V完...就...

After Finishing (With 完)

Level 3Sounds Like jyun4 . . . zau6 . . .

Use V完...就... to say 'After finishing [Verb], then [Action].' It emphasizes the completion of the first task before moving to the second.

How It Works

In Cantonese, expressing 'after' is often done through aspect markers rather than conjunctions. The V完...就... pattern is the most common way to link two actions in a sequence.

1. The Role of 完 (jyun4):
Unlike the general past marker 咗 (zo2), 完 (jyun4) specifically indicates that the process of the verb has reached its logical end. For example, sik6-zo2 (食咗) means 'ate,' but sik6-jyun4 (食完) means 'finished eating.'

2. 完 (jyun4) vs. 好 (hou2):
While both indicate completion, 完 (jyun4) focuses on the exhaustion of the process (running out of things to do). In contrast, 好 (hou2) implies the task is finished properly or is now 'ready.' You 'finish' (完) a book, but you 'finish and prepare' (好) dinner.

3. The Role of 就 (zau6) and 先 (sin1):
The word 就 (zau6) acts as a bridge, indicating that the second action happens as a direct consequence of finishing the first. A common variation is V完...先..., where 先 (sin1) is used to mean 'not until' or 'only after,' emphasizing the prerequisite nature of the first action (e.g., 食完先至玩 sik6 jyun4 sin1 zi3 waan2 - 'only play after finishing eating').

4. Comparison with 一...就...:
While V完...就... focuses on the completion of the first task, the 一...就... (jat1... zau6...) pattern emphasizes the immediacy of the transition, translated as 'as soon as.'

5. Word Order:
If the verb has an object, the object must come after 完 (jyun4). The structure looks like this:

  • [Subject] + [Verb] + 完 + [Object] + [Subject 2] + 就 + [Action 2]

Examples (4)

  1. 我做完功課就同你玩。

    I'll play with you as soon as I finish my homework.

    Word by Word: I do-finish homework then with you play.

    Here, 做 (zou6) is the verb and 功課 (gung1 fo3) is the object. The speaker must finish the homework before the playing starts.

  2. 啲同事教完書就去飲嘢。

    The colleagues go for a drink right after they finish teaching.

    Word by Word: [Plural marker] colleague teach-finish book then go drink thing.

    教書 (gaau3 syu1) is a verb-object compound meaning 'to teach.' 完 (jyun4) is inserted after the verb 教 (gaau3).

  3. 睇完呢齣戲就去瞓覺喇。

    After finishing this movie, [we] will go to sleep.

    Word by Word: Watch-finish this [classifier] movie then go sleep [particle].

    This shows the pattern used for a future plan. Once the movie is over, the next immediate action is sleeping (瞓覺 fan3 gaau3).

  4. 佢食完飯就走咗。

    He left right after he finished his meal.

    Word by Word: He eat-finish rice then leave [perfective].

    This demonstrates the pattern in the past tense. Note that 咗 (zo2) is used at the end of the sentence to mark the final action as completed.

Common Mistakes

  • Placing 就 (zau6) before the second subject when the subjects are different.

    我食完飯，就你洗碗。
    我食完飯，你就洗碗。

    In Cantonese, 就 (zau6) is an adverb that must follow the subject. If the second clause has a different subject, 就 (zau6) must come after that subject, not before it.

  • Using 完 when you want to say the food is ready.

    Different Meaning我煮完飯喇，快啲食啦。
    我煮好飯喇，快啲食啦。

    我煮完飯喇 is a good sentence: 完 (jyun4) means you finished the act of cooking. To say the food is ready, use 好 (hou2): 煮好飯. Use 好 for things like cooking, dressing or preparing.

  • Placing the object before 完 (jyun4).

    我做功課完就去。
    我做完功課就去。

    完 (jyun4) is a verbal suffix and must attach directly to the verb. The object always follows the completion marker.

How It Connects

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

V完...就...Level 3After Finishing (With 完)

Learn This First

To understand 'V完...就...', you need to know how to use the terminative aspect marker '完' to show an action is finished, and how the connector '就' functions to link two events in a sequence where one happens immediately after the other.

Words in This Pattern