毋才

Chinese

		no; not	ability; talent; endowment ability; talent; endowment; gift; an expert; only (then); only if; just
simp. and trad. (毋才)		毋	才
alternative forms		伓則／伓则 呣則／呣则

Pronunciation

• Southern Min (Hokkien, POJ): m̄-chiah

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• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, General Taiwanese)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: m̄-chiah
    • Tâi-lô: m̄-tsiah
    • Phofsit Daibuun: mxciaq
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /m̩⁴¹⁻²² t͡siaʔ⁵/
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /m̩³³⁻²¹ t͡siaʔ³²/
    • IPA (Taipei): /m̩³³⁻¹¹ t͡siaʔ³²/
    • IPA (Xiamen): /m̩²²⁻²¹ t͡siaʔ³²/

Adverb

毋才

1. (Hokkien) so only after; so only then

   • 文憲講，「我一生定定ê兩項興趣是生物學kah船。阮某是出名ê水手吳素玉…無的確你會記得伊。伊家己一個駛帆船環遊世界。」明德應講，「是，我會記得伊。」文憲講，「阮m̄chiah開始做生理，造帆船koh兼賣船。」 [Taiwanese Hokkien, trad.]
     文宪讲，「我一生定定ê两项兴趣是生物学kah船。阮某是出名ê水手吴素玉…无的确你会记得伊。伊家己一个驶帆船环游世界。」明德应讲，「是，我会记得伊。」文宪讲，「阮m̄chiah开始做生理，造帆船koh兼卖船。」 [Taiwanese Hokkien, simp.]

     From: 1996, 莊惠平 (Chng Hūi-phêng), 化學品 ê 玄機 (Hòa-hak-phín ê Hiân-ki), chapter 1

     Bûn-hiàn kóng, “Góa chi̍t seng tiāⁿ-tiāⁿ ê nn̄g hāng hèng-chhù sī seng-bu̍t-ha̍k kah chûn. Gún bó͘ sī chhut-miâ ê chúi-chhiú Gô͘ Sò͘-gio̍k... Bô-tek-khak lí ē-kì-tit i. I ka-kī chi̍t ê sái phâng-chûn khoân-iû sè-kài.” Bêng-tek ìn kóng, “Sī, góa ē kì chit i.” Bûn-hiàn kóng, “Gún m̄-chiah khai-sí chò seng-lí, chō phâng-chûn koh kiam bē-chûn.” [Pe̍h-ōe-jī]

     Bûn-hiàn said, "My two hobbies in life are biology and boats. My wife is a famous sailor Gô͘ Sò͘-gio̍k... maybe you remember her. She is sailing alone in her sailboat travelling around the world." Bêng-tek answered, "Yes, I remember her." Bûn-hiàn said, "So then I started a business of making sailboats and selling boats."

   • 伊搭胸崁掛保證，講若去一定有麻糍雨通看，我毋才姑不而將綴伊去。 [Taiwanese Hokkien, trad.]
     伊搭胸崁挂保证，讲若去一定有麻糍雨通看，我毋才姑不而将缀伊去。 [Taiwanese Hokkien, simp.]

     From: 2020, 洪淑昭, 麻糍雨

     I tah heng-khám kòa pó-chèng, kóng nā khì it-tēng ū môa-chî-hō͘ thang khòaⁿ, góa m̄-chiah ko͘-put-jî-chiong tòe i khì. [Pe̍h-ōe-jī]

     He bet his life saying that if I go, there will definitely be mochi rain to see, so only then did I have no choice but follow him.

2. (Hokkien) only; merely

   • 伊先共尖鑿仔伸入去壁空，閣來摃槌仔對鑿仔摃一下，柴枋仔就到手矣，前前後後毋才三秒鐘爾！ [Taiwanese Hokkien, trad.]
     伊先共尖凿仔伸入去壁空，阁来𫼱槌仔对凿仔𫼱一下，柴枋仔就到手矣，前前后后毋才三秒钟尔！ [Taiwanese Hokkien, simp.]

     From: 2018, 廖淑鳳, 偝巾幌公鞦

     I seng kā chiam chha̍k-á chhun ji̍p-khì piah-khang, koh lâi kòng-thûi-á tùi chha̍k-á kòng--chi̍t-ē, chhâ-pang-á chiū kàu-chhiú--ah, chêng-chêng-āu-āu m̄-châi saⁿ bió-cheng niā! [Pe̍h-ōe-jī]

     He first extended the sharp chisel into the hole in the wall, and then he hit the chisel with a hammer. The wooden plank was immediately in his hand. From beginning to end, it only took three seconds!

Synonyms

• 才 (cái)