gong3 lam4降臨降临
Jyutpinggong3 lam4
Yalegong làhm
Definition
To arrive or descend, especially referring to a deity coming to the mortal world or a major event befalling people.
writtendescriptionsother
How it's used
Used primarily in formal or literary contexts to describe abstract concepts like fate, darkness, or divine presence arriving. It carries a sense of weight or inevitability that simple words like 到 or 嚟唔會 convey. While it appears in written prose, it is occasionally used in spoken Cantonese for dramatic effect or when discussing serious topics.
Examples
Happiness has finally come to them.
Night has fallen, everyone needs to go home.
Related words
Common mistake
Avoid using this for everyday arrivals like people coming to a house or a bus arriving at a stop. It is reserved for grand, significant, or atmospheric events.
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.
