qūxiàng bǔyǔ: 趋向补语 - Directional Complement

• Keywords: 趋向补语, qūxiàng bǔyǔ, directional complement, Chinese grammar, Chinese directional verbs, simple directional complement, complex directional complement, Chinese verb complement, Mandarin grammar, 来, 去, lái, qù, learning Chinese grammar
• Summary: The 趋向补语 (qūxiàng bǔyǔ), or Directional Complement, is an essential concept in Chinese grammar that adds precision and vividness to verbs. By attaching simple verbs like 来 (lái, to come) and 去 (qù, to go) after a main verb, you can clearly indicate the direction of an action relative