TongTong
Sign in

下来 (xià lái) — to come down; (directional complement) down (toward the speaker); (aspectual complement) indicates completion or continuation of an action

Definition

下来 (xià lái) marks downward motion toward the speaker and is the opposite of 上来 ('up, toward the speaker'). After a verb it also shows an action finishing or a state settling in (e.g. 雨停下来了).

verb
to come down(directional complement) down (toward the speaker)(aspectual complement) indicates completion or continuation of an action
Easily confused

Examples

  • 下来！
    Kuài cóng shù shàng xià lái!
    Come down from the tree quickly!
  • 。
    Qǐng xiě xià lái zhè jù huà.
    Please write down this sentence.
  • 。
    Yǔ tíng xià lái le.
    The rain has stopped.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
补充bǔchōngVerb + complement

An action followed by its result or direction.

下xiàdown
来láicome toward speaker

下 gives downward motion and 来 points toward the speaker, yielding the sense of coming down.

Characters in this word

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

下 is drawn as a short horizontal line below a long curved line.

Open 下 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 來; 来 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 來 shows a wheat plant: a central ear, upward leaves, and downward stem and roots. The simplified 来 is a later shorthand.

Open 来 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 2500 Most Frequent Chinese Words1000 Most Frequent Chinese Words2000 Most Frequent Chinese Words3000 Most Frequent Chinese Words5000 Most Frequent Chinese Words

Browse more HSK 2 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.