Senility, senior moment

Lāu-hoan-tian

Example:

I ū chi̍t8-tiám-á lāu-hoan-tian, tú kóng liáu ê tāi-chì sûi bē kì tit.

He’s a little bit senile: right after you get finished telling him something, he forgets it.

Related post here.

China dust storms

Hong-poe-soa

Hangover

Sio̍k8-chùi, tē-jī kang (“the second day”), keh tng kang, kek ji̍t8-chài

Acne

Thiāu-á-chí

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I kui bīn thiāu-á-chí

His face is covered with acne.

Tapwater

Pe̍h8-kún-chúi

———————-

I kan-taⁿ chhiáⁿ góa chia̍h pe̍h8-kún-chúi.

I was his guest, and he only gave me tap water!

Are jobs really that hard to find?

 

Copyright 2008 Tân Gī-jîn.  Used with author’s permission

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Gû-káng peh-á in gong-chú.

Lín pē khiām tn̂g lia̍p tō∙ kióng-kip lí tha̍k i-ha̍k-īⁿ, chit-má chhut-gia̍p khì tó-ūi thàn chîⁿ?

Khì soaⁿ-tèng ho̍k-bū gôan-chū-bîn.

Thâu-lō∙ chin-chiàⁿ hiah pháiⁿ chhōe?

———————–

It’s old uncle Gu-kang’s son.

Your father scrimped and saved to allow you to go to medical school, so now what kind of job are you going to get?

I’m going to the mountains to work for the Aborigines.

Are jobs really that hard to find?

Don’t even care about their own kids

Copyright 2008 Tân Gī-jîn.  Used with author’s permission

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Tiong-kok to̍k8-bu̍t8 uî-hāi chôan sè-kài, Tiong-kok chèng-hú koh am-khàm sū-si̍t8. Ū-kàu ok-chit.

Chin-chìaⁿ sī chū-su-chū-lī, pa̍t8-lâng ê gín-á sí-bōe-liáu.

Bô lah! Tiong-kok kî-si̍t8 bô hiah pháiⁿ-sim, choan choan hāi gōa-kok lah.  In tùi in pún-kok-lāi mā sī am-khàm ah.

Gôan-lâi in ka-kī ê gín-á koh khah sī sí-bōe-liáu. Khó-lîn.

————–

Poison from China is harming the whole world, and the Chinese government is still covering up the truth. It’s so awful.

They’re so selfish.  They don’t care at all about other people’s kids dying.

No! China isn’t that malicious.  It isn’t only hurting other countries.  They’re also covering it up inside their own country.

So they don’t even care about their own children dying.  That’s so pitiful.

Umbilical cord

Tō·-châi-tòa, châi-tòa

Sometimes, however, when used in the metaphoric sense, people will write “tō·-châi“, which literally means “navel”.  For example:

Chhiat-tn̄g Tâi-oân hām Tiong-kok chi-kan ê bûn-hòa tō·-châi

Cut the cultural umbilical cord (navel) between Taiwan and China

Maternity leave

Sán-ká

Take maternity leave: Hòng sán-ká

Request maternity leave: Chhéng sán-ká

Paternity leave

Pôe-sán-ká

Take paternity leave: Chhéng pôe-sán-ká