39.4 The Verbal Particle 返 / 番 / 翻 faan1 III (‘back’)

In Grammar and Vocabulary 34.4, we learned that the verbal particle 返 faan1 (also written as 番 or 翻) can add the meaning of ‘back’ to the sentence (as in let me give you back the card), and we can use 返 faan1 to indicate that something is returned to someone.

We can also use 返 faan1 to indicate that someone moves back to their original or previous location. In this use, we often use 返 faan1 with a verb involving moment of a person.

We can use 返 faan1 with 去 heoi3 (‘to go’) or 嚟 lai4 (‘to come’).

We can also use 返 faan1 with a directional verb.

If 去 heoi3 or 嚟 lai4 is added after the directional verb to indicate the direction of the movement, we put 返 faan1 between the directional verb and 去 heoi3 or 嚟 lai4.

It is possible to use the verbal particle 返 faan1 with the directional verb 返 faan1 (‘to go back; to come back’, also written as 番 and 翻).

We also often use the verbal particle 返 faan1 with the verb 行 haang4 (‘to walk’). If we want to indicate the destination, we can add 去 heoi3 or 嚟 lai4. We put 返 faan1 between 行 haang4 and 去 heoi3 or 嚟 lai4.

If we don’t want to indicate the location explicitly, we can use the separable verb 返轉頭 faan1 zyun3 tau4 (‘to go back’, usually along the same path). We put the verbal particle 返 faan1 between the verb part 返 faan1 and the object part 轉頭 zyun3 tau4.