lam4臨临
Jyutpinglam4
Yalelàhm
Definition
To arrive or come to a place.
colloquialtimedaily actions
How it's used
Functions primarily as a temporal marker meaning 'just before' or 'on the verge of' when followed by a verb. It emphasizes the immediacy of an action occurring right before a specific event or deadline. It is rarely used as a standalone verb for 'to arrive' in modern spoken Cantonese, where 嚟 or 到 are preferred.
Examples
Remember to turn off the lights before you leave.
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often confuse it with 嚟, but 臨 specifically indicates the timing immediately preceding an action rather than the act of arriving at a location.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Aspect markersCantonese has no tenses, but it does have aspect markers. Learn how zo2, gwo3, gan2, and hai2 dou6 show completion, experience, and ongoing action.
- 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.
