faan2 lai2返嚟

Jyutpingfaan2 lai2

Yalefáan lái

Definition

A verb suffix indicating that something has been obtained, acquired, or retrieved.

colloquialdaily actions

How it's used

When used after a verb, this indicates that the action resulted in the subject successfully obtaining or retrieving something. It implies a sense of effort or a process of recovery, such as finding something lost or acquiring information from a source. It is distinct from the literal meaning of returning to a location.

Examples

ni1呢go3個siu1消sik1息nei5你bin1邊dou6度ting1聽faan1返lai4嚟㗎？

Where did you hear this news from?

ngo5我喺hai2二ji6手sau2店dim3執zap1返faan1嚟lai4個go3舊gau6相soeng3機。

I picked up this old camera from a second-hand shop.

Common phrases

maai5買faan1返lai4嚟

to have bought and brought back

hok6學faan1返lai4嚟

to have learned and acquired

Common mistake

Do not confuse this with the literal motion of returning to a place, which is also written as 返嚟. Context is essential to distinguish between the physical act of coming back and the metaphorical sense of acquiring something.