Directional Complements
Simple: 进来 (come in), 出去 (go out), 上来 (come up), 下去 (go down). Complex: 走进来 (walk in), 拿出去 (take out). Object placement rules with directional complements.
A lesson of Mandarin A2 — Elementary, in Complements, about 10 minutes.
方向补语 Directional Complements
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to use simple and compound directional complements with correct object placement.
What Is a Directional Complement?
A directional complement tells you which way an action moves. In English you say "run in," "come up," "go down." Chinese does the same by attaching direction words after the verb.
Simple Directional Complements
Two base directions: 来 (lái) = toward the speaker | 去 (qù) = away from the speaker
| Verb | + 来 | Meaning | + 去 | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 进 (jìn) enter | 进来 | come in | 进去 | go in |
| 出 (chū) exit | 出来 | come out | 出去 | go out |
| 上 (shàng) up | 上来 | come up | 上去 | go up |
| 下 (xià) down | 下来 | come down | 下去 | go down |
| 回 (huí) return | 回来 | come back | 回去 | go back |
| 过 (guò) pass | 过来 | come over | 过去 | go past |
| 起 (qǐ) rise | 起来 | get up / start | — | — |
Examples:
- 他进来了。 — He came in.
- 我出去买东西。— I'm going out to buy things.
- 请进来！— Please come in!
- 她回来了吗？— Has she come back?
Compound Directional Complements
Attach a direction verb between the movement verb and 来/去:
V + direction + 来/去
| Chinese | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 走进来 | zǒu jìn lái | walk in (toward speaker) |