我想你
góa siūnn lí
The phrase "i miss you" in Hokkien is 我想你 (góa siūnn lí).
In Hokkien, the verb siūnn serves a dual purpose: it is used for the cognitive act of "thinking" and also for the emotional act of "missing" a person.
Meaning: I miss you (phrase)
How do you pronounce it?
góa siūnn lí
Did you know?
- The phrase góa siūnn lí is often replaced in casual settings by asking if the other person has eaten, as 'Have you eaten?' is a common cultural proxy for 'I care about you'.
- In many Hokkien-speaking households, instead of saying 'I miss you' directly, people often use roundabout ways to talk about 'thinking' of someone to avoid being overly sentimental.
- The character used for siūnn in written Hokkien, '想', is also the standard character for 'to want' or 'to desire' in many classical contexts.
Examples in context
- 我想你。guá siūnn lí.I miss you.
- 我想你了。guá siūnn lí–ah.I miss you (now/already).
Example conversation
Two partners are talking on the phone.
- 佳怡 Chia-yi家豪，我想你。Ka-hâu, guá siáng líJiahao, I miss you.
- 家豪 Ka-hao我也想你，佳怡。guá iā siáng lí, Ka-íI miss you too, Jiayi.
- 佳怡 Chia-yi你什麼時候回來？lí sián-mih-sî-hou huî-lâiWhen are you coming back?
- 家豪 Ka-hao我下個星期就回來。guá ē-kè-se siu huî-lâiI will be back next week.
