More extended senses of 下下 xià and 起起 qǐ, then two patterns that go a step further still — things coming together or being sealed away, and a sense verb telling you what something really is.
1 V + 下下 xià
下下 xià has two common extended uses here.
1. Capacity for Holding or Containing
這個袋子裝得下五本書嗎？这个袋子装得下五本书吗？
Can this bag hold five books?
你吃得下這全部的飯嗎？你吃得下这全部的饭吗？
Can you eat this whole meal?
我的心容不下你我的心容不下你
I’ve got no room for you in my heart.
2. Take Off
拿下眼鏡拿下眼镜
Take off the glasses.
脫下鞋子脱下鞋子
Take off the shoes.
摘下耳環摘下耳环
Take off the earrings.
上上 shàng vs 下下 xià
Both can mean “write down,” but they carry different weight. 請寫上你的名字请写上你的名字 qǐng xiě shàng nǐde míngzi implies the name is meant to stay — on a contract, a test paper, a form (see 上上 shàng in Extension 1). 請寫下你的名字请写下你的名字 qǐng xiě xià nǐde míngzi is a simpler, more casual record — on a sticky note, a whiteboard.
2 V + 起起 qǐ — Remember
起起 qǐ also shows up fixed inside 想起想起 xiǎngqǐ — something long forgotten surfaces in the mind, coming up out of nowhere.
他終於想起了我的名字他终于想起了我的名字
He finally remembered my name.
他想不起自己為什麼要學中文他想不起自己为什么要学中文
He couldn’t remember why he wanted to learn Chinese.
看到這張照片，我想起了小時候的事看到这张照片，我想起了小时候的事
Seeing this photo, I remembered things from my childhood.
3 V + 起來起来 qǐlái — Bringing Together & Locking In
Two more senses of 起來起来 qǐlái, both a step further from “starting”: pieces coming together into one, and something being sealed away or made secure.
1. Bringing Things Together
這幾筆費用加起來要兩千塊这几笔费用加起来要两千块
Add these expenses up and it comes to two thousand dollars.
我們先把禮物包起來吧我们先把礼物包起来吧
Let’s wrap up the gift first.
老師把學生集合起來準備出發老师把学生集合起来准备出发
The teacher gathered the students together, getting ready to set off.
2. Locking In / Taking Effect
他把鑰匙藏起來了他把钥匙藏起来了
He hid the key.
門鎖起來了，我打不開门锁起来了，我打不开
The door is locked, I can’t open it.
你現在就要把錢存起來，以後才有錢買房子你现在就要把钱存起来，以后才有钱买房子
You need to save up money now, so you’ll have money to buy a house later.
4 Sense Verb + 起來起来 qǐlái vs + 出來出来 chūlái — “Seems” vs “Can Tell”
Both follow a sense verb like 看看 kàn (look), 聽听 tīng (listen), or 喝喝 hē (drink) — but they report very different kinds of certainty.
1. Sense Verb + 起來起来 qǐlái — Seems, Sounds, Feels
A surface impression — how something comes across, without claiming to know for sure.
這杯紅酒喝起來很順口这杯红酒喝起来很顺口
This glass of red wine tastes very smooth.
她看起來不像五十歲她看起来不像五十岁
She doesn’t look like she’s fifty.
聽他的口音，他聽起來像是東岸人听他的口音，他听起来像是东岸人
From his accent, he sounds like he’s from the East Coast.
2. Sense Verb + 出來出来 chūlái — Can Tell What It Really Is
Not just an impression — the speaker used their senses to identify a specific, real fact.
我喝得出來這是法國紅酒我喝得出来这是法国红酒
I can taste that this is French red wine.
我看不出來她已經五十歲了我看不出来她已经五十岁了
I can’t tell that she’s already fifty.
我完全聽不出來他有外國口音我完全听不出来他有外国口音
I can’t tell at all that he has a foreign accent.
起來起来 qǐlái vs 出來出来 chūlái
起來起来 qǐlái reports a surface impression — it could turn out to be wrong. 出來出来 chūlái claims the speaker actually identified the real fact through that sense — it’s a stronger, more confident claim.
5 Practice
Translate each sentence into Chinese, then tap the card to check your answer.
01This box can’t hold that many books.
這個箱子裝不下那麼多書这个箱子装不下那么多书
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02How much do these items add up to?
這幾件商品加起來多少錢？这几件商品加起来多少钱？
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03Take off your jacket.
脫下外套脱下外套
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04The moment he spoke, I immediately remembered who he was.
他一開口，我馬上想起了他是誰他一开口，我马上想起了他是谁
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05I suddenly remembered his name.
我突然想起了他的名字我突然想起了他的名字
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06Please put your books away.
請把你的書收起來请把你的书收起来
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07This dish smells really good.
這道菜聞起來很香这道菜闻起来很香
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08I can tell just by looking that this is fake.
我一看就看得出來這是假的我一看就看得出来这是假的
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09You should save some money for a rainy day.
你應該把一些錢存起來以備不時之需你应该把一些钱存起来以备不时之需
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10This soup tastes a little too salty.
這碗湯喝起來有點鹹这碗汤喝起来有点咸
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