Verb + Object + Direction Word + 嚟/去

Object Before the Direction

Level 3Sounds Like fong1 hoeng3 heoi3

Use Verb + Object + Direction + 嚟/去 to describe moving something. In Cantonese, the object must always appear before the final directional particle (嚟 or 去).

How It Works

In Cantonese, when using compound directional complements (a verb followed by a direction word and then 嚟 or 去), the object (the thing being moved) has a specific placement. The key rule for these compound structures is that the object usually must precede the directional phrase.

1. The Standard Structure:
For most direction words, there is a standard way to place a regular object:

  • V + O + Dir + 嚟/去: The object comes before the entire directional phrase. For example: 攞本書上嚟 (lo2 bun2 syu1 soeng5 lei4) 'Bring the book up'.

2. Key Components:

3. Important Constraints & Exceptions:

  • Unlike Mandarin, you cannot place a regular object at the very end of a compound directional sentence. Saying *攞上嚟本書 is incorrect in Cantonese. The object must come before the directional phrase.
  • While you might occasionally hear the directional phrase split by an object (e.g., 攞出本書嚟) due to Mandarin influence, it is not considered standard Cantonese.
  • The 起 (hei2) Exception: When the direction word is 起 (hei2), the object must split the directional phrase (V + 起 + O + 嚟). For example: 攞起本書嚟 (lo2 hei2 bun2 syu1 lei4) 'Pick up the book'.

4. Destination Objects:
Note that this strict placement rule applies to regular objects (things being moved). For destination objects (places you are going to), the object follows the directional word, both for simple directionals (e.g., 返嚟屋企 faan1 lei4 uk1 kei2 'come back home') and compound directionals (e.g., 行入去間房 haang4 jap6 heoi3 gaan1 fong2 'walk into the room'). This is a major contrast with Mandarin, where destination objects split the directional phrase.

5. Adding 咗 (zo2):
If you need to use the perfective aspect marker 咗 (zo2), it is placed immediately after the main verb for both regular objects (e.g., 攞咗本書出嚟 lo2 zo2 bun2 syu1 ceot1 lei4) and destination objects (e.g., 行咗入去間房 haang4 zo2 jap6 heoi3 gaan1 fong2).

6. Topicalization:
Because placing a long object in the middle of a directional phrase can feel clunky, Cantonese speakers frequently use object topicalisation (moving the object to the beginning of the sentence). For example, instead of 攞本書出嚟 (lo2 bun2 syu1 ceot1 lei4), it is very natural to say 本書，攞出嚟 (bun2 syu1, lo2 ceot1 lei4) 'The book, take it out'.

Examples (6)

  1. 攞件衫落嚟。

    Bring the shirt down (to me).

    Word by Word: Take [classifier] shirt down come.

    The speaker is downstairs. The shirt is being moved 'down' (落) toward the speaker (嚟).

  2. 搬張櫈入去。

    Move the chair in (there).

    Word by Word: Move [classifier] chair in go.

    The speaker is outside the room. The chair is being moved 'in' (入) away from the speaker (去).

  3. 寄封信返嚟。

    Mail the letter back (here).

    Word by Word: Mail [classifier] letter back come.

    The letter is being sent 'back' (返) to the speaker's current location (嚟).

  4. 遞部電話過嚟。

    Hand the phone over (to me).

    Word by Word: Hand [classifier] phone across come.

    The phone moves 'across' (過) the space toward the speaker (嚟).

  5. 攞啲垃圾出去。

    Take the trash out.

    Word by Word: Take [plural classifier] trash out go.

    The trash is being moved 'out' (出) away from the speaker's current position (去).

  6. 本書，攞出嚟啦。

    The book, take it out.

    Word by Word: The book, take out come [particle].

    This demonstrates object topicalization, a highly recommended structure to make directional sentences sound more natural.

Common Mistakes

  • Placing the object at the very end of the sentence.

    攞上嚟件衫。
    攞件衫上嚟。

    In Cantonese, the object must come before the directional complement (V + O + Dir + 嚟/去). Putting it at the end sounds like a direct translation from Mandarin or English.

  • 落去 is natural, but it means 'down, away from me', not 'down to me'.

    Different Meaning攞件衫落去。
    攞件衫落嚟。

    攞件衫落去 is a good sentence meaning take the shirt down to somewhere away from you. If you want it brought down to where you are, use 嚟 (lei4): 攞件衫落嚟.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

Verb + Object + Direction Word + 嚟/去Level 3Object Before the Direction

Learn This First

To learn this pattern, you first need to understand how compound directionals (like 'up-come' or 'out-go') work on their own. This specific pattern teaches you the unique Cantonese rule that when a verb has an object, that object must be inserted between the direction word and the final 嚟/去 particle.

Words in This Pattern