early Mandarin phrasebook
In 1872, long before Herbert Giles revised Thomas Wade's romanization system, creating Wade-Giles, he compiled a Mandarin phrasebook. Here are some selections from that book, Chinese without a Teacher, Being a Collection of Easy and Useful Sentences in the Mandarin Dialect, with a Vocabulary. They serve to illustrate this relatively early approach to romanization (which in this case is aimed at perhaps clueless Westerners), as well as something of the times.
I have added Hanyu Pinyin for comparative purposes.
| English | Giles | Hanyu Pinyin |
|---|---|---|
| I want to wash my face. | Woa yow shee lay-enn. | Wǒ yào xǐliǎn. |
| Bring some water. | Nah shooey li. | Ná shuǐ lái. |
| I don't want hot water. | Poo yow raw shooey. | Bù yào rè shuǐ. |
| Bring me a piece of soap. | Nah yee k'wi yeedza. | Ná yī kuài yízi. |
| I haven't a towel. | Mayo sho-cheen. | Méiyǒu shǒujīn. |
| Shut the window. | Kwahn-shahng ch'wong-hoo. | Guānshang chuānghu. |
| Open the door. | K'i mun. | Kāi mén. |
| Pour me out a glass of water. | Kay woa tow yee pay shooey. | Gěi wǒ yī béi shuǐ. |
| Get me a chair [not a sedan]. | Nah ye jahng yeedza. | Ná yī zhāng yǐzi. |
| Bring me a light. | Naw hwaw li. | Ná huǒ lái. |
| Make a fire. | Loong hwaw. | Lónghuǒ. |
| I want to have chow-chow now. | Shendzi yow ch'irp fahn. | Xiànzài yào chīfàn. |
| I want beef; I don't want pork. | Yow new-ro; poo you joo-ro. | Yào niúròu; bù yào zhūròu. |
| Is there good mutton to be had? | Yo how yahng-ro mayo? | Yǒu hǎo yángròu méiyǒu? |
| I also want some fruit. | Hi yow kwo-dza. | Háiyào guǒzi. |
| Have you any bread? | Yo me-enpow mayo? | Yǒu miànbāo méiyǒu? |
| Open a bottle of wine. | K'i yee p'ing cheeoo. | Kāi yī píng jiǔ. |
| Make some tea. | Ch'ee ch'ah. | Qīchá. |
| Bring me a teacup. | Nah ch'ah-wahn li. | Ná cháwǎn lái. |
| I don't want this. | Poo yow chayka. | Bù yào zhèige |
| That's not good. | Nahka poo how. | Nàge bù hǎo. |
| Bring me a knife. | Nah yee pah towdza. | Ná yī bǎ dāozi. |
| Bring me a fork. | Nah yee pah ch'ahdza. | Ná yī bǎ chāzi. |
