Direction Complements – Extension 3

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 + 起來/起来 qǐlái

1. Bring things together

加jiā起來qǐlái加jiā起来qǐlái
Add up

把bǎ這些zhèxiē餡xiàn都dōu包bāo起來qǐlái把bǎ这些zhèxiē馅儿xiànr都dōu包bāo起来qǐlái
Wrap all the filling.

你nǐ能néng幫bāng我wǒ把bǎ孩子háizi集合jíhé起來qǐlái嗎ma？ 你nǐ能néng帮bāng我wǒ把bǎ孩子háizi集合jíhé起来qǐlái吗ma？
Can you help me gather the children?

2. Indicating completeness or effectiveness

我們wǒmen先xiān把bǎ禮物lǐwù藏cáng起來qǐlái我们wǒmen先xiān把bǎ礼物lǐwù藏cáng起来qǐlái
Let’s hide the gift first.

門mén被bèi鎖suǒ起來qǐlái了le， 我wǒ打dǎ不bù開kāi门mén被bèi锁suǒ起来qǐlái了le， 我wǒ打dǎ不bù开kāi
The door is locked, I can’t open it.

你nǐ現在xiànzài得děi把bǎ錢qián存cún起來qǐlái， 以後yǐhòu才cái有yǒu錢qián買mǎi房子fángzi你nǐ现在xiànzài得děi把bǎ钱qián攒zǎn起来qǐlái， 以后yǐhòu才cái有yǒu钱qián买mǎi房子fángzi
You have to save up the money now so that you have money to buy a house later.

Sense Verbs + 起來/起来 qǐlái

Seems, sounds, feels, etc.

這zhè紅酒hóngjiǔ喝hē起來qǐlái非常fēicháng順口shùnkǒu好喝hǎohē这zhè红酒hóngjiǔ喝hē起来qǐlái非常fēicháng顺口shùnkǒu好喝hǎohē
This red wine tastes very smooth and delicious.

她tā看kàn起來qǐlái不bú像xiàng50 歲suì的de人rén她tā看kàn起来qǐlái不bú像xiàng50 岁suì的de人rén
She doesn’t look like a 50-year-old.

從cóng他的tāde口音kǒuyìn聽tīng起來qǐlái應該yīnggāi是shì美國měiguó東部dōngbù的de人rén从cóng他的tāde口音kǒuyìn听tīng起来qǐlái应该yīnggāi是shì美国měiguó东部dōngbù的de人rén
From his accent, he sounds like someone from the East Coast of the United States.

Sense Verbs + 出來/出来 chūlái

Can tell what it really is

我wǒ喝hē出來chūlái了le， 這zhè是shì1989 年nián法國fǎguóPauillac 的de紅酒hóngjiǔ我wǒ喝hē出来chūlái了le， 这zhè是shì1989 年nián法国fǎguóPauillac 的de红酒hóngjiǔ
I can taste that this is a 1989 French Pauillac red wine.

我wǒ看kàn不bù出來chūlái她tā已經yǐjīng50 歲suì了le我wǒ看kàn不bù出来chūlái她tā已经yǐjīng50 岁suì了le
I can’t tell that she’s already 50 years old.

她的tāde中文zhōngwén真zhēn好hǎo， 我wǒ完全wánquán聽tīng不bù出來chūlái他的tāde外國wàiguó口音kǒuyìn她的tāde中文zhōngwén真zhēn好hǎo， 我wǒ完全wánquán听tīng不bù出来chūlái他的tāde外国wàiguó口音kǒuyìn
Her Chinese is really good, I can’t even tell that she has a foreign accent.

V + 過/过 guò or 過來/过来 guòlái

1. From one place to another place

我wǒ接jiē過guò信xìn(來)lái我wǒ接jiē过guò信xìn(来)lái
I received the letter. (From other people’s hands to my hand.)

他tā把bǎ球qiú傳chái過來guòlái他tā把bǎ球qiú传chái过来guòlái
He passes the ball over.

2. The object follows the action to change directions.

我wǒ轉zhuǎn過guò頭tóu(來)lái， 打dǎ了le他tā一巴掌yìbāzhǎng我wǒ转zhuǎn过guò头tóu(来)lái， 打dǎ了le他tā一巴掌yìbāzhǎng
I turn my head around and slap him.

我wǒ翻fān過guò身shēn(來)lái，繼續jìxù睡shuì我wǒ翻fān过guò身shēn(来)lái， 继续jìxù睡shuì
I turn around and keep on sleep.

3. Beyond the appropriate point (Do not add 來/来)

我wǒ睡shuì過guò頭tóu了le我wǒ睡shuì过guò头tóu了le
I overslept.

坐zuò過guò站zhàn了le坐zuò过guò站zhàn了le
I passed my station.

4. Indicating a return to the normal state (Must add 來/来)

經過jīngguò醫生yīshēng的de搶救qiǎngjiù， 他tā終於zhōngyú醒xǐng過來guòlái了le经过jīngguò医生yīshēng的de抢救qiǎngjiù， 他tā终于zhōngyú醒xǐng过来guòlái了le
After the doctors’ resuscitation, he finally woke up.

你的nǐde這個zhège壞huài習慣xíguàn一定yídìng要yào改gǎi過來guòlái你的nǐde这个zhège坏huài习惯xíguàn一定yídìng要yào改gǎi过来guòlái
Your bad habit must be changed.

SV + 下來/下来 xiàlái or 下去 xiàqù

Indicating an increasing degree

老師lǎoshī一yí進jìn教室jiàoshì， 同學tóngxué們men馬上mǎshàng就jiù安靜ānjìng下來xiàlái老师lǎoshī一yí进jìn教室jiàoshì， 同学tóngxué们men马上mǎshàng就jiù安静ānjìng下来xiàlái
The students immediately quieted as soon as the teacher entered the classroom.

他tā對duì工作gōngzuò的de興趣xīngqù漸漸jiànjiàn淡dàn了le下去xiàqù他tā对duì工作gōngzuò的de兴趣xīngqù渐渐jiànjiàn淡dàn了le下去xiàqù
His interest in work gradually faded.

• Extension Direction Complements 1 (HSK 4)

• Extension Direction Complements 2 (HSK 5)

• Practice All Extension Direction Complements