<p>The most usual verbal suffix is just 來/来 <em>lái</em>. This can be combined with 著/着 <em>zhe</em> after it. See Definition 7 <a href="https://www.zdic.net/hans/%E6%9D%A5" rel="nofollow noreferrer">here</a>:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>7 用在动词后，表示做过（一般均可用“来着”）：昨天他哭～。</p>
</blockquote>

<p>The use of 来着 is very frequent in northern colloquial Mandarin, but is a more general past tense marker with some sense of "just now", with <a href="https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=IGDiCwAAQBAJ&amp;pg=PT119" rel="nofollow noreferrer">an idea of a continuous state</a> according to some analyses. It is a very well researched construction in academic studies of Mandarin.</p>

<p>The most common equivalent for Cantonese <a href="http://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/dictionary/words/5203/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">返嚟</a> is Mandarin <a href="http://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/dictionary/words/10287/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">回來/来 <em>huílai</em></a>, but this is more restricted in usage as a verbal suffix, and has a stronger connotation of "coming back home" (e.g. buying something back, receiving something back as a ransom), which is not required in this sentence.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-06-06T20:55:38.667Z
2019-06-06T20:55:38.667Z
Michaelyus
<p>In Cantonese 返嚟 is often used when asking someone about where they obtained something from. For instance, "學返嚟“ could be used in a sentence asking someone, "Where did you learn this from?"</p>

<p>What's the Mandarin equivalent for 返嚟 in this context?</p>

<grammar><cantonese>
Mandarin equivalent for 返嚟?
# Mandarin equivalent for 返嚟?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2019-06-06)

In Cantonese 返嚟 is often used when asking someone about where they obtained something from. For instance, "學返嚟“ could be used in a sentence asking someone, "Where did you learn this from?"

What's the Mandarin equivalent for 返嚟 in this context?

**Tags:** grammar, cantonese


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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2019-06-06. Score: 1

The most usual verbal suffix is just 來/来 *lái*. This can be combined with 著/着 *zhe* after it. See Definition 7 [here](https://www.zdic.net/hans/%E6%9D%A5):

> 7 用在动词后，表示做过（一般均可用“来着”）：昨天他哭～。

The use of 来着 is very frequent in northern colloquial Mandarin, but is a more general past tense marker with some sense of "just now", with [an idea of a continuous state](https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=IGDiCwAAQBAJ&pg=PT119) according to some analyses. It is a very well researched construction in academic studies of Mandarin.

The most common equivalent for Cantonese [返嚟](http://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/dictionary/words/5203/) is Mandarin [回來/来 *huílai*](http://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/dictionary/words/10287/), but this is more restricted in usage as a verbal suffix, and has a stronger connotation of "coming back home" (e.g. buying something back, receiving something back as a ransom), which is not required in this sentence.


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