Table of Contents

Grammar Point

Verb / Adjective + 起來 qǐlái起来 qǐlai

Add 起來 qǐlái起来 qǐlai after a verb or adjective to show that something starts and then keeps going: “burst out laughing,” “start raining,” “get busy.” It often feels a little sudden.

一 Verb + 起來起来

Verb + (了) + 起来

Put 起來 qǐlái起来 qǐlai right after the verb. You’ll often see 了 le too: either 笑了起來笑了起来 or 笑起來了笑起来了. Both are fine.

小狗xiǎogǒu一yí看到kàndào我wǒ就jiù叫jiào了le起来qǐlai

As soon as the puppy saw me, it started barking.

她tā看着kànzhe照片zhàopiàn，哭kū了le起来qǐlai

She looked at the photo and started to cry.

他tā说完shuōwán，全班quán bān都dōu笑xiào了le起来qǐlai

When he finished talking, the whole class burst out laughing.

二 With an Object: V + 起 + O + 來来

Verb + 起 + Object + 来

If the verb has an object, the object goes in the middle: between 起 qǐ and 來 lái来 lai. This is the tricky part!

外面wàimiàn下xià起qǐ雨yǔ来lai了le

It’s started raining outside.

他们tāmen一yí见面jiànmiàn就jiù聊liáo起qǐ天tiān来lai

As soon as they met, they started chatting.

聊天 liáotiān is verb + object, so it splits: 聊起天来.

吃完chīwán饭fàn，大家dàjiā打dǎ起qǐ麻将májiàng来lai了le

After dinner, everyone started playing mahjong.

音乐yīnyuè一yì开始kāishǐ，他tā就jiù跳tiào起qǐ舞wǔ来lai

The moment the music started, he started dancing.

Afternoon stormsIn a Taiwanese summer, a sunny morning means nothing. Around 3 p.m., the sky can go dark and 下起大雨来 xià qǐ dàyǔ lai: a sudden, heavy downpour called a 西北雨 xīběiyǔ. It usually stops within an hour, so locals just wait it out in a convenience store. ⛈️

三 Adjective + 起來起来

Adjective + 起来 + 了

With adjectives, 起來 qǐlái起来 qǐlai shows that a state is beginning and growing: getting hotter, busier, livelier, better.

天气tiānqì慢慢mànmàn热rè起来qǐlai了le

The weather’s slowly getting hot.

过年guònián前qián，街上jiēshàng热闹rènao起来qǐlai了le

Before Chinese New Year, the streets get lively.

他tā的de病bìng慢慢mànmàn好hǎo起来qǐlai了le

He’s slowly getting better.

四起來起来 vs. 下來下来

With adjectives, 起來 qǐlái起来 qǐlai usually goes with things getting more active or increasing. For things settling down or decreasing, Chinese usually uses 下來 xiàlái下来 xiàlai instead.

起來起来 · getting more

热闹rènao起来qǐlai
忙máng起来qǐlai
胖pàng起来qǐlai

Getting livelier, busier, chubbier.

下來下来 · settling down

安静ānjìng下来xiàlai
闲xián下来xiàlai
瘦shòu下来xiàlai

Getting quieter, freer, thinner.

Other uses of 起来起来 qǐlai has other jobs too, like direction (站起来 zhàn qǐlai, “stand up”) or “seems” (看起来很好 kàn qǐlai hěn hǎo, “looks good”). On this page, we’re only looking at the “start and keep going” meaning.

五起來起来 vs. 開始开始

Both 起來 qǐlái起来 qǐlai and 開始 kāishǐ开始 kāishǐ can mean “start,” but they’re not the same. 開始 kāishǐ开始 kāishǐ is a neutral word for starting something, including plans for the future. 起來 qǐlái起来 qǐlai describes something that has already started, often suddenly or without planning, and it paints a more vivid picture.

開始开始 · neutral start

我们wǒmen明天míngtiān开始kāishǐ上课shàngkè

Goes before the verb. Works for the past, present and future, including plans and schedules.

起來起来 · it just started

外面wàimiàn突然túrán下xià起qǐ雨yǔ来lai了le

Goes after the verb. Describes something that has already started, often suddenly. Not for plans or future schedules.

她tā突然túrán哭kū了le起来qǐlai

She suddenly burst into tears.

Vivid and sudden: you can almost see it happen.

她tā突然túrán开始kāishǐ哭kū

She suddenly started crying.

Also correct, but it simply reports the fact. It feels flatter.

我wǒ下xià个ge月yuè开始kāishǐ学xué日文Rìwén

I’m starting Japanese next month.

A plan for the future, so only 开始 kāishǐ works here.

电影diànyǐng几jǐ点diǎn开始kāishǐ？

What time does the movie start?

开始 kāishǐ can stand on its own. 起来 qǐlai always needs a verb or adjective in front of it.

六 Common Mistakes

❌ 外面wàimiàn下雨xiàyǔ起來qǐlái起来qǐlai了le

✅ 外面wàimiàn下xià起qǐ雨yǔ來lái来lai了le

The object 雨 yǔ has to go between 起 qǐ and 來 lái来 lai.

❌ 教室jiàoshì安靜ānjìng安静ānjìng起來qǐlái起来qǐlai了le

✅ 教室jiàoshì安靜ānjìng安静ānjìng下來xiàlái下来xiàlai了le

Calming down is “settling,” so it goes with 下來 xiàlái下来 xiàlai, not 起來 qǐlái起来 qǐlai.

❌ 他tā突然túrán起來qǐlái起来qǐlai哭kū

✅ 他tā突然túrán哭kū起來qǐlái起来qǐlai

起來 qǐlái起来 qǐlai goes after the verb. (起來哭起来哭 would mean “suddenly got up and cried.”)

❌ 我們wǒmen我们wǒmen下xià個ge个ge月yuè學xué学xué起qǐ中文Zhōngwén來lái来lai

✅ 我們wǒmen我们wǒmen下xià個ge个ge月yuè開始kāishǐ开始kāishǐ學xué学xué中文Zhōngwén

For a plan in the future, use 開始 kāishǐ开始 kāishǐ. 起來 qǐlái起来 qǐlai is for something that has already started.

七 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

“It started snowing on the mountain!”