Direction complement

Also known as: 趋向补语 (qūxiàng bǔyǔ), directional complement and complement of direction.

A direction complement is a complement that's to describe the direction of the action of a verb. After the verb which takes the direction complement already has some inherent movement implied, and then adding a direction complement makes clearer where exactly that action is going.

Simple Direction Complement

The most basic (and common) form of direction complement is formed by a verb and 来 or 去:

Verb + 来 / 去

The most important thing to consider with direction complements is the position of the speaker. If the action moves towards the speaker or comes closer in any way, use 来. If the action moves away from the speaker or becomes more distant in any way, use 去.

Verb	+ Complement	Explanation
下	下来xiàlái	The movement is down towards the speaker: "come down"
下	下去xiàqù	The movement is down away from the speaker: "go down"
上	上来shànglái	The movement is up towards the speaker: "come up"
上	上去shàngqù	The movement is up and away from the speaker: "go up"
出	出来chūlái	The movement is out and towards the speaker: "come out"
出	出去chūqù	The movement is out and away from the speaker: "go out"
进	进来jìnlái	The movement is in and towards the speaker: "come in"
进	进去jìnqù	The movement is in and away from the speaker: "go in"
回	回来huílái	The movement is towards the speaker: "come back"
回	回去huíqù	The movement is away from the speaker: "go back"

You might be wondering how the directional distinction between 来 and 去 works when you're talking about yourself moving. You can't move away from or towards yourself, so should it be 来 or 去? The answer is to look at the context of the movement you're talking about. Are you telling someone you'll see them tomorrow? As in English, in Chinese you'd say something like "I'll come and see you tomorrow."

Examples

You can use these simple compounds in a huge variety of situations. Here are some examples:

• A：我 在 楼上 ，你 上来 。Wǒ zài lóushàng, nǐ shànglái.I'm on the upper floor. Come up to me.
• B：你 在 楼上 等 我 一下 。我 一会儿 就 上去 。Nǐ zài lóushàng děng wǒ yīxià. Wǒ yīhuìr jiù shàngqù.Please wait a moment on the upper floor. I'm coming up in a few minutes.

• A：出来 玩 吧 ，我们 在 酒吧 等 你 。A: Chūlái wán ba, wǒmen zài jiǔbā děng nǐ.A: Come and hang out with us. We'll be waiting in the bar.
• B：我 妈 不 让 我 出去 。B: Wǒ mā bù ràng wǒ chūqù.B: My mother won't let me go out.

• A：这 是 我家 ，进来 吧 ，随便 坐 。A: Zhè shì wǒ jiā, jìnlái ba, suíbiàn zuò.A: This is my place. Please come inside. Feel free to take a seat.
• B：那 是 你 的 卧室 吗 ？我 能 进去 吗 ？B: Nà shì nǐ de wòshì ma? Wǒ néng jìnqù ma?B: He is waiting for you in his office. You can go in now.

• A：你 下班 了 吗 ？几点 回来 吃饭 ？A: Nǐ xiàbān le ma? Jǐdiǎn huílái chīfàn?A: Are you off work now? When are you coming back for dinner?
• B：我 今天 不 回去 吃饭 。B: Wǒ jīntiān bù huíqù chīfàn.B: I'm not going back home for dinner tonight.

Adding a place with 到

Direction complements are very useful for talking about arriving at destinations. The structure for this is:

到 + Place + 来 / 去

Notice that you separate the verb from its direction complement. The location goes in between the two.

A few examples:

• 我 妹妹 到 上海 来 了。Wǒ mèimei dào Shànghǎi lái le.My sister arrived in Shanghai.
• 你 想 到 我家 来 吗？Nǐ xiǎng dào wǒ jiā lái ma?Do you want to come to my house?
• 老板 让 你 马上 到 他 办公室 去 。Lǎobǎn ràng nǐ mǎshàng dào tā bàngōngshì qù.The boss is asking you to go over to his office right now.

Compound Direction Complements

Direction complements can be more complex than just 来 or 去. You can form compound direction complements in the following way:

	上	下	进	出	回	过	起
来	上来	下来	进来	出来	回来	过来	起来
去	上去	下去	进去	出去	回去	过去

很多学习者习惯说"回来中国"，"回去美国"，都是错的。正确的说法是"回中国来""回美国去"，因为"回"才是动词，"来""去"是补语。口语里如果语境比较明确，经常省略"来""去"，只说"回中国""回美国"。

These compounds can then be used in the same way as 来 and 去. Attach them to verbs to give detail about the direction of the action.

