Verbs & Particles (Verb Complements)

Cantonese verb particles (also called post-verbal complements) attach after verbs to modify their meaning. Some overlap with Mandarin, but several are uniquely Cantonese. Mastering these particles is key to sounding natural.

晒 saai3 means 'all / completely' and attaches after the verb: 食晒 sik6 saai3 (ate it all), 做晒 zou6 saai3 (did all of it), 賣晒 maai6 saai3 (sold out). There is no single Mandarin equivalent — you'd use 都...了 or 完了 depending on context. 晒 is extremely common and versatile.

埋 maai4 has multiple meanings depending on context. Most commonly it means 'also / in addition' or 'closer together': 坐埋嚟 co5 maai4 lai4 (sit closer / come sit with us), 食埋呢個 sik6 maai4 ni1 go3 (eat this one too). It can also mean 'to finish up': 做埋就走 zou6 maai4 zau6 zau2 (finish up and then leave). No Mandarin equivalent.

返 faan1 as a verb particle means 'back / again': 買返 maai5 faan1 (buy back / buy again), 攞返 lo2 faan1 (take back / get back), 記返 gei3 faan1 (remember again). This parallels Mandarin 回 as a complement (買回, 拿回) but 返 is used more broadly.

開 hoi1 as a verb particle indicates habitual action or 'tend to': 食開 sik6 hoi1 (usually eat / accustomed to eating), 去開 heoi3 hoi1 (usually go to / frequent). This is uniquely Cantonese — Mandarin has no equivalent particle for habitual aspect. 到 dou2 means 'to succeed / manage to' after a verb: 搵到 wan2 dou2 (found it / managed to find), 買到 maai5 dou2 (managed to buy). This is similar to Mandarin 到 as a result complement.