ABSTRACT
For learners with some knowledge of Mandarin, jēung is the nearest counterpart to ba and is broadly similar in function, though the use of jēung is more restricted: in many cases where ba might be used jēung would not. For example:
jēung retains a sense of displacement, and in colloquial usage at least, is most typically used when the object of the sentence is literally moved from one place to another:
Ngóhdeih jēung dī gauh gāsī būn jáu We’re moving the old furniture away Kéuih jēung dī laahn sāam dám-jó She threw the torn clothes away Kéuih jēung fūk wá gwa hái chèuhng douh She hung the picture on the wall
One advantage of using the construction in such cases is that the vacant position after the verb can then be used for another element of the sentence, such as a prepositional phrase indicating where the object is moved to:
Mandarin Cantonese Ba shu fang zai nabian Put the book there Jēung bún syū fong hái gódouh
Ba deng guan diao Turn off the light but not *Jēung dāng sīk-jó
Ba wo de shu na zhe Hold my books but not *Jēung ngóh dī syū līng-jyuh
Jēung jing-geui ló chēut làih Bring the evidence out
Jēung dī syū būn fāan làih Move the books back
It is possible to say:
Nevertheless the version with jēung is preferred:
Similarly, with duration and frequency phrases following the verb it is convenient to use jēung and put the object before the verb:
Sīnsāang jēung pīn mán gōi-jó sāam chi The teacher has reviewed the composition three times Ngóh jēung go beihmaht sāu-màaih hái sām yahpbihn sahp lìhn I’ve been hiding the secret in my heart for ten years
jēung in High Cantonese
Apart from the sense of literal displacement, more abstract uses are possible. For example, jēung can be used in cases of transfer of ownership or possession:
Ngóh jēung nī gihn sih gāau béi léih I turn this matter over to you Ngóhdeih jēung bāt wàihcháan fān sāam fahn We divide the legacy into three parts Faai dī jēung go mìhnggwai sáubīu béi fāan yàhndeih Return the expensive watch quickly (to the owner)
Still more abstract senses of transfer include the following:
Kéuih jēung gá ge dong haih jān ge He treats what is false as if it were true Dímgáai léih jēung pàhngyáuh dong jouh dihkyàhn ga? Why do you treat friends as foes? Léih yiu jēung yíhchìhn ge sih mòhng-gei saai (kéuih) You need to forget about things that happened before
Such extended uses of jēung are a feature of High Cantonese, perhaps under the influence of Mandarin and written Chinese where ba would be used in such cases. They can be heard in public announcements, for example:
Báai go fā-jēun hái chēutbihn Put the vase outside
Gwa dī sāam hái tīntói douh Hang up the clothes on the roof
Jēung go fā jēun báai hái chēutbihn Put the vase outside
Jēung dī sāam gwa hái tīntói douh Hang the clothes up on the roof
Using jeung 59
Chéng jēung yāmleuhng sāu-sai Please turn your volume down Chéng jēung gwaijuhng mahtbán kwàihdaaih hái sānbīn Please carry your valuable belongings with you
Similarly, transitive verbs with the suffix -fa, a High Cantonese feature, are often used together with jēung:
Jingfú dásyun jēung Hēunggóng sou-máh-fa The government is planning to digitalize Hong Kong Léihdeih yīnggōi jēung mahntàih fūkjaahp-fa You should not complicate the problems
jēung…kéuih and imperatives
A rather idiomatic combination uses the pronoun kéuih to represent the object already mentioned as the object of jēung:
Note the regular use of the aspect marker -jó in this combination, which is used especially in imperative sentences:
In contrast to those discussed above, this is quite a colloquial usage (compare other colloquial uses of kéuih in Unit 24).
