Table of Contents

Grammar Point

Direction Complements 1

A direction complement goes after a verb to show which way the action moves. 走 zǒu means “walk,” but 走進 zǒujìn走进 zǒujìn is “walk in” and 走出 zǒuchū is “walk out.” This lesson covers the simple direction words first, then the compound ones like 進來 jìnlái进来 jìnlai and 出去 chūqù出去 chūqu.

一 Simple Direction Complements

Each direction word adds a direction to the verb. Here are the most common ones:

V + 來来 / 去

來 lái来 lái = toward the speaker; 去 qù = away from the speaker.

我wǒ带dài去qù给gěi你nǐ

I’ll bring it over to you.

The speaker is about to leave and go to you.

你nǐ来lái台湾Táiwān

Come to Taiwan!

The speaker is in Taiwan.

V + 進进 / 出

進 jìn进 jìn = moving in, 出 chū = moving out. Usually followed by a place.

他tā跑pǎo进jìn电影院diànyǐngyuàn

He ran into the movie theater.

我wǒ走zǒu出chū教室jiàoshì

I walked out of the classroom.

V + 上 / 下

上 shàng = moving up, 下 xià = moving down. Usually followed by a destination.

妈妈māma走zǒu上shàng二楼èr lóu

Mom walked up to the second floor.

爸爸bàba爬pá下xià树shù

Dad climbed down from the tree.

V + 起來起来

起 qǐ means “up,” an upward movement. As a direction complement it always comes with 來 lái来 lái. Unlike 上 shàng, it doesn’t need a destination.

站zhàn起来qǐlai

Stand up.

拿ná起来qǐlai

Pick it up.

V + 回

回 huí = going back or returning.

他tā跑pǎo回huí家jiā

He ran back home.

我wǒ走zǒu回huí公司gōngsī

I walked back to the office.

V + 開开

開 kāi开 kāi = moving away from where it was. It doesn’t always need an object.

他tā拿ná开kāi书shū

He moved the book away.

孩子háizi从cóng妈妈māma身边shēnbiān跑pǎo开kāi

The child ran away from his mom.

V + 過过

過 guò过 guò = passing by, crossing, or going through.

我wǒ走zǒu过guò书店shūdiàn

I walked past a bookstore.

我wǒ跑pǎo过guò马路mǎlù

I ran across the road.

二 Compound Direction Complements

A compound direction complement adds 來 lái来 lái or 去 qù after a direction word. 來来 means toward the speaker, 去 means away from the speaker.

	上 shàng	下 xià	進进 jìn	出 chū	回 huí	過过 guò	起 qǐ
來来 lái	上來上来come up	下來下来come down	進來进来come in	出來出来come out	回來回来come back	過來过来come over	起來起来get up / rise
去 qù	上去go up	下去go down	進去进去go in	出去go out	回去go back	過去过去go over	—

Compound complements often follow verbs of moving things, like 搬 bān (move), 放 fàng (put), 拿 ná (take), 開 kāi开 kāi (drive), and body movements like 走 zǒu (walk) and 跑 pǎo (run).

走zǒu回去huíqu

walk back (there)

开kāi过来guòlai

drive over (here)

搬bān出chū

move out

Just the direction: out.

搬bān出来chūlai

move out (toward me)

来 lái: the speaker is outside, where it’s moving to.

搬bān出去chūqu

move out (away from me)

去 qù: the speaker is inside, and it’s moving away.

三 Where Does the Place Go?

In compound complements, a place goes between the direction word and 來来 / 去.

Verb + Direction + Place + 来 / 去

这zhè些xiē东西dōngxi，请qǐng搬bān进jìn厨房chúfáng去qù

Please move these things into the kitchen.

你nǐ明年míngnián要yào回huí美国Měiguó去qù吗ma？

Are you going back to the US next year?

那些nàxiē书shū，都dōu帮bāng我wǒ拿ná上shàng二楼èr lóu来lái

Please bring all those books up to the second floor for me.

四 Story Time: A Pet Cat and a Stray Cat

Let’s read a short story with lots of direction complements! First, one useful word: 別 bié别 bié means “don’t.”

别bié看kàn我wǒ！

Don’t look at me!

If the video is too fast, you can slow it down in the player settings. Sentences from the video:

起来qǐlai吧ba！

Time to get up!

Here 吧 ba makes it a suggestion.

太阳tàiyáng升shēng起来qǐlai了le

The sun is up!

It rises toward the speaker, so it’s 来.

你nǐ别bié下来xiàlai

Don’t come down.

Negatives go before the verb, not the complement.

你nǐ什么时候shénme shíhou爬pá上来shànglai？

When are you going to climb up here?

The speaker is at the top; the listener is below.

我们wǒmen一起yìqǐ爬pá下去xiàqu吧ba！

Let’s climb down together!

Both are at the top, moving away from where they are.

我们wǒmen回来huílai了le

We’re back!

欢迎huānyíng你nǐ搬bān回来huílai！

Welcome back! (moving back home)

你nǐ几jǐ点diǎn回去huíqu？

What time are you going back?

五 Common Mistakes

❌ 你nǐ下xià別bié别bié來lái来lái

✅ 你nǐ別bié别bié下來xiàlái下来xiàlai

Negatives like 別 bié别 bié go before the whole verb + complement.

❌ 他tā回去huíqù回去huíqu家jiā

✅ 他tā回huí家jiā去qù

The place goes between 回 and 去.

❌ 站zhàn上來shànglái上来shànglai

✅ 站zhàn起來qǐlái起来qǐlai

For “stand up,” use 起來 qǐlái起来 qǐlai. 上 shàng needs a destination, like 走上二樓 zǒushàng èr lóu走上二楼 zǒushàng èr lóu.

六 Practice

Tap the words below in the right order to build the sentence, then check your answer. If it’s wrong, you can try again as many times as you like, or hit “Show answer” if you get stuck. Careful: some tiles are traps and are not needed!

Question 1 of 10

“He ran into the classroom.”