faan1 lai2翻嚟
Jyutpingfaan1 lai2
Yalefāan lái
Definition
To return, come back, or get back.
colloquialdaily actionstravel
How it's used
Distinguish this from 翻去, which means to go back. It functions as a resultative verb compound where 翻 indicates the return motion and 嚟 specifies the direction towards the speaker. It is extremely common in daily life to describe returning home, work, or a previous location.
Examples
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often confuse 翻嚟 with 翻去. Remember that 翻嚟 is used when the speaker is at the destination or the destination is the speaker's current location, whereas 翻去 is used when moving away from the speaker.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- In 30 secondsThe whole language at a glance. No tenses, no plurals, six tones, sentence particles. Read this before you dive into any specific topic.
- ParticlesSentence particles add tone, emotion, and nuance. Learn the most common particles in Cantonese and how to use them.
- Possession (嘅)How to say my, your, and his, and how to link a describing word to a noun, all with the little word 嘅 (ge3).
