Complements beyond direction: 起来, 下去, 出来, 下来
哭起来 (start), 听起来 (sound), 说下去 (keep on), 想出来 (work out), 写下来 (note down).
Part of the free B1 Chinese course (about HSK 4). Examples are in Simplified characters, with pinyin only for some new or hard words; press the speaker to hear one with your device's Chinese voice.
Direction words with new jobs
At A2 (Direction complements: 进来, 出去, 回来) 起来, 下去, 出来 and 下来 meant real movement: stand up, go down, come out. They also have figurative meanings that you meet constantly.
| Complement | Literal | Figurative | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 起来 (qǐlai) | up | start; seems, when you…; recall | 哭起来, 看起来, 想起来 |
| 下去 (xiàqu) | down (away) | keep on, from now on | 说下去 |
| 出来 (chūlai) | out | work out, tell, recognise, produce | 想出来, 听出来 |
| 下来 (xiàlai) | down (towards) | fix in place, record; up to now; calming | 写下来, 停下来 |
起来: start, seem, recall
Start: something begins, often suddenly. If the verb has an object, the object goes between 起 and 来.
- 孩子突然哭起来了。The child suddenly started crying.
- 外面下起雨来了。It's started raining outside.
Seem / when you try it: with 看, 听, 说, 吃, 用.
- 这个主意听起来不错。That idea sounds good.
Recall: 想起来 = remember (something you had forgotten).
- 我想起来了，他叫李华。Now I remember, his name is Li Hua.
下去: keep on
下去 continues something already going, from now on.
- 你说下去，我在听。Go on, I'm listening.
- 这样下去不行。Things can't go on like this.
出来: work out, tell, produce
Something hidden or new becomes clear or exists.
- 我听出来了，是王老师的声音。I can tell, it's Mr Wang's voice.
- 这道题我做出来了。I've worked this problem out.
想起来 (remember what you knew) vs 想出来 (come up with something new) is a classic pair.
下来: fix, record, survive, calm
- Fix or record: 写下来, 记下来, 拍下来.
- From the past up to now (compare 下去, from now on): 坚持下来 (stick it out), 保留下来 (be preserved).
- Slowing, calming, getting dark: 停下来, 安静下来, 天黑下来.
- 请把电话号码写下来。Please write the phone number down.
- 这个传统保留下来了。(bǎoliú)This tradition has survived.
- 天慢慢黑下来了。It slowly grew dark.
下来 looks back (up to now, settled); 下去 looks ahead (carrying on).
Common mistakes
下雨起来了。→ 下起雨来了。The object goes between 起 and 来.我想出来他的名字了。→ 我想起来他的名字了。Remembering is 想起来; 想出来 is inventing.你继续说起来。→ 你继续说下去。起来 starts something; 下去 keeps it going.写下来电话号码→ 把电话号码写下来 (or 写下电话号码). Heard, but less natural: with a two-part complement, put the object before it with 把, or use the one-part 写下.
Practice
- 他们聊着聊着就吵_____了。Options: 起来 · 下去 · 出来
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起来 — 起来 = start (often suddenly).
- 这件衣服看_____很贵。Options: 起来 · 下去 · 下来
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起来 — 看起来 = looks, seems.
- 我忘了她的名字，现在想_____了。Options: 起来 · 出来 · 下去
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起来 — 想起来 = recall. 想出来 would mean you invented a name.
- 这个办法是我想_____的。
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出来 — 想出来 = think up something new.