起来 vs 出来 (qǐlái vs chūlái): starting an action vs figuring something out
起来 (qǐlái) indicates the beginning of an action or state (inchoative), or an evaluative impression with perception verbs (e.g., 听起来 'sounds like'). 出来 (chūlái) marks a result – successfully perceiving, recognizing, or producing something (e.g., 听出来 'make out by listening'). The key difference: 起来 is about starting or assessing, while 出来 is about achieving a concrete outcome.
Both 起来 and 出来 are directional complements that have extended, abstract meanings beyond literal direction. 起来 often signals the start of an action (e.g., 笑起来 'start laughing') or an evaluative assessment based on sensory input (e.g., 看起来 'looks like', 听起来 'sounds like'). 出来 indicates that something has been brought out as a result: perceiving something hidden (e.g., 看出来 'recognize by looking'), producing something (e.g., 写出来 'write out'), or figuring something out. The choice depends on whether you are focusing on the beginning/impression or on the outcome/discovery.
When to use each
Use 起来 to indicate the beginning of an action or a change of state (e.g., 说起来 'start speaking', 热起来 'get hot'). Also use it with perception verbs like 看, 听, 闻, 尝 to express a subjective impression or evaluation: 看起来 'appears', 听起来 'sounds', 闻起来 'smells'. In these cases, 起来 does not imply a completed action – it simply frames the speaker's current assessment.
When used evaluatively, 起来 is often followed by an adjective or comment, and the subject of the impression is usually the thing perceived. It cannot be negated directly (no '不看起来'); instead, negate the adverb (e.g., 听起来不好 'doesn't sound good').
Use 出来 to emphasize that a result has been achieved – typically perceiving or recognizing something that was not obvious, or producing a concrete output. With perception verbs, it means 'to discern/make out' (e.g., 听出来 'identify by ear', 看出来 'tell by sight'). With action verbs, it means 'to produce' (e.g., 写出来 'write out', 做出来 'make'). The result is often clear and specific.
出来 can be negated with 不 to mean 'cannot discern/produce' (e.g., 看不出来 'can't tell', 做不出来 'can't make it'). Unlike 起来, 出来 implies a completed or achievable result. With perception verbs, 出来 is more concrete than 起来.
At a glance
| 起来 | 出来 | |
|---|---|---|
| Core meaning | Beginning of action or subjective evaluation | Result of detection or production |
| With 看 (kàn) | 看起来 (kàn qǐlái) – looks like, appears (impression) | 看出来 (kàn chūlái) – discern/recognize by looking (conclusion) |
| With 听 (tīng) | 听起来 (tīng qǐlái) – sounds like (impression) | 听出来 (tīng chūlái) – make out/identify by hearing (result) |
| Negation | Not negated directly; use 看起来不… | 可以否定: 看不出来, 听不出来 |
| Implies completion | No – ongoing or beginning | Yes – result achieved |
| Use with action verbs | 开始…起来 (start V-ing), e.g., 跑起来 'start running' | …出来 (produce/out), e.g., 写出来 'write out' |
Examples
- 起来听起来不错。Tīng qǐlái bùcuò.It sounds good.Evaluative 起来: subjective impression, not a confirmed fact.
- 起来天冷起来了。Tiān lěng qǐlái le.It's getting cold.Inchoative 起来: indicates a change of state beginning.
- 出来我听出来是她的声音。Wǒ tīng chūlái shì tā de shēngyīn.I recognized her voice (by listening).Realization 出来: successfully identified after listening.
- 出来他把结果写出来了。Tā bǎ jiéguǒ xiě chūlái le.He wrote out the result.Resultative 出来: producing a written outcome.
- 出来看起来很漂亮，但是我看出她化妆了。Kàn qǐlái hěn piàoliang, dànshì wǒ kàn chū tā huàzhuāng le.She looks pretty, but I can tell she's wearing makeup.Contrast: 看起来 gives impression, 看出来 reveals a hidden truth.
- 出来你闻出来这是什么味道吗？Nǐ wén chūlái zhè shì shénme wèidào ma?Can you make out what smell this is?Detection: asking for specific identification via smell.
Common mistakes
- Using 起来 instead of 出来 for a concrete result: saying '我听起来了' instead of '我听出来了' for 'I made out what was said'.
- Using 出来 instead of 起来 for an evaluative impression: '听出来不错' should be '听起来不错' (sounds good).
- Using 起来 to mean 'figure out' as in 想起来了 – note that 想起来了 means 'recall' (start to remember), not 'figure out a solution' (which is 想出来).
- Negating 起来 directly: saying '不听起来' is ungrammatical; use '听起来不…' or rephrase.
- Overusing 起来 with stative verbs that don't take an inchoative sense, e.g., *知道起来 (should be 开始知道 or the like).
FAQ
- When do I use 起来 vs 出来 after perception verbs like 看 and 听?
- Use 起来 (看起来, 听起来) for a general subjective impression – how something appears or sounds overall. Use 出来 (看出来, 听出来) for a specific act of discernment or recognition – you have noticed or identified a detail that was not obvious before.
- Can 起来 mean 'start doing something' with any verb?
- No, 起来 as an inchoative works mainly with dynamic verbs that can be initiated (跑起来, 笑起来, 说起来). It does not work with stative verbs like 知道, 喜欢, 有. For those, use 开始 or other expressions.
- What's the difference between 看起来 and 看出来?
- 看起来 expresses an appearance or impression: 他看起来很忙 'He looks busy'. 看出来 means you infer a reality through observation: 我看出来他其实不忙 'I can tell he's actually not busy'. 看出来 implies a discovery; 起来 is just surface judgment.
- How do I negate 出来 and 起来?
- 出来 can be negated with 不 placed before the verb: 看不出来 'can't tell', 听不出来 'can't make out'. 起来 is not negated in that way; instead, negate the adjective after it (听起来不好 'doesn't sound good') or use a different structure (没开始…).