Difference between revisions of "Directional verbs "lai" and "qu""

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{{Grammar Box}}
 
{{Grammar Box}}
  
来 (lái) and 去 (qù) are both words that help to express direction with regards to the speaker. 来 (lái) expresses the location direction of the speaker while 去 (qù) expresses location direction away from the speaker. For example, if you are in China, a local person might ask you: "When did you come to China?" using 来 (lái). Another example is if you want to go from China to Japan, your friends might ask you:  “When are you going to Japan?" using 去 (qù). Because of this, it is very important to know when to use 来 (lái) and when to use 去 (qù) correctly.
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来 (lái) and 去 (qù) are both words that help to express direction from the perspective of the speaker. 来 (lái) means "come" (towards the speaker), while 去 (qù) means "go" (away from the speaker). For example, if you are in China, a local person might ask you: "When did you come to China?" using 来 (lái). Another example is if you want to go from China to Japan, your friends might ask you:  “When are you going to Japan?" using 去 (qù).
  
== Basic usage ==
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Seems really easy, right? Well, learn them well now, because you'll get a lot of mileage out of these words in future grammar patterns.
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== Basic Usage ==
  
 
=== Structure ===
 
=== Structure ===
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<div class="jiegou">
 
<div class="jiegou">
  
来/去 + location
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来 / 去 + Place
  
 
</div>
 
</div>
  
 
=== Examples ===
 
=== Examples ===
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For the examples below, keep in mind that if the speaker uses 去 (qù), then she is not at the place mentioned ''now''. If the speaker uses 来 (lái), she must already be at the place mentioned. Just stay consistent with this, and you're good.
  
 
<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
  
* 妈妈 要 <em>去</em> 超市。 <span class="expl">Mom is probably at home.</span><span class="pinyin">Māma yào <em>qù</em> chāoshì.</span> <span class="trans">Mom will go to the supermarket.</span>
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* 妈妈 要 <em>去</em> 超市。<span class="pinyin">Māma yào <em>qù</em> chāoshì.</span><span class="trans">Mom will go to the supermarket.</span>
* 老板 今天 <em>来</em> 公司 吗?<span class="expl">The boss is not in the office.</span><span class="pinyin">Lǎobǎn jīntiān <em>lái</em> gōngsī ma? </span> <span class="trans">Is the boss coming into the office today? </span>
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* 老板 今天 <em>来</em> 公司 吗?<span class="pinyin">Lǎobǎn jīntiān <em>lái</em> gōngsī ma?</span><span class="trans">Is the boss coming into the office today?</span>
* 你 现在 <em>来</em>南京 路 吧。 <span class="expl">The speaker is at Nanjing Road. </span> <span class="pinyin">Nǐ xiànzài <em>lái</em> Nánjīng Lù ba.</span> <span class="trans">Come to Nanjing Road now.</span>
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* 你 现在 <em>来</em>南京 路 吧。<span class="pinyin">Nǐ xiànzài <em>lái</em> Nánjīng Lù ba.</span><span class="trans">Come to Nanjing Road now.</span>
* 你 不 想 <em>来</em> 我们 公司 工作 吗?<span class="pinyin">Nǐ bù xiǎng <em>lái</em> wǒmen gōngsī gōngzuò ma? </span> <span class="trans">Do you not want to come to work for our company? </span>
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* 你 不 想 <em>来</em> 我们 公司 工作 吗?<span class="pinyin">Nǐ bù xiǎng <em>lái</em> wǒmen gōngsī gōngzuò ma?</span><span class="trans">Do you not want to come to work for our company? </span>
* 昨天 我们 <em>去</em> 了 酒吧。  <span class="expl">The speaker is not in the bar. </span><span class="pinyin">Zuótiān wǒmen <em>qù</em> le jiǔbā. </span> <span class="trans">We went to the bar yesterday. </span>
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* 去年 她 <em>去</em> 美国 工作 了 几 个 月 。<span class="pinyin">Qùnián tā <em>qù</em> Měiguó gōngzuò le jǐ gè yuè.</span><span class="trans">Last year she went to work in the USA for a few months.</span>
* 去年 她 <em>去</em> 美国 工作 了 几 个 月 。 <span class="expl">She is not in America anymore.</span><span class="pinyin">Qùnián tā <em>qù</em> Měiguó gōngzuò le jǐ gè yuè. </span> <span class="trans">Last year she went to work in America for a few months. </span>
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* 你们 想 <em>去</em> Starbucks 还是 Costa?<span class="pinyin"> Nǐmen xiǎng <em>qù</em> Starbucks háishì Costa? </span><span class="trans">Would you like to go to Starbucks or Costa?</span>
* 你们 想 <em>去</em> Starbucks 还是 Costa?<span class="expl">We know that the speaker is not in Starbucks or Costa. </span><span class="pinyin"> Nǐmen xiǎng <em>qù</em> Starbucks háishì Costa? </span> <span class="trans">Would you like to go to Starbucks or Costa? </span>
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*  周末 我 喜欢 <em>去</em> 朋友 家。<span class="pinyin">Zhōumò wǒ xǐhuan <em>qù</em> péngyou jiā.</span><span class="trans">I like to go to my friends' places on the weekends.</span>
*  周末 我 喜欢 <em>去</em> 朋友 家。 <span class="expl">The speaker isn't at his friends' places at this moment.</span><span class="pinyin">Zhōumò wǒ xǐhuan <em>qù</em> péngyou jiā. </span> <span class="trans">I like to go to my friends' places on the weekends. </span>
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* 爸爸 明天 <em>去</em> 北京 出差。<span class="pinyin">Bàba míngtiān <em>qù</em> Běijīng chūchāi.</span><span class="trans">Dad will go to Beijing on a business trip tomorrow.</span>
* 爸爸 明天 <em>去</em> 北京 出差。 <span class="expl"> Dad is currently not in Beijing. </span><span class="pinyin">Bàba míngtiān <em>qù</em> Běijīng chūchāi. </span> <span class="trans"> Dad will go to Beijing on a business trip tomorrow. </span>
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* 我 今天 不 上班,你们 可以 <em>来</em> 我 家 吃饭 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ jīntiān bù shàngbān, nǐmen kěyǐ <em>lái</em> wǒ jiā chīfàn.</span><span class="trans">I don't have to go to work today. You can come to my home to eat dinner.</span>
* 我 今天 不 上班,你们 可以 <em>来</em> 我 家 吃饭 。 <span class="expl">The speaker is probably at home.</span><span class="pinyin"> Wǒ jīntiān bù shàngbān, nǐmen kěyǐ <em>lái</em> wǒ jiā chīfàn. </span> <span class="trans">I don't have to go to work today. You can come to my home to eat dinner. </span>
 
