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Directional Complements

来/去 and direction verbs

来 / 去 show direction relative to the speaker

来 = toward, 去 = away.

📊 Directional complements
Direction + 来 + 去
上 上来 (come up) 上去 (go up)
下 下来 下去
进 进来 进去
出 出来 出去
回 回来 回去
💬 Examples
上来
shànglái
come up
📝 上 + 来 = come up (toward me)
出去
chūqù
go out
📝 出 + 去 = go out (away)
A place object goes between

A place sits between the verb and 来/去.

💬 Examples
他回家来了。
Tā huí jiā lái le.
He came home.
📝 Object (家) before 来
走进房间去
zǒujìn fángjiān qù
walk into the room
📝 Place between 进 and 去
Figurative directions

Directional complements also carry abstract meaning.

💬 Examples
想起来
xiǎng qǐlái
to recall
📝 起来 = (think) up → recall
停下来
tíng xiàlái
to stop
📝 下来 = settling into a state