Everything you need to use directional complements (来/去) correctly: the patterns, when to use them, examples with audio, common mistakes and exercises with answers.
Directional complements show which way something moves: toward the speaker (来) or away from them (去), or up, down, in and out. Key patterns: Verb + 来 (this way) / 去 (away); Verb + direction + 来/去.
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb + 来/去 | V + 来 / V + 去 Verb + 来 (this way) / 去 (away) | 你快进来！ Come in quickly! 来 takes the speaker as the point of reference |
| Compound directionals | V + 上/下/进/出/回/过 + 来/去 Verb + direction + 来/去 | 他走进去了。 He walked in. |
The same action takes 来 or 去 depending on where the speaker is standing.
Use compound directionals to say exactly up, down, in or out.
Pick the right option, then open the answer to check it.
Options: 上 · 出 · 来 · 起
来. Inviting someone in toward the speaker takes 进来.
Options: 他跑了出去来。 · 他跑出了去。 · 他跑出去了。 · 他跑去出了。
他跑出去了。. The natural pattern is V + 出去.
Options: 下 · 去 · 开 · 来
来. Bringing something toward the speaker takes 拿来.
Options: 我过马上去。 · 我马上去过。 · 我马上过去。 · 我马上过来。
我马上过去。. Moving away from the speaker takes 过去.
Options: 老师走来进教室了。 · 老师走进教室来了。 · 老师走进来教室了去。 · 老师进走教室来了。
老师走进教室来了。. Standard order: 走进...来.
Options: 上 · 出 · 去 · 来
来. The speaker is downstairs, so movement toward them takes 来: Come down quickly, I am waiting for you downstairs.
Options: 上 · 去 · 来 · 进
去. The speaker is not downstairs, so movement away from them takes 去: Mum is waiting for you downstairs, go down quickly.
Options: 上 · 出 · 回 · 进
出. 从...里拿出 = take out of...: He took a book out of his school bag.
Options: 出 · 开 · 起 · 进
出. Going from inside a room to the outside takes 出来: He walked out of the room.
Options: 下 · 回 · 起 · 进
起. 站起来 = stand up: He stood up and said, "I agree."
Options: 他上走楼去了。 · 他走上去楼了。 · 他走上楼去了。 · 他走楼上去了。
他走上楼去了。. A place object (楼) goes between 上 and 去: He went upstairs.
Options: 请你一本词典带来。 · 请你带一本来词典去。 · 请你带一本词典来。 · 请你带来一本词典去。
请你带一本词典来。. Pattern V + object + 来, toward the speaker, never both 来 and 去: Please bring a dictionary here.
Options: 上 · 出 · 去 · 来
来. 想起来 = recall: He remembered that the person was his primary-school classmate.
Options: 下来 · 出去 · 起来 · 过来
起来. V + 起来 marks the start of an action: Hearing what he said, everyone burst out laughing.
Options: 下 · 出 · 来 · 起
来. 回来 = come back to where the speaker is: He will be back in a moment, please wait.
Options: 出 · 开 · 起 · 进
进. The listener is outside, so coming in toward the speaker takes 进来: Are you outside? The door is open, just come in.
Options: 她买回去来一些水果。 · 她买回来一些水果。 · 她买来回一些水果。 · 她回买来一些水果。
她买回来一些水果。. The compound complement 回来 follows the verb 买 directly: She bought some fruit and brought it back.
Options: 出 · 开 · 起 · 进
进. 放进 + inside place = put into: He put his wallet into his pocket.
Options: 请你上去。 · 请你上来。 · 请你上来去。 · 请你来上。
请你上来。. The speaker is above, so moving up toward them takes 上来: Please come up here.
Options: 回 · 起 · 过 · 进
起. 升起来 = rise up: The sun has risen in the east.
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