In Singapore, Hokkien use the expression "bo chap" to mean "couldn't care less". I would like to know if this is a universal Hokkien expression or just a Singaporean one? Also, what do you think is the Chinese characters for it? Is it 冇插? Or 无插?
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About "bochap"
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kaiah
Re: About "bochap"
"bo5 chap4" is not an idiom to express "couldn't care less" in Taiwan. We use some verb phrases such as "pang3 gua7 gua7"(放外外) or "pang3 hong3 hong3"(放放放) instead.
"bo5 chap4" should be "无插". "冇"(pha*3) means "hollow" or "soft inside".
"bo5 chap4" should be "无插". "冇"(pha*3) means "hollow" or "soft inside".
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Niuc
Re: About "bochap"
Indeed 'bo5 chap4' is a popular expression in Singapore. In our hometown we also use 'bo5 chap4' but not as frequent. Sometimes we say 'mai3 chap4', e.g.: 'i1 tak8 hang7 tai7 ci3 long2 mai3 chap4' he/she doesn't care about anything.
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kaiah
Re: About "bochap"
We also say :" 'i1 tak8 hang7 tai7 ci3 long2 mai3 chap4'.
"mai3 chap4" can say "bo5 ai3 chap4" or "bo5 beh4 chap4".
"mai3 chap4" can say "bo5 ai3 chap4" or "bo5 beh4 chap4".
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Niuc
Re: About "bochap"
Yes Kaiah, you are right, we also use 'bo5 ai3 chap4', 'bo5 ber4 chap4' beside 'bo5 chap4', 'mai3 chap4'. And 'bo5 pian3' = 'bo5 huat4 to`7' = 'bo5 huat4', in Singapore and also in my hometown. How about in Taiwan?
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kaiah
Re: About "bochap"
we say 'bo5 huat4 to`7' and 'bo5 huat4'.
I would take "bo5 pian3" for "without change".
I would take "bo5 pian3" for "without change".
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Niuc
Re: About "bochap"
'bo5 pian3' can be "without change" in ours too, depends on its context. To emphasize the meaning we can say 'bo5 kai2 pian3' or 'bo5 pian3 hua3'.
'bo5 pi*3' (pi*3 = pian3) means 'without change' (rarely used) but not "unable" , 'bue7 pi*3' = 'bue7 kue2 pi*3' = 'bue7 kue2' = "do not repent".
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'bo5 pi*3' (pi*3 = pian3) means 'without change' (rarely used) but not "unable" , 'bue7 pi*3' = 'bue7 kue2 pi*3' = 'bue7 kue2' = "do not repent".
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Sim
Re: About "bochap"
Hi All,
For me, "bo chap" and "mai chap" have the basic meaning "ignore". For example:
... 1. gua ka i kong, tapi i bo chap (gua) (I told him, but he ignored me).
... 2. mai chap i, i cin-cia* gong e (ignore him, he's very stupid).
It's easy to see how this meaning of "ignore" shades into "don't care". The first example above could have just as easily been translated: I told him, but he doesn't care.
Also, for me, "bo chap" is more something a person "does" or "is", whereas "mai chap" is more an advice or command. Hence the distinction in the two sentences above. I would never *tell* someone to ignore something by using "bo chap", only by using "mai chap".
Lastly, in my usage both "bo huat" and "bo huat tO" mean "it can't be changed", "it can't be helped". They are for situations where there is (or seems to be) no solution.
For example, if the government keeps putting in new lampposts or something, and they keep getting broken, then one could say:
... 3. ceng-hu titi siu-li, tapi bo huat tO e, i-lang titi co phai*.
Or if the ground is simply too dry at a certain spot, and a certain type of tree keeps dying, no matter how many times you've re-planted, and how many times a day you water:
... 4. ci-peng e thO siau* ta, ci-khuan e cang titi si, bo huat tO e.
Sim.
Note: "tapi" is the word for "but" borrowed from Malay.
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For me, "bo chap" and "mai chap" have the basic meaning "ignore". For example:
... 1. gua ka i kong, tapi i bo chap (gua) (I told him, but he ignored me).
... 2. mai chap i, i cin-cia* gong e (ignore him, he's very stupid).
It's easy to see how this meaning of "ignore" shades into "don't care". The first example above could have just as easily been translated: I told him, but he doesn't care.
Also, for me, "bo chap" is more something a person "does" or "is", whereas "mai chap" is more an advice or command. Hence the distinction in the two sentences above. I would never *tell* someone to ignore something by using "bo chap", only by using "mai chap".
Lastly, in my usage both "bo huat" and "bo huat tO" mean "it can't be changed", "it can't be helped". They are for situations where there is (or seems to be) no solution.
For example, if the government keeps putting in new lampposts or something, and they keep getting broken, then one could say:
... 3. ceng-hu titi siu-li, tapi bo huat tO e, i-lang titi co phai*.
Or if the ground is simply too dry at a certain spot, and a certain type of tree keeps dying, no matter how many times you've re-planted, and how many times a day you water:
... 4. ci-peng e thO siau* ta, ci-khuan e cang titi si, bo huat tO e.
Sim.
Note: "tapi" is the word for "but" borrowed from Malay.
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