V+埋（完成）

The verbal particle 埋 (maai4) has a few key functions in Cantonese, originating from a physical directional sense of 'approaching' or 'closing together'.

1. Finishing Leftover Tasks (Completive)
When added to a verb, 埋 means to finish off the remaining portion of an activity or leftover item before stopping or moving on to something else.
• 食埋啲飯 (sik6 maai4 di1 faan6): Finish eating the rice.
• 睇埋呢本書 (tai2 maai4 nei1 bun2 syu1): Finish reading this book. (Note: Without context, this can also mean 'Read this book as well'. The idea of 'the rest of' is pragmatically implied when used as a completive, so learners shouldn't look for a separate word for 'the rest'.)

2. Including / 'As well' (Additive)
Post-verbal 埋 can also express including an additional person, object, or action ('as well' / 'too'). Note the strict pronoun placement rule: Verb + 埋 + Pronoun. Placing the pronoun immediately after the verb and particle applies to 埋 and aspectual particles (like 完, 咗, 緊), but note that this is not a universal rule for all post-verbal particles (for example, directional particles like 出嚟 require the pronoun to precede or split the particle).
• 叫埋佢啦 (giu3 maai4 keoi5 laa1): Invite him as well.
• 佢連汁都飲埋 (keoi5 lin4 zap1 dou1 jam2 maai4): He even drank the sauce as well.
Additive 埋 is very frequently 'bookended' by the adverb 仲 (zung6) and the sentence-final particle 添 (tim1) to express addition or escalation.
• 佢仲食埋個蘋果添 (keoi5 zung6 sik6 maai4 go3 ping4 gwo2 tim1): He even ate the apple as well.

3. Spatial / Directional / Resultative Roots
In addition to its completive and additive uses, 埋 retains its directional root meaning 'closer', 'together', or resultative states like 'closing' or 'storing away'. A very common spatial collocation is 埋一齊 (maai4 jat1 cai4, 'together').
• 企埋啲 (kei5 maai4 di1): Stand a bit closer.
• 閂埋門 (saan1 maai4 mun4): Shut the door tight.
• 喺埋一齊 (hai2 maai4 jat1 cai4): Be together.

4. Sequential Pattern with 先 (sin1)
Completive 埋 is frequently paired with 先 (sin1, 'first') when setting up a sequence of actions:
Verb + 埋 + Object + 先 (sin1)
• 做埋啲嘢先 (zou6 maai4 di1 je5 sin1): Finish doing the work first.

5. Combining with 咗 (zo2)
You can combine 埋 with the perfective aspect marker 咗 (zo2). The distinction between an additive and completive reading depends entirely on the pragmatic context of the situation, not on the boundedness of the object.
• 食埋咗個早餐 (sik6 maai4 zo2 go3 zou2 caan1): Also ate breakfast (Additive) OR Finished eating the rest of the breakfast (Completive).
• 做埋咗啲嘢 (zou6 maai4 zo2 di1 je5): Finished the rest of the work (Completive) OR Also did the work (Additive).

6. Negative Evaluation / Disapproval
When used with certain objects, 埋 can express disapproval or annoyance about someone doing something undesirable. When expressing disapproval, it is almost exclusively paired with the particle 晒 (saai3, 'all/completely') to form 埋晒.
• 佢食埋晒啲垃圾食物！ (keoi5 sik6 maai4 saai3 di1 laap6 saap3 sik6 mat6!): He eats all that junk food!
• 講埋晒啲廢話 (gong2 maai4 saai3 di1 fai3 waa6): Spouting all this nonsense.

7. 都 (dou1) vs 埋 (maai4)
While both can translate to 'also' or 'too', they have different structural focuses. 都 is pre-verbal and typically focuses on the subject (e.g., 'I also went'), whereas 埋 is post-verbal and focuses on the object or the action itself being added to the scope (e.g., 'I bought this as well').

8. Negating V+埋
To negate the action, use 冇 (mou5) for past actions ('didn't finish/include') or 唔 (m4) for present/future actions ('won't finish/include') before the verb.
• 佢冇叫埋我 (keoi5 mou5 giu3 maai4 ngo5): He didn't invite me as well.
• 我唔食埋呢件喇 (ngo5 m4 sik6 maai4 nei1 gin6 laa3): I won't finish eating this piece.

9. Potential Form (V + 得/唔 + 埋)
Like many resultative particles, 埋 can take potential infixes to form V + 得 + 埋 ('can finish/include') and V + 唔 + 埋 ('cannot finish/include').
• 啲飯咁多，我食唔埋 (di1 faan6 gam3 do1, ngo5 sik6 m4 maai4): There's so much rice, I can't finish it all.
• 佢哋兩個夾唔埋 (keoi5 dei6 loeng5 go3 gaap3 m4 maai4): Those two don't get along (cannot fit together).