) zou det tung ngai gong, ngi, ngi eh peng you ah, hei ma ngin? @@ gee gi dou sei? ngi hei- ngi yong ban di ngi eh peng you?
Intonation Units (Interviewer) zou det tung ngai gong ngi ngi eh peng you ah hei ma ngin gee gi dou sei ngi hei ngi yong ban di ngi eh peng you
Words and Morphemes (Interviewer) zou det tung ngai gong ngi ngi eh peng you ah hei ma ngin gee gi dou sei ngi hei ngi yong ban di ngi eh peng you
Gloss (Interviewer) could with 1SG say 2SG 2SG.POSS friend PART AUX who 3SG how much age 2SG AUX 2SG how know 2SG.POSS friend
English Free Translation (Interviewer) Could you tell me about your friends are? How old are they? How do you-- How do you know your friends?
 
Hakka (Consultant) peng you hei dou you la, hei tai hock, peng you zou bing han you, han you tong si eh dong xi. ngai ngam ngam bun sim hei tuk gong chen xi. ngai zou uh
Intonation Units (Consultant) peng you hei dou you la hei tai hock peng you zou bing han you han you tong si eh dong xi ngai ngam ngam bun sim hei tuk gong chen xi ngai zou uh uh
Words and Morphemes (Consultant) peng you hei dou you la hei tai hock peng you zou bing han you han you tong si eh dong xi ngai ngam ngam bun sim hei tuk gong chen xi ngai zou
Gloss (Consultant) friend AUX all POSS PART AUX university friend do soldier still POSS still POSS coworkers PART things 1SG always skill AUX study engineering 1SG do
English Free Translation (Consultant) I have many friends, from university, friends from army, and also coworkers in things. I was always skilled at studying engineering. I did.
 
Hakka (Consultant) chut ki? uh hou sao la. uh ngin ga hei ya hei kon uh ga ting ah. uh ngai you xi zak moi.
Hakka (Interviewer) then ngi, gi nga han woi gian ngi eh peng you mo? you chut chut ki.
Intonation Units (Consultant) chut ki? uh hou sao la uh ngin ga hei ya hei kon uh ga ting ah uh ngai you xi zak moi
Words and Morphemes (Consultant) chut ki hou sao la ngin ga hei ya hei kon ga ting ah ngai you xi zak moi
Gloss (Consultant) go out very little PART people AUX also AUX see family PART 1SG POSS four num.CLF daughter
English Free Translation (Consultant) Go out? Very rarely. People also need to take care of their family. I have four daughters.
Intonation Units (Interviewer) then ngi gi nga han woi gian ngi eh peng you mo? you chut chut ki
Words and Morphemes (Interviewer) then ngi gi nga han woi gian ngi eh peng you mo you chut chut ki
Gloss (Interviewer) 2SG now still woi see 2SG.POSS friend PART AUX go out go out
English Free Translation (Interviewer) Then, do you still see your friends? Do you go... Go out.
 
Hakka (Consultant) ngai you xi zak moi. hou dou xi gan dou oi zou ga ting.
Intonation Units (Consultant) ngai you xi zak moi hou dou xi gan dou oi zou ga ting
Words and Morphemes (Consultant) ngai you xi zak moi hou dou xi gan dou oi zou ga ting
Gloss (Consultant) 1SG POSS four num.CLF daughter a lot time all must do family
English Free Translation (Consultant) I have four daughters. A lot of times I need to take care of my family.