Directional Complements — V + 上/下/进/出/回/过来/过去
Simple directional complements (上, 下, 进, 出, 回, 开, 过) and compound ones (进来, 出去, 上来, 下去, 过来, 过去). Learn the critical object placement rules: where the object goes when the verb takes a directional complement.
A lesson of Mandarin B1 — Intermediate, in Complex Complements, about 10 minutes.
By the end of this lesson, you will use simple and compound directional complements correctly, including the critical rule for object placement.
What Are Directional Complements?
Directional complements (趋向补语 qūxiàng bǔyǔ) specify the direction in which an action moves. They answer the question: which way did it go? Unlike resultative complements (which describe outcomes), directional complements describe movement trajectory.
They come in two forms:
- Simple: single-syllable direction words attached to a movement verb
- Compound: two-syllable combinations that specify both direction and relationship to speaker
Simple Directional Complements
| Complement | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 上 (shàng) | up / onto | 爬上 (pá shàng — climb up) |
| 下 (xià) | down / off | 走下 (zǒu xià — walk down) |
| 进 (jìn) | in / into | 跑进 (pǎo jìn — run in) |
| 出 (chū) | out | 拿出 (ná chū — take out) |
| 回 (huí) | back | 送回 (sòng huí — send back) |
| 过 (guò) | past / across | 走过 (zǒu guò — walk past) |
| 开 (kāi) | away / open | 推开 (tuī kāi — push open/away) |
| 起 (qǐ) | up (from lower position) | 拿起 (ná qǐ — pick up) |
Examples:
- 她走上楼去了。(Tā zǒu shàng lóu qù le.) — She walked upstairs.
- 请把书拿出来。(Qǐng bǎ shū ná chū lái.) — Please take the book out.
- 他跑进教室。(Tā pǎo jìn jiàoshì.) — He ran into the classroom.
Compound Directional Complements
Compound directional complements combine a simple direction (上/下/进/出/回/过) with 来 (lái — toward speaker) or 去 (qù — away from speaker).
| Compound | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|