wui4 gaa1回家
Jyutpingwui4 gaa1
Yalewùih gā
Definition
To go home, return home, or get home.
colloquialdaily actionshome
How it's used
Cantonese speakers almost exclusively use 返屋企 instead of the more formal 回家. The character 返 acts as a versatile verb for returning to a location, while 屋企 is the standard colloquial term for home. Using 回家 in casual conversation sounds stiff or overly literary, as if you are reading from a textbook or a formal announcement.
Related words
Common phrases
to go home for dinner
to go home to rest
Common mistake
Learners often mistakenly use 回家 because it is the standard term in Mandarin. In Cantonese, using 回家 makes you sound like you are speaking a different dialect or reading a formal script, so stick to 返屋企 for all daily interactions.
Grammar color guide
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Verb
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Grammar guides
- LocationHow to say where something is using 喺 (hai2), place words like 度, and the common coverbs that work like English prepositions.
- Serial verbsStringing two or more verbs together without any joining word, like go to the shop buy things. Extremely common in Cantonese.
- 將 disposalHow to move the object in front of the verb with 將, to focus on what happens to it. Common in instructions and writing.
