完
Terminative Aspect
Use 完 (jyun4) right after a verb (Verb + 完) to express that an action is finished or completed, such as 睇完 (tai2 jyun4 - finish reading) or 食完 (sik6 jyun4 - finish eating).
How It Works
1. Basic Usage as an Aspect Suffix
Attach 完 (jyun4) directly to a verb to show that an action has reached its end.
• Structure: Verb + 完 + Object
• Example: 食完飯 (sik6 jyun4 faan6 - finish eating dinner)
2. Sequential Actions (V1 + 完 + 就 + V2)
Use 完 (jyun4) followed by 就 (zau6) to express "after finishing X, then do Y".
• Structure: V1 + 完 (+ Object) + 就 (zau6) + V2
• Example: 做完功課就去玩 (zou6 jyun4 gung1 fo3 zau6 heoi3 waan2 - go play right after finishing homework)
3. Standalone Main Verb Usage
完 (jyun4) can also function by itself as a main verb meaning "to end" or "to finish" (often paired with 咗 (zo2)).
• Structure: Noun + 完 (+ 咗 (zo2))
• Example: 節目完咗喇 (zit3 muk6 jyun4 zo2 laa3 - the show has ended)
4. Combining with Outer Aspect Markers
Because 完 is an inner aspect marker, outer aspect suffixes like the perfective marker 咗 (zo2) attach directly after it.
• Structure: Verb + 完 + 咗 (zo2) (+ Object)
• Example: 睇完咗套戲 (tai2 jyun4 zo2 tou3 hei3 - finished watching the movie)
5. Capability / Potential Form
Insert 得 (dak1) or 唔 (m4) between the verb and 完 to express being able or unable to finish:
• Verb + 得 + 完 = able to finish (e.g., 食得完 - can finish eating)
• Verb + 唔 + 完 = unable to finish (e.g., 食唔完 - cannot finish eating)
6. Negating 完
• 未 (mei6) + Verb + 完 = haven't finished yet (e.g., 未食完 - haven't finished eating yet)
• 冇 (mou5) + Verb + 完 = didn't finish (e.g., 冇食完 - didn't finish eating)
7. Key Distinctions
• 咗 (zo2): Marks that an event occurred/realized without focusing on process completion.
• 好 (hou2): Emphasizes that something is completed and ready for the next step.
• 晒 (saai3): Focuses on totality or exhausting all objects.
• 完 (jyun4): Focuses purely on stopping or finishing the process of the verb.
Examples (5)
- 我煮完飯喇。
I have finished cooking dinner.
Word by Word: I cook finish rice [change of state]
Demonstrates standard Verb + 完 + Object word order.
- 佢睇完呢本書。
S/he finished reading this book.
Word by Word: S/he read finish this [classifier] book
Shows 完 attached to 睇 (tai2 - read/watch) with a specific object phrase.
- 我未食完，等埋我呀！
I haven't finished eating yet, wait for me!
Word by Word: I not-yet eat finish, wait including me [softener]!
Shows negation with 未 (mei6) to indicate an action is not yet complete.
- 呢碗麵我食唔完。
I cannot finish this bowl of noodles.
Word by Word: This bowl noodles I eat not finish
Illustrates potential infixation with 唔 (m4) to show inability to finish.
- 我聽日做完功課就去。
Tomorrow after I finish my homework, I will go.
Word by Word: I tomorrow do finish homework then go
Shows that 完 marks completion, not tense, and can easily refer to future actions.
Common Mistakes
Placing the direct object between the verb and 完
我食飯完 (ngo5 sik6 faan6 jyun4)我食完飯 (ngo5 sik6 jyun4 faan6)Aspect markers in Cantonese attach directly to the verb stem. The direct object must come after the complete Verb + 完 structure.
Using 冇 (mou5) instead of 未 (mei6) when meaning 'not finished yet'
Different Meaning我冇食完，等埋我 (ngo5 mou5 sik6 jyun4, dang2 maai4 ngo5)我未食完，等埋我 (ngo5 mei6 sik6 jyun4, dang2 maai4 ngo5)冇食完 means 'did not finish' (past fact), whereas 未食完 means 'have not finished yet' (action currently still incomplete).
Saying 唔...完 instead of infixation (食唔完) or aspectual negation (未食完)
Different Meaning我唔食完 (ngo5 m4 sik6 jyun4)我食唔完 (ngo5 sik6 m4 jyun4) / 我未食完 (ngo5 mei6 sik6 jyun4)Infixation with 唔 placed inside (食唔完) expresses inability to finish. To say you have not finished yet, place 未 before the verb (未食完). 我唔食完 is a different sentence that reads as a choice not to finish.
How It Connects
Learn This First
To understand '完' (the terminative aspect), you first need to understand how Cantonese uses verbal particles to mark aspect rather than tense. You should be familiar with basic sentence structure (S-V-O) to know where to place the particle relative to the verb and object.
- Verb aspect basics
Understanding the concept of verbal aspects in Cantonese is necessary to distinguish between the terminative aspect and other markers like perfective or progressive.
Foundations - Verbal particle basics
The terminative marker '完' functions as a verbal particle placed immediately after the verb, so understanding the basic syntax of verbal particles is essential.
Foundations - Word Order Basics
Basic word order knowledge is required to correctly place the aspect marker between the verb and its object.
Foundations
Related Patterns
- 咗Perfective Aspect
咗 (zo2) marks an event as realized or occurred, whereas 完 (jyun4) explicitly emphasizes process completion.
Level 1 - V+好Do It Properly
V+好 (hou2) stresses that an action is finished and ready for the next step, whereas V+完 focuses strictly on stopping the action.
Level 2 - 晒All / Completely
晒 (saai3) marks total/exhaustive completion of all items, whereas 完 marks the end of the action's duration.
Level 2 - 未Not Yet
未 (mei6) combines with V+完 (未+V+完) to express 'have not finished doing something yet'.
Level 1
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice 完 in Bubblegum
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