faan1 soeng5 lai4返上嚟
Jyutpingfaan1 soeng5 lai4
Yalefāan séuhng làih
Definition
To come back up; to return upwards.
colloquialdaily actionsplaces
How it's used
This directional verb compound specifically describes movement toward the speaker's current location, which is physically higher than the starting point. It is frequently used when someone is returning to an upper floor of a building or a higher elevation, such as returning to an office on a higher level or coming back to a city located in the hills. The inclusion of 上 implies a vertical ascent, distinguishing it from the more neutral 返嚟.
Examples
Related words
Common phrases
come back up to the office
Common mistake
Learners often confuse this with 返去, which implies moving away from the speaker's current location. If you are currently on the ground floor and someone is returning to the tenth floor, you must use 返上去 instead of 返上嚟.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
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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).