Structure

Verb + [Compound Direction Complement]

Examples

• 你 坐 下来 吧 。 Nǐ zuò xiàlái ba.Please sit down.
• 他们 还没 走 出来 。 Tāmen hái méi zǒu chūlái.They haven't walked out yet.
• 你 可以 站 起来 吗 ？Nǐ kěyǐ zhàn qǐlái ma?Could you please stand up?
• 我们 想 自己 走 下去 。 Wǒmen xiǎng zìjǐ zǒu xiàqù.We'd like to walk down from here by ourselves.
• 不要 让 它 跑 出去 。Bùyào ràng tā pǎo chūqù.Don't let it run out.
• 从 我 家 走 过来 要 半 个 小时 。Cóng wǒ jiā zǒu guòlái yào bàn gè xiǎoshí. It took me half an hour to walk here from my place.

Direction Complements with Objects

Direction complements are not only used to describe the movement of people. Moving objects can also be described with direction complements. Again, the direction of the movement relative to the speaker (or at least to the context of the conversation) is what's most important when deciding what complement to use.

These verbs that commonly appear in this construction include 拿, 送 and 带.

Some examples:

• 可以 带 一些 朋友 来 吗 ？Kěyǐ dài le yīxiē péngyou lái ma?Can I bring some friends?
• 你 快点 送 孩子 去 吧 ，别 迟到 了 。Nǐ kuàidiǎn sòng háizi qù ba, bié chídào le.Hurry up, take the child there. Don't be late.
• 师傅 ，再 送 两 桶 水 来 。Shīfu, zài sòng liǎng tǒng shuǐ lái.Shifu, please deliver two more buckets of water.
• 他们 从 老家 带 了 一些 特产 回来 。Tāmen cóng lǎojiā dài le yīxiē tèchǎn huílái.They brought some local goods back from hometown.
• 这儿 的 冬天 太 冷 了，我 需要 你 带 一些 厚衣服 过来 。Zhèr de dōngtiān tài lěng le, wǒ xūyào nǐ dài yīxiē hòu yīfu guòlái.It's too cold here in winter. I need you to bring me some thick clothes.
• 你 要 不 要 拿 一点 吃的 过去 ？Nǐ yào bù yào ná yīdiǎn chīde guòqù?Would you like to take some food there?
• 你们 可以 帮 我 拿 一些 书 进去 吗 ？Nǐmen kěyǐ bāng wǒ ná yīxiē shū jìnqù ma?Could you please help me take some books inside?

Direction Complements with 把

Direction complements work very well in 把 sentences, as they can be used to describe the disposal of an object (what happened to it in the end). Because of this, it's very common to see direction complements and 把 appearing together.

Structure

Subj. + 把 + Obj. + Verb + [Direction Complement]

Examples

• 把 书 拿 出来 。Bǎ shū ná chūlái.Please take out your book.
• 把 外套 脱 下来 吧 。Bǎ wàitào tuō xiàlái ba.Take off your coat.
• 你 把 他们 的 礼物 带 过去 了 吗 ？Nǐ bǎ tāmen de lǐwù dài guòqù le ma?Did you take their presents there?
• 快递 还没 把 我 的 东西 送 来 。Kuàidì háiméi bǎ wǒ de dōngxi sòng lái.The delivery man hasn't delivered my things yet.
• 帮 我 把 这个 箱子 搬 过去 。Bāng wǒ bǎ zhège xiāngzi bān guòqù.Please help me to move this suitcase over there.

See also: 把 sentences

Compared with Potential Complement

Direction and Potential Complements

Directional Complement	Aff. Potential Complement	Neg. Potential Complement
起 来	起 得 来	起 不 来
回 去	回 得 去	回 不 去
站 起来	站 得 起来	站 不 起来
爬 上来	爬 得 上来	爬 不 上来
开 进来	开 得 进了	开 不 进来
拿 出来	拿得 出来	拿 不 出来

Additional Meanings

A lot of direction complements, particularly compound direction complements, have additional idiomatic meanings beyond literally describing the direction of an action. The most common of these are:

• 起来
• 出来
• 下去

See also

• Result complement
• Potential complement
• Degree complement

Sources and further reading

Books

• A Practical Chinese Grammar For Foreigners (外国人实用汉语语法) (pp. 302-17) Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy
• Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 1 (3rd ed) (pp. 165) Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy
• Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 2 (3rd ed) (pp. 185-9) Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy
• Integrated Chinese: Level 2, Part 1 (pp. 267-8) Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy
• Mandarin Chinese: A Functional Reference Grammar (pp. 58-65) Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy
• New Practical Chinese Reader 2 (新实用汉语课本2) (pp. 40-1, 197-8) Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy
• 40 Lessons for Basic Chinese Course (基础汉语40课下册） (pp. 313-4) [ →buy]
• 40 Lessons for Basic Chinese Course (基础汉语40课上册） (pp. 238-9, 255) [ →buy]

Websites

• Mandarin Essential Grammar (Yale): Directional Complements

Videos

Yoyo Chinese: Introduction to complement of direction