Directional Complements: 来 and 去, and Compounds Like 起来, 下去, 出来

Just like resultative complements glue a result onto a verb, directional complements glue a direction onto it. They tell you which way the action moves, often toward or away from the speaker. They start simple with 来 and 去, then build into two-part compounds that pick up some surprising extra meanings. Let's climb the ladder.

Step one: 来 and 去

The two basic direction words are 来 (lái, "come," toward the speaker) and 去 (qù, "go," away from the speaker). Stick one after a motion verb to show which way things move relative to you.

• 进来 — come in (toward me)
• 进去 — go in (away from me)
• 上来 — come up
• 下去 — go down

The choice between 来 and 去 depends on where the speaker is standing. If you're inside and want someone to enter, you say 进来 ("come in"). If you're outside, you'd say 进去 ("go in"). It's all about your point of view.

• 你进来吧。 — Come on in. (I'm inside)
• 我们进去吧。 — Let's go in. (we're both outside)

Step two: the direction verbs

A small set of verbs describe directions of movement, and these become the first half of the compounds:

• 上 — up
• 下 — down
• 进 — in
• 出 — out
• 回 — back
• 过 — over/across
• 起 — up (from a surface)

On their own with 来/去 they're already useful:

• 回来 — come back
• 出去 — go out
• 过来 — come over

Step three: the two-part compounds

Now stack them: a direction verb + 来/去 attaches to a main action verb. This gives a three-piece combo that's very common.

action verb + direction + 来/去

• 走进来 — walk in (toward me)
• 拿出去 — take out (away)
• 跑回来 — run back

Break down 走进来: 走 (walk) + 进 (in) + 来 (toward me) = "walk in this way." Each piece adds one layer: the action, the direction, and the toward/away.

• 他走进来了。 — He walked in.
• 请把书拿出去。 — Please take the books out.

Where the object goes

When there's an object, it usually sits before the 来/去, especially if it's a place:

• 他走进房间来。 — He walked into the room (toward me).
• 我拿出一本书来。 — I took out a book.

For place words this is the standard order: the place slots in right before 来 or 去. In casual speech the object can also come at the very end, but tucking it before 来/去 is the safe, classic pattern.

Step four: the figurative meanings

Here's where directional complements get interesting. Several compounds drift away from literal direction and take on abstract meanings. These are worth memorizing because you can't always guess them.

起来 — often means starting an action, or upon doing something:

• 他笑起来了。 — He started laughing.
• 说起来容易。 — It's easy to say. (when it comes to saying it)
• 这个菜看起来很好吃。 — This dish looks delicious.

下去 — often means continuing an action:

• 说下去。 — Keep talking. (go on)
• 我学不下去了。 — I can't keep studying.

出来 — often means something emerging or being figured out:

• 我听出来了。 — I figured it out by listening. (recognized it)
• 我没看出来。 — I couldn't tell. (couldn't make it out)

起来 for gathering/together:

• 把东西收起来。 — Put the things away.

These figurative uses are extremely common in real Chinese. 看起来 ("looks like"), 说起来 ("speaking of"), and 听起来 ("sounds like") alone will show up in almost any conversation.

The potential form again

Just like resultatives, directional compounds take the 得/不 potential form for "can / can't."

• 起得来 / 起不来 — can / can't get up

• 回得去 / 回不去 — can / can't go back

• 太晚了,我回不去了。 — It's too late, I can't get back.

A quick recap

Directional complements add movement to a verb. Start with 来 (toward me) and 去 (away from me), chosen by where the speaker stands. Add a direction verb (上, 下, 进, 出, 回, 过, 起) for compounds like 进来 and 出去, then stack a main verb on front for 走进来. Place objects before 来/去. And watch for the figurative ones: 起来 (start / look like), 下去 (continue), and 出来 (emerge / figure out), which carry meanings far beyond plain direction.