Difference between revisions of "Direction complement "-qilai""

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<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
 
* 大家 站 起来 了。  
 
* 大家 站 起来 了。  
* 快点把 垃圾 捡 起来。
+
* 快点 把 垃圾 捡 起来。
 
* 他 把 袜子 收拾 起来 了。
 
* 他 把 袜子 收拾 起来 了。
 +
</div>
  
 
As in the final example, 起来 can also have the idea of "collecting together", like "tidy up" in English.
 
As in the final example, 起来 can also have the idea of "collecting together", like "tidy up" in English.
 
</div>
 
</div>
 
  
 
===Expressing recollection===  
 
===Expressing recollection===  
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<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
* 我 想 起来 了!我们 是 去年 在 北京 开会 的 时候 见面 的!
+
* 我 <em>想 起来 了!我们 是 去年 在 北京 开会 的 时候 见面 的!
* 不好意思,我 记 不起来 你 的 名字!
+
* 不好意思,我 <em>记 不起来 你 的 名字!
 
</div>
 
</div>
  
 
===Expressing initiation of an action===
 
===Expressing initiation of an action===
  
can also be used to show that an action has started:
+
起来 can also be used to show that an action has started:
  
* 大家笑起来了 (the same as 大家开始笑)
+
<div class="liju">
* 两个大妈吵起来了 (the same as 开始吵架)
+
* 大家  <em>笑 起来 了 <span class="expl">(the same as 开始 笑)</span>
 +
* 两 个 大妈  <em>吵 起来 了 <span class="expl">(the same as 开始 吵架)</span>
 +
</div>
  
 
+
When used like this, 起来 is only used with spontaneous actions, like 唱, 跳, 讨论 etc.
起来 is often with for spontaneous actions, 起来 cannot be used to for actions which are scheduled
 
  
  
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<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
 
 
* 他 看 <em>起来</em> 很 友好。
 
* 他 看 <em>起来</em> 很 友好。
 
* 那 听 <em>起来</em> 不错。
 
* 那 听 <em>起来</em> 不错。
 
* 这 瓶 啤酒 尝 <em>起来</em> 像 比利时的。
 
* 这 瓶 啤酒 尝 <em>起来</em> 像 比利时的。
 
 
</div>
 
</div>
  

Revision as of 02:03, 15 November 2011

起来 (qǐlái) comes up very frequently in Chinese and has a variety of meanings.


Expressing an upward movement:

起来 can be used to like "up" where in English we say "stand up", or "pick up".

  • 大家 站 起来 了。
  • 快点 把 垃圾 捡 起来。
  • 他 把 袜子 收拾 起来 了。

As in the final example, 起来 can also have the idea of "collecting together", like "tidy up" in English.

Expressing recollection

It can also be used figuratively to express remembering something that was forgotten, and is almost like the speaker picking memories up out of their mind.

  • 想 起来 了!我们 是 去年 在 北京 开会 的 时候 见面 的!
  • 不好意思,我 记 不起来 你 的 名字!

Expressing initiation of an action

起来 can also be used to show that an action has started:

  • 大家 笑 起来 了 (the same as 开始 笑)
  • 两 个 大妈 吵 起来 了 (the same as 开始 吵架)

When used like this, 起来 is only used with spontaneous actions, like 唱, 跳, 讨论 etc.


Expressing a superficial judgement

起来 can also be used to express a superficial judgement. 起来 is used here to express that the speaker has only just initiated an action, and based on that, has made a quick judgement. It is used in the following structure:

Subject + Verb + 起来 + Adjective

This expresses that the subject seems adjective when the action of the verb is performed. This structure is frequently used with perception verbs such as 看, 听, 尝 etc.

Some examples:

  • 他 看 起来 很 友好。
  • 那 听 起来 不错。
  • 这 瓶 啤酒 尝 起来 像 比利时的。

See also


Sources and further reading

Websites