If you are not at B2 level, I suggest you do not read it; otherwise, you are going to confuse yourself a lot. This article is written for students who have learned many different usages of direction complements from A2 to B2.
If you are not familiar with what a direction complement is, I suggest you read the following links.
📖 Basic Direction Complement
📖 Compound direction complements
T.M.I
The following usages are not all used as compound direction complements.
Lots of my students get confused about the following functions and wonder how to use them, so I just put them together for your reference.
Warning! Some sentences here might be a little wired…maybe very wired, that’s because I was watching Dexter while I wrote this article.
來/来 (lái)
1.Estimate: verbs of perception+ 來/来 (lái)
看來英文真的很難
看来英文真的很难
Kànlái yīngwén zhēn de hěn nán.
It seems like English is really difficult.
想來他已經死了20多年了
想来他已经死了20多年了
Xiǎnglái tā yǐjīng sǐle 20 duō nián le.
I suppose/guess that he has already been dead for 20 years.
2. In order to: Verb (Object) + 來/来 (lái)
( This one can also use 去 as well, but we don’t use this pattern that often…)
我們殺你來了
我们杀你来了
Wǒmen shā nǐ lái le.
We came to kill you.
A:你為什麼出去?
A:你为什么出去?
A:Nǐ wèishénme chūqù?
A: Why do you go out?
B:自首去
B:zìshǒu qù
B: I am going to confess our crime.
你要用什麼方法來說服他?
你要用什么方法来说服他?
Nǐ yào yòng shénme fāngfǎ lái shuìfú tā?
Nǐ yào yòng shénme fāngfǎ lái shuōfú tā?
What arguments are you going to use to convince him?
3. A period of time from past to now: TW(Time word) + 來/来 (lái)
20年來，我沒有一天睡得好
20年来，我没有一天睡得好
20nián lái ，wǒ méiyǒu yìtiān shuìde hǎo
I haven’t slept well in the last 20 years.
這壓力讓我幾個月來多次想要自殺
这压力让我几个月来多次想要自杀
Zhè yālì ràng wǒ jǐgeyuèlái duōcì xiǎngyào zìshā.
Because of this pressure, I have tried to commit suicide many times in the last few months.
4. Substitute for other verbs:
我搬不動他的屍體，你來吧!
我搬不动他的尸体，你来吧!
Wǒ bān búdòng tāde shītǐ ，nǐ lái ba !
I can’t move his body. You do it! (Substitute for “move”)
你拿頭，剩下的我來
你拿头，剩下的我来
Nǐ ná tóu ，shèngxiàde wǒ lái.
You take the head. I’ll get the rest. (Substitute for “take”)
5. About; around: Numbers + 來/来 (lái) + MW
我們殺了10來個人
我们杀了10来个人
Wǒmen shāle 10 láigerén.
We killed around 10 people.
他們都40來歲
他们都40来岁
Tāmen dōu 40láisuì.
They were all about 40 years old.
6. An intend or suggested action: 來/来 (lái) + VV
你來看看
你来看看
Nǐ lái kàn kan
Have a check. (informal way)
大家來想想辦法
大家来想想办法
Dàjiā lái xiǎng xiang bànfǎ
Let’s think of a way to solve the problem!
7. Possibility; capability: with 得(de) or 不(bù)
Tiffany的個性很怪，我說不來
Tiffany的个性很怪，我说不来
Tiffany de gèxìng hěn guài, wǒ shuōbùlái.
Tiffany has a weird personality. I don’t know how to describe it.
這些屍體，Dexter處理得來
这些尸体，Dexter处理得来
Zhèxiē shītǐ,Dexter chǔlǐ de lái
Dexter can deal with these dead bodies.
去 (qù)
“Remove”
他們說這個可以去血跡
他们说这个可以去血迹
Tāmen shuō zhège kěyǐ qù xiějī /xuèjì.
They told us that we can use this to remove bloodstain.
我的奶茶要去冰
Wǒde nǎichá yào qùbīng.
I want my milk tea without ice.
進/进 (jìn)
1. Receive; get
他進了十把槍
他进了十把枪
Tā jìnle shíbǎ qiāng.
He has gotten ten guns.
我們單位最近進了一位新人
我们单位最近进了一位新人
Wǒmen dānwèi zuìjìn jìnle yī wèi xīnrén.
Our unit recently has taken on one new staff.
2. Attend; join
要進他們幫派沒那麼簡單
要进他们帮派没那么简单
Yào jìn tāmen bāngpài méi nàme jiǎndān.
It is not easy to join their gang.
在台灣要進大學是很容易的事
在台湾要进大学是很容易的事
Zài táiwān yào jìn dàxué àshì hěn róngyìde shì.
It is really easy to attend university in Taiwan.
出 (chū)
From a hidden state to a revealed state/ to come out
我已經說出所有的計劃了
我已经说出所有的计划了
Wǒ yǐjīng shuōchū suǒyǒu de jìhuàle.
I have already told you all the plans.
(The plans were hidden now they came out)
我要做出成績
我要做出成绩
Wǒ yào zuòchū chéngjī /chéngjì
I need to see some results.
📖 Advance direction complements II (起qǐ, 起來/起来qǐlái, 上shàng, 下xià, 過/过guò)
