Direction indicators
Movement verbs such as 跑 to run, 走 to walk, and 回 to return, may be accompanied by direction indicators.
Simple direction indicators
They are 来 (lit. to come) and 去 (lit. to go).
来 indicates a movement towards the speaker.
明天请把书带来。 Please bring the book here tomorrow.
去 indicates a movement away from the speaker.
别忘了把书带去。Don't forget to take the book there.
Disyllabic direction indicators
来 and 去 can also be combined with a set of movement verbs to form disyllabic direction indicators (i.e. having two syllables), and denote more precise directions:
来 towards the speaker |
去 away from the speaker |
|
上 to go up |
上来 |
上去 |
下 to go down |
下来 |
下去 |
进 to go in(to) |
进来 |
进去 |
出 to go out (of) |
出来 |
出去 |
过 to cross/go over |
过来 |
过去 |
回 to go back |
回来 | 回去 |
开 to go away |
开来 |
开去 |
起 to go upward |
起来 |
N/A |
Examples of disyllabic direction indicators used with movement verbs
我们从办公室走过去就行。(lit. We can just walk there from the office.)
他从房间里跑了出来。He ran out of the room.
Examples of disyllabic direction indicators used with other verbs
Disyllabic direction indicators, attached to a verb, can also be used figuratively, though a link with the basic idea of movement is retained.
假的蚕丝闻起来有塑料的气味。Fake silk smells like plastic.
The indicator 起来 after the verb 闻 'to smell ' implies deduction from the sense of smell.
拍出来的照片上面总有一个黑色斑点。All the pictures taken come up with a small black mark on them.
The indicator 出来 after the verb 拍'to take' implies that the pictures are 'coming out of' the camera.
Metaphorical use of direction indicators
show or hide explanation
Select the correct direction indicator. Note that all of them are used here with their extended meaning. Click on 帮助 to see the explanation of the options here. You can use the audios to check your answers.
Direction indicators add an extra connotation to the verb they follow. Note that some associations can be very similar in meaning. Most of them are fixed expressions used with specific verbs. The following list gives the meaning implied by some common direction indicators.
- 出来: some results have come out
- 出去: an action has been fulfilled
- 过来: a status is regained
- 起来: an action has started or been fulfilled
- 下来: an action is carrying on until now, or there is a change in degree
- 下去: an action will carry on from now on
1. I can't remember what his name is.
我想不 他的名字是什么了。
2. There are too many things to do, I can't handle them by myself.
有那么多事情要做，我一个人忙不 。
3. The hall suddenly quietened down.
大厅里突然安静了 。
4. I answered all these questions.
这些问题我都答 了。
5. He wrote his telephone number down.
他把他的电话号码写了 。
6. This is a secret, do not let it out.
这是秘密，不可以说 。
7. Please carry on talking.
请你说 。
8. The time for the meeting has not been decided yet.
开会的时间还没有定 。
9. He came up with this good idea.
这是他想 的主意。
10. Just carry on like this and it'll be fine.
照这样做 就好了。
check Answers
reset Answers