Chinese direction complements

Direction Complements – Extension 2

Posted on by tiffany

This article focuses on the use of direction complements in figurative language, such as in English phrases like ‘clean up’, ‘calm down’, ‘figure out’, etc. If you’re unfamiliar with directional complements, I recommend reading the following links first.

📖 Basic Direction Complement
📖 Compound direction complements

V + 起来 qǐlái

An action begins

It is used to describe an action that starts and then continues, often with a sense of momentum or intensification.

突然tūrán下xià起qǐ雨yǔ来lái了le
Suddenly it started to rain.

他tā怎么zěnme打dǎ开kāi中文zhōngwén书shū就jiù睡shuì起qǐ来lái了le
How come he falls asleep as soon as he opens a Chinese book?

因为yīnwèi我的wǒde求婚qiúhūn， 我wǒ女朋友nǚpéngyou哭kū起来qǐlái了le
My girlfriend started to cry because of my purpose.

V + 上 shàng + (O)

An action begins

It is used to describe the beginning of an action without necessarily indicating that it will continue or intensify. The “上 shàng” indicates that the action is starting, but it does not necessarily imply that it will continue or build up.

这zhè孩子háizi又yòu玩wán上shang游戏yóuxì了le
This kid is starting to play games again.

你nǐ真的zhēnde在zài节食jiéshí吗ma？ 怎么zěnme又yòu吃chī上shàng了le？
Are you really on a diet? How come you’re eating again?

不是búshì说shuō要yào戒烟jièyān， 怎么zěnme又yòu抽chōu上shàng了le？
I thought you said you wanted to quit smoking, why are you starting to smoke again?

📚 The differences between V 起 (O) 来 and 开始V：

The first one focuses on the description when explaining a situation or tell a story (usually in the past), whereas the second one emphasizes one’s decision or the starting point (usually now).

天啊tiāna！ 外面wàimiàn开始kāishǐ下雨xiàyǔ了le， 不知道bùzhīdào爸爸bàba有没有yǒuméiyǒu伞sǎn
Gosh! It starts to rain. I don’t know if Dad has an umbrella with him. 
(Emphasize the start time point )

就jiù在zài我wǒ走zǒu出去chūqù的时候deshíhou， 突然tūrán下xià起qǐ雨yǔ来lái了le
When I just walked out, suddenly it started to rain.
(Telling the situation)

V + 下去 xiàqù

An action that starts now and continues to keep going.

別緊張，你說下去
Don’t be nervous, just go on.

你的中文不錯，我建議你繼續學下去
Your Chinese is good. I suggest you keep learning.

我聽不下去了，你根本在鬼扯
I can’t listen anymore, you’re just talking nonsense.

FYI
”鬼扯 guǐchě“ is a slang term in Chinese which means “talking nonsense” or “bullshitting”. The word “鬼 guǐ” means “ghost” or “spirit”, which is often used in colloquial Chinese to express a sense of exaggeration or emphasis. The word “扯 chě” means “to pull” or “to haul”, but in this context, it refers to “pulling words out of thin air” or “fabricating stories”. Together, the term “鬼扯” implies that someone is making up unbelievable or illogical stories or talking incoherently.

V + 下来 xiàlái

An action that started in the past and continues until now.

我wǒ中文zhōngwén5 年nián学xué下来xiàlái， 已经yǐjīng花huā了le不bù少shǎo钱qián了le
After studying Chinese for five years, I have already spent a lot of money.

这样zhèyáng听tīng下来xiàlái， 这zhè件jiàn事shì确实quèshí是shì你nǐ不对búduì
From what I hear, it does seem like you were in the wrong in this matter.

我wǒ虽然suīrán不bù喜欢xǐhuan我的wǒde公司gōngsī， 但dàn算suàn下来xiàlái也yě做zuò了le10 年nián多duō了le
Although I don’t like my company, I have been working here for more than 10 years.

V + 出(来) chū(lái)

From a hidden state to a revealed state/ to come out or from zero to one

我wǒ要yào做zuò出chū成绩chéngjì
I need to see some results.

为了wèile做zuò出chū这个zhège网站wǎngzhàn， 我wǒ好hǎo累lèi 😵‍💫
I am so tired to make this website.

我wǒ想xiǎng不bù出来chūlái下xià一篇yìpiān文章wénzhāng要yào写xiě什么shénme
I can’t think of what to write in the next article.
(It indicates that the idea or thought is not just in the person’s head, but it cannot come out or be expressed.)


I told my secret
(My secrets were hidden now they came out)

Do you like it? 🙂