ComplementsHSK 4
Direction complement
Direction complements use a verb of movement (e.g., 上, 下, 进, 出, 回) plus 来 or 去 to indicate the direction of an action relative to the speaker. The key is to use 来 when the action moves toward the speaker, and 去 when it moves away; be careful when talking about your own movement, where the context determines which to use.
Structure
Verb + 来 / 去
来 indicates movement towards the speaker, 去 away from the speaker. Common direction verbs: 上 (up), 下 (down), 进 (in), 出 (out), 回 (back), etc.
Examples
- A:我在楼上，你上来。A: wǒ zài lóu shàng, nǐ shàng lái.I'm on the upper floor. Come up to me.
- B:你在楼上等我一下。我一会儿就上去。B: nǐ zài lóu shàng děng wǒ yí xià. wǒ yí huì r jiù shàng qù.Please wait a moment on the upper floor. I'll come up in a few minutes.
- A:出来玩吧，我们在酒吧等你。A: chū lái wán ba, wǒ men zài jiǔ bā děng nǐ.Come and hang out with us. We'll be waiting in the bar.
- A:这是我家，进来吧，随便坐。A: zhè shì wǒ jiā, jìn lái ba, suí biàn zuò.This is my house. Please come inside. Feel free to take a seat.
- A:你下班了吗？几点回来吃饭？A: nǐ xià bān le ma? jǐ diǎn huí lái chī fàn?Are you off work now? When are you coming back for dinner?
Words that use this
- 上来shàng láito come up; to approach; (verb complement indicating success)
- 出来chū láito come out; to appear; to arise
- 出去chū qùto go out
- 过来guò láito come over; to manage; to handle; to be able to take care of
- 回来huí láito return; to come back
- 回去huí qùto return; to go back
- 进去jìn qùto go in
- 进来jìn láito come in
- 来láito come; (used as a substitute for a more specific verb); hither (directional complement for motion toward the speaker, as in 回来); ever since (as in 自古以来); for the past (amount of time); (prefix) the coming ...; the next ... (as in 来世); (between two verbs) in order to; (after a round number) approximately; (used after 得 to indicate possibility, as in 谈得来, or after 不 to indicate impossibility, as in 吃不来)
- 起来qǐ lái(after a verb) indicating the beginning and continuation of an action or a state; indicating an upward movement (e.g. after 站); indicating completion; (after a perception verb, e.g. 看) expressing preliminary judgment; also pr. [qǐ lai]
- 去qùto go; to go to (a place); (of a time etc) last; just passed; to send; to remove; to get rid of; to reduce; to be apart from in space or time; to die (euphemism); to play (a part); (when used either before or after a verb) to go in order to do sth; (after a verb of motion indicates movement away from the speaker); (used after certain verbs to indicate detachment or separation)
- 上去shàng qùto go up
- 不bùno; not so; (bound form) not; un-
- 得děito have to; must