Direction Word + 嚟/去 + Place
Direction with a Destination
To describe moving to a destination, Cantonese combines a motion verb with a path (like 'up' or 'in') and a perspective ('towards' or 'away'). The destination follows the complete directional phrase.
How It Works
This pattern builds on simple directionals to include a specific goal. The directional word can act as the main verb itself (e.g., 入去間房 jap6 heoi3 gaan1 fong2), or it can follow an action verb. It involves three components:
1. The Path (Directional Particle):
- 上 (soeng5): Up
- 落 (lok6): Down
- 入 (jap6): In
- 出 (ceot1): Out
- 過 (gwo3): Across
- 埋 (maai4): Closer
- 開 (hoi1): Away
- 返 (faan1): Back / Return
- 起 (hei2): Up / Start (Note: while part of the directional paradigm, it rarely takes a specific destination in this exact pattern)
- 到 (dou3): To arrive/reach (Note: technically a resultative complement of arrival, but fits this structural pattern perfectly)
2. The Deictic (Perspective):
- 嚟 (lai4 / lei4): Towards the speaker. (Note: lei4 is the common colloquial pronunciation, while lai4 is older or more formal).
- 去 (heoi3): Away from the speaker.
Note: The perspective (嚟/去) is frequently dropped in everyday speech if the context is obvious, resulting in the structure [Verb] + [Path] + [Destination] (e.g., 行入間房 haang4 jap6 gaan1 fong2).
3. The Destination:
If the destination is a person or a pronoun (e.g., 佢 keoi5), you must add 度 (dou6) or its variant 處 (syu3) at the end to make it a location (e.g., 佢度 keoi5 dou6). Note that 處 is pronounced syu3 in colloquial speech in this context (e.g., 喺處 hai2 syu3). In the question word 邊處, it is primarily pronounced bin1 syu3, though syu2 is a common colloquial variant. For place nouns like 'mountain' or 'office', adding 度 is optional but creates a 'bracketing' effect around the location (e.g., 入去 [office] 度), which is common for spatial emphasis. However, for proper geographical names like 香港 (hoeng1 gong2) or 九龍 (gau2 lung4), adding 度 sounds unnatural when used with directional motion.
Word Order: Unlike Mandarin, Cantonese prefers to keep the directional unit together before the place. For example, 'walk into the room' is 行入去間房 (haang4 jap6 heoi3 gaan1 fong2).
Aspect Markers: When using aspect markers like 咗 (zo2) or 緊 (gan2), they can be placed after the main verb (e.g., 行咗入去間房 haang4 zo2 jap6 heoi3 gaan1 fong2) or sometimes after the first directional particle (e.g., 行入咗間房 haang4 jap6 zo2 gaan1 fong2).
Examples (6)
- 我哋行入去圖書館啦。
Let's walk into the library.
Word by Word: We walk in-go library [suggestion].
The speaker is outside the library. '入' (jap6) shows the path (in) and '去' (heoi3) shows the movement is away from the speaker's current spot.
- 佢聽日搬返嚟香港。
He is moving back to Hong Kong tomorrow.
Word by Word: He tomorrow move back-come Hong Kong.
The speaker is currently in Hong Kong. '返' (faan1) indicates returning, and '嚟' (lei4) indicates coming towards the speaker's location.
- 你快啲跑落嚟花園啦！
Run down to the garden quickly!
Word by Word: You fast-bit run down-come garden [suggestion]!
The speaker is in the garden (downstairs). '落' (lok6) is the downward path, and '嚟' (lei4) is towards the speaker.
- 我寄咗個包裹過去美國。
I sent the package over to America.
Word by Word: I send [perfective] [classifier] package across-go America.
The speaker is not in America. '過' (gwo3) indicates crossing a distance/border, and '去' (heoi3) indicates away from the speaker.
- 架巴士啱啱揸咗出去旺角。
The bus just drove out to Mong Kok.
Word by Word: [Classifier] bus just-just drive [perfective] out-go Mong Kok.
The bus is moving 'out' (出 ceot1) from a station or depot towards a destination away from the speaker.
- 不如我哋行入去間房度傾啦。
How about we walk into the room to chat.
Word by Word: How about we walk in-go [classifier] room [location] chat [suggestion].
Notice the bracketing effect here: '間房' (the room) is bracketed by the directional '入去' before it and the location marker '度' after it, emphasizing the spatial destination.
Common Mistakes
Putting the destination between the direction and 去 (行入間房去).
Different Meaning行入間房去 (haang4 jap6 gaan1 fong2 heoi3)行入去間房 (haang4 jap6 heoi3 gaan1 fong2)Both orders are natural. 行入間房去 puts the place before 去 (heoi3), as in 返屋企去. 行入去間房 keeps the directional unit 入去 together and puts the destination last.
Forgetting the locative marker '度' (dou6) for people or pronouns.
行過去老師 (haang4 gwo3 heoi3 lou5 si1)行過去老師度 (haang4 gwo3 heoi3 lou5 si1 dou6)While place nouns like 'school' or 'mountain' are already locations, people and pronouns are not. You must add 度 (dou6) to turn them into a destination.
How It Connects
Learn This First
To understand how to specify a destination with a direction, you first need to be comfortable with the basic directional particles '嚟' (come) and '去' (go). You also need to understand how direction words like 'up', 'down', 'in', and 'out' combine with these particles before you can insert a specific location between them.
- Verb + Direction Word + 嚟/去Compound Directional Complement
This pattern is an extension of the compound directional complement, adding a specific destination to the movement.
Level 3 - 邊度Where
Understanding how to express locations and destinations is necessary for the '地方' (place) component of this pattern.
Level 1
Related Patterns
- Verb + Object + Direction Word + 嚟/去Object Before the Direction
This pattern is used for physical objects (like a book) rather than locations. With objects, the word order is more flexible.
Level 3 - 嚟（趨向）Coming Toward the Speaker
The core particle indicating movement towards the speaker.
Level 1 - 去Going Away from the Speaker
The core particle indicating movement away from the speaker.
Level 1 - Word Order Basics
Understanding how Cantonese handles complements and objects is fundamental to this pattern.
Foundations - V+入Verb + Inward
One of the specific path particles used in this compound structure.
Level 2
Words in This Pattern
Practice Direction Word + 嚟/去 + Place in Bubblegum
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