  
 
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== Advanced Usage ==
 
== Advanced Usage ==
  
来 (lái) and  去 (qù) can both be paired with other verbs to demonstrate the direction an action has taken. For example, 进来 (jìnlái, come in),  进去 (jìnqù, go in),  出来 (chūlái, come out),  出去 (chūqù, go out), 回来 (huílái, come back), 回去 (huíqù, go back), etc. These are called direction complements, and will be covered in detail in a [[direction complement|more advanced article]].
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来 (lái) and  去 (qù) can both be paired with other simple verbs to demonstrate the direction an action has taken. For example, 进来 (jìnlai, "come in"),  进去 (jìnqu, "go in"),  出来 (chūlai, "come out"),  出去 (chūqu, "go out"), 回来 (huílai, "come back"), 回去 (huíqu, "go back"), etc.
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When you start tacking these two-character verbs onto the ends of other verbs, they are called [[direction complement]]s, and are covered in detail in a more advanced article.
  
 
==See also==
 
==See also==
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[[Category:A2 grammar points]]
 
[[Category:A2 grammar points]]
{{Basic Grammar|来|A2|来/去 + Location|我 <em>来</em> 上海 一 年 了。|grammar point|ASGRBKSL}}
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{{HSK|HSK1}}{{2021-HSK|HSK1}}
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{{Basic Grammar|来|A2|来 / 去 + Place|我 <em>来</em> 上海 一 年 了。|grammar point|ASGRBKSL}}
 
{{Rel char|去}}
 
{{Rel char|去}}
 
{{Similar|Direction complement}}   
 
{{Similar|Direction complement}}   
 
{{Used for|Expressing movement}}
 
{{Used for|Expressing movement}}
 
{{POS|Verbs}}
 
{{POS|Verbs}}

Latest revision as of 09:22, 20 April 2021

Chinese-grammar-wiki-qu.jpg

来 (lái) and 去 (qù) are both words that help to express direction from the perspective of the speaker. 来 (lái) means "come" (towards the speaker), while 去 (qù) means "go" (away from the speaker). For example, if you are in China, a local person might ask you: "When did you come to China?" using 来 (lái). Another example is if you want to go from China to Japan, your friends might ask you: “When are you going to Japan?" using 去 (qù).

Seems really easy, right? Well, learn them well now, because you'll get a lot of mileage out of these words in future grammar patterns.

Basic Usage

Structure

来 / 去 + Place

Examples

For the examples below, keep in mind that if the speaker uses 去 (qù), then she is not at the place mentioned now. If the speaker uses 来 (lái), she must already be at the place mentioned. Just stay consistent with this, and you're good.

  • 妈妈 要 超市。Māma yào chāoshì.Mom will go to the supermarket.
  • 老板 今天 公司 吗?Lǎobǎn jīntiān lái gōngsī ma?Is the boss coming into the office today?
  • 你 现在 南京 路 吧。Nǐ xiànzài lái Nánjīng Lù ba.Come to Nanjing Road now.
  • 你 不 想 我们 公司 工作 吗?Nǐ bù xiǎng lái wǒmen gōngsī gōngzuò ma?Do you not want to come to work for our company?
  • 去年 她 美国 工作 了 几 个 月 。Qùnián tā Měiguó gōngzuò le jǐ gè yuè.Last year she went to work in the USA for a few months.
  • 你们 想 Starbucks 还是 Costa? Nǐmen xiǎng Starbucks háishì Costa? Would you like to go to Starbucks or Costa?
  • 周末 我 喜欢 朋友 家。Zhōumò wǒ xǐhuan péngyou jiā.I like to go to my friends' places on the weekends.
  • 爸爸 明天 北京 出差。Bàba míngtiān Běijīng chūchāi.Dad will go to Beijing on a business trip tomorrow.
  • 我 今天 不 上班,你们 可以 我 家 吃饭 。Wǒ jīntiān bù shàngbān, nǐmen kěyǐ lái wǒ jiā chīfàn.I don't have to go to work today. You can come to my home to eat dinner.

Advanced Usage

来 (lái) and 去 (qù) can both be paired with other simple verbs to demonstrate the direction an action has taken. For example, 进来 (jìnlai, "come in"), 进去 (jìnqu, "go in"), 出来 (chūlai, "come out"), 出去 (chūqu, "go out"), 回来 (huílai, "come back"), 回去 (huíqu, "go back"), etc.

When you start tacking these two-character verbs onto the ends of other verbs, they are called direction complements, and are covered in detail in a more advanced article.

See also