faan1 bun2翻本
Jyutpingfaan1 bun2
Yalefāan bún
Definition
To win back one's original stake, recoup losses, or break even in gambling or investing.
colloquialmoney
How it's used
Focuses on the psychological drive to recover losses, often in high stakes situations like gambling or speculative trading. It carries a cautionary tone because the desire to recover losses frequently leads to further reckless behavior. It is rarely used in positive contexts like recovering a business investment through hard work.
Examples
He lost so much money and is determined to win it back tonight.
You still want to keep gambling to win back your losses? Stop now.
Related words
Common phrases
intent on winning back one's losses
no hope of breaking even
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with recovering a physical object or a lost item, which would use 搵返. It is strictly limited to financial or stake-based losses.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Directional complementsThe small words added after a verb to show direction of movement, like up, down, out, in, and back. Common in everyday Cantonese.
- DemonstrativesThis and that with 呢 and 嗰, the personal pronouns, and how 哋 turns I, you, and he into we, you all, and they.
- Resultative complementsSticking a result word onto a verb to show how it turned out, like eat until full or look and find. A productive everyday pattern.
