ABSTRACT
The verb haih 係 ‘to be’ is straightforward in form but is used in ways which do not always match those of English and other European languages. It is used to introduce noun phrases, as in making introductions and identifying people: Ngóh haih Chàhn Síu Míhng 我係陳小明 I’m Chan Siu Ming. Léih haih bīngo a? 你係邊個呀? Who are you? Kéuih haih yīsāng 佢係醫生 She’s a doctor. As we saw in Unit 5, many such statements can also be made without haih 係, especially when a sentence particle such as the explanatory lèihga 嚟㗎 is added (see Unit 25): Lī go (haih) ngóh làahm-páhngyáuh (léihga) 呢個(係)我男朋友(嚟喋) This is my boyfriend. Ngóhdeih (haih) Chìuhjāuyáhn (léihga) 我哋(係)潮州人(嚟喋) We are Chiu Chow (people) Note in particular that haih 係 is not used with adjectives, which are typically introduced by hóu 好 (lit. ‘very’: see Unit 9): Ngóh yìhgā hóu mohng 我而家好忙 I’m busy now. (not *Ngóh yìhgā haih hóu mòhng 我而家係好忙) Léih gājē hóu leng 你家姐好靓 Your (elder) sister is beautiful.
