Verb + Direction Word + 嚟/去

Compound Directional Complement

Level 3Sounds Like fong1 hoeng3 heoi3

The Compound Directional Complement describes how you move (Verb), where you go (Direction), and relative to whom (嚟/去).

How It Works

This pattern is the standard way to express complex movement in Cantonese. It consists of three layers:

1. The Manner Verb (V): Describes the action, such as 行 (haang4, walk), 跑 (paau2, run), or 拎 (ling1, take).
2. The Directional Particle (Path): Describes the trajectory. Common particles include:

3. The Deictic Particle (Orientation):

  • 嚟 (lai4, also read lei4): Movement toward the speaker. Dictionaries list both readings; lai4 is the citation form and lei4 is the everyday Hong Kong pronunciation.
  • 去 (heoi3): Movement away from the speaker.

Dropping 嚟/去:
When the sentence names a destination, the deictic particle is usually left out: 行入房 (haang4 jap6 fong2 - walk into the room), not 行入房去. The destination itself already makes the direction clear.

Word Order with Objects:
Unlike Mandarin (which often places the object after the direction word, e.g., 拿出一件衣服來), Cantonese typically places regular nouns (theme objects) and pronouns before the directional complement: V + Object/Pronoun + Dir + 嚟/去. For example: 拎 (take) + 件衫 (shirt) + 出 (out) + 嚟 (come) = 拎件衫出嚟 (take the shirt out), or 拎佢出嚟 (ling1 keoi5 ceot1 lei4 - take it out).

Important Exceptions: For 起 (hei2), 開 (hoi1), 低 (dai1) and 埋 (maai4), the object or pronoun must follow the directional particle: V + 起/開/低/埋 + Object/Pronoun. When these four take a direct object the deictic 嚟/去 is almost always dropped altogether — 放低本書 (fong3 dai1 bun2 syu1 - put the book down), 帶埋佢 (daai3 maai4 keoi5 - bring him along too). For example: 拎起件衫 (ling1 hei2 gin6 saam1 - pick up the shirt) and 移開佢 (ji4 hoi1 keoi5 - move it aside). Note that in casual speech, objects are sometimes placed at the very end as an afterthought or right-dislocation.

For places (locative objects), Cantonese often places the destination after the deictic particle, usually followed by 度 (dou6): V + Dir + 嚟/去 + Place + (度). For example: 行入去間房度 (walk into the room).

Adding Aspect Markers:
When using aspect markers like 咗 (zo2) or 緊 (gan2), they generally attach directly to the main verb. For theme objects: V + 咗/緊 + Object + Dir + 嚟/去 (e.g., 拎咗件衫出嚟 ling1 zo2 gin6 saam1 ceot1 lei4 - took the shirt out). For locative movement, 緊 (gan2) strictly attaches to the main verb (e.g., 行緊入去 haang4 gan2 jap6 heoi3 - walking in). However, 咗 (zo2) is flexible and can attach to either the main verb or the directional particle (e.g., 行咗入去 haang4 zo2 jap6 heoi3, or 行入咗去 haang4 jap6 zo2 heoi3 - walked in). For the bound directional particles 起 (hei2) and 開 (hoi1), the aspect marker must attach after the directional particle: V + 起/開 + 咗 + Object (e.g., 拎起咗件衫 ling1 hei2 zo2 gin6 saam1 - picked up the shirt).

Metaphorical Uses:
These aren't just for physical movement. Some common extensions include:

  • V + 落去 (lok6 heoi3): To continue doing something (e.g., 講落去 - keep talking).
  • V + 起上嚟 (hei2 soeng5 lei4): To start an action or state (e.g., 笑起上嚟 - start laughing). Note: 起去 is not used for starting an action.
  • V + 出嚟 (ceot1 lei4): To produce or reveal something (e.g., 諗出嚟 - think of/come up with).

Examples (5)

  1. 佢啱啱跑咗入去。

    He just ran in (away from me).

    Word by Word: He just run [perfective] in go.

    Here, 跑 (paau2) is the manner, 入 (jap6) is the path, and 去 (heoi3) shows he is moving away from the speaker's current location.

  2. 你可唔可以拎件衫出嚟呀？

    Can you bring the shirt out (to me)?

    Word by Word: You can not can take [classifier] shirt out come [particle]?

    Notice the object 件衫 (gin6 saam1) is placed between the main verb 拎 (ling1) and the direction 出 (ceot1), following the standard Cantonese V + Object + Dir + 嚟 pattern.

  3. 唔好停，做落去啦！

    Don't stop, keep doing it!

    Word by Word: Not good stop, do down go [particle]!

    This uses the metaphorical meaning of 落去 (lok6 heoi3) to indicate the continuation of an action.

  4. 佢一講完就笑起上嚟。

    As soon as he finished speaking, he started laughing.

    Word by Word: He once speak finish then laugh up come.

    起上嚟 (hei2 soeng5 lei4) functions as an aspect marker here, indicating the beginning of the state of laughing.

  5. 我行唔返入去。

    I cannot walk back in.

    Word by Word: I walk not back in go.

    To express inability, the negative marker 唔 (m4) is inserted after the main verb but before the directional particles.

Common Mistakes

  • Applying Mandarin word order for locative objects or omitting classifiers and '度'.

    佢行咗入去房。
    佢行咗入去間房度。

    For places (locative objects), Cantonese naturally places the destination after the deictic particle, using a classifier and often ending with 度 (dou6), like 行入去間房度 (walk into the room). Keeping the complement together before a bare noun (入去房) sounds unnatural and Mandarin-influenced.

  • Using '起去' (hei2 heoi3) for 'starting' an action.

    佢喊起去。
    佢喊起上嚟。

    While most directions can pair with both 嚟 and 去, the 'starting' aspect is fixed as 起上嚟 (hei2 soeng5 lei4) or 起嚟. '起去' is ungrammatical.

  • Using 嚟 when you are speaking from a different place.

    Different Meaning我聽日過嚟你度。
    我聽日過去你度。

    我聽日過嚟你度 is natural when the listener's place is the viewpoint ('I'll come over to you'). Use 去 (heoi3) for movement away from where you are now, and 嚟 (lei4) for movement toward the place you are talking from.

How It Connects

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Verb + Direction Word + 嚟/去Level 3Compound Directional Complement

Learn This First

The compound directional complement (V + Direction + 嚟/去) is a three-part structure. It requires knowledge of basic directional verbs (come/go), how they combine with directional particles (like 'up', 'down', 'in', 'out'), and how these are attached to a main verb to describe the manner and direction of an action.

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