liu1 faan1 ceot1 lei4了番出嚟
Jyutpingliu1 faan1 ceot1 lei4
Yalelīu fāan chēut lèih
Definition
To dig or fish something back out, or to bring up a past matter.
- to dig something back out; to fish something out of a container or space
- figurativeto bring up or dig up a past matter
colloquialdaily actionscommunication
How it's used
This phrase is a combination of the verb 摷, which means to rummage or search through, and the directional complement 番出嚟, indicating movement back out. It is frequently used metaphorically when someone brings up an old, often unpleasant, topic that was supposed to be forgotten. The nuance is that the speaker is actively digging through the past to retrieve something that should have remained buried.
Related words
Common phrases
to bring up an old topic again
to dig something out to use it again
Common mistake
Learners often confuse 摷 with 搵, but 摷 implies a messy, thorough search through a pile or a container, whereas 搵 is a general search for something missing.
Grammar color guide
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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.
