V+起（完成）

Get a Piece of Work Finished

Level 5Sounds Like hei2

Use V + 起 (hei2) when you want to say you have 'finished off' a piece of work, especially when that work results in a tangible product (like a report, a meal, or a building).

How It Works

The particle 起 (hei2) is a resultative complement that literally means 'up.' In this grammatical context, it suggests that a task has been 'raised' to completion.

1. Verbs of Creation, Preparation, and Defined Tasks
This pattern is used with transitive verbs that produce a physical or digital object, or tasks that result in a defined end-state. Common verbs include:

  • Creation: 寫 (se2 - write), 畫 (waak6 - draw), 織 (zik1 - knit).
  • Construction/Making: 整 (zing2 - make/fix), 砌 (cai3 - assemble/build with blocks).
  • Preparation/Tasks: 煮 (zyu2 - cook), 洗 (sai2 - wash), 計 (gai3 - calculate).

2. The Nuance of 'Ready' and Object Placement
Using 起 (hei2) implies the object or task is now a completed entity. The object directly follows the complement: V + 起 + Object. For completed tasks, it is very common to add the perfective aspect marker 咗: V + 起 + 咗 + Object. For example, 寫起份報告 (se2 hei2 fan6 bou3 gou3) doesn't just mean you stopped writing; it means the document is finished and exists as a whole.

3. Question Structure
To ask if a task is finished yet, use the structure V + 起 + 未？ (e.g., 寫起未？ se2 hei2 mei6? - Have you finished writing it yet?). Because the focus is on the completed product, object fronting is highly natural and common: Object + V + 起 + 未？ (e.g., 份報告寫起未？ fan6 bou3 gou3 se2 hei2 mei6? - Is the report finished?).

4. Potential Form: Ability to Finish
A core use of this pattern is in the potential form to express whether one can finish a task by a deadline:

  • V + 得 + 起 (dak1 hei2): Can get it finished. (e.g., 寫得起 se2 dak1 hei2 - can get the writing done).
  • V + 唔 + 起 (m4 hei2): Cannot get it finished. (e.g., 趕唔起 gon2 m4 hei2 - cannot finish the work in time). Note that while 趕唔切 (gon2 m4 cit3) means you cannot make it in time for an event or deadline generally, 趕唔起 specifically means you cannot finish producing the required work in time.

Note: Do not confuse this with the idiomatic V得起 / V唔起 meaning 'can/cannot afford' (e.g., 買唔起 maai5 m4 hei2). In the context of finishing work, it refers to the completion of the task itself.

5. Comparison with other markers:

  • V + 完 (jyun4): Focuses on the process stopping (e.g., 'I finished the act of reading').
  • V + 好 (hou2): Focuses on the quality or readiness (e.g., 'It is done and it is good/ready').
  • V + 起 (hei2): Focuses on the product's existence or task completion (e.g., 'The report is finished/exists'). Note that for building houses, 起好 (hei2 hou2) is used instead of '起起'.

Examples (5)

  1. 我終於寫起份報告喇。

    I've finally finished (writing) the report.

    Word by Word: I finally write-up [classifier] report [particle].

    Here, 寫起 (se2 hei2) indicates that the report is now a completed product.

  2. 佢用咗兩日就織起咗件衫。

    She finished knitting the shirt in just two days.

    Word by Word: She use [past] two day then knit-up [past] [classifier] shirt.

    織起 (zik1 hei2) shows that the act of knitting has resulted in a finished piece of clothing. Notice the use of 咗 (zo2) after the complement to mark the completed action.

  3. 聽日之前要整起件貨。

    The goods must be finished/prepared before tomorrow.

    Word by Word: Tomorrow before must make-up [classifier] goods.

    整起 (zing2 hei2) implies the task of preparing the goods must be completed to meet a deadline.

  4. 你畫起張畫未呀？

    Have you finished the drawing yet?

    Word by Word: You draw-up [classifier] drawing not-yet [particle]?

    Using 畫起 (waak6 hei2) asks if the physical drawing has reached its completed state.

  5. 份報告寫起未呀？

    Is the report finished yet?

    Word by Word: [classifier] report write-up not-yet [particle]?

    Because the focus is on the completed product, the object (the report) is naturally fronted as the topic of the sentence.

Common Mistakes

  • Using 起 (hei2) for actions that do not create a product.

    我行起咗喇。
    我行完咗喇。

    Walking (行 haang4) does not result in a physical product, so you should use 完 (jyun4) instead of 起 (hei2).

  • Adding 起來 (hei2 loi4) to indicate completion.

    我寫起來份報告。
    我寫起份報告。

    In Cantonese, 起上嚟 (hei2 soeng5 lai4) usually means 'to start doing something' (inchoative). To mean 'finished,' you must use the bare 起 (hei2).

How It Connects

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V+起（完成）Level 5Get a Piece of Work Finished

Learn This First

The pattern 'V+起' is a specific type of resultative or completive particle used when a task or piece of work is brought to a finished state. To understand it, learners should be familiar with how Cantonese uses verbal particles in general, the literal directional use of '起' (meaning 'up'), and the basic way to express finishing an action using '完'.

Words in This Pattern

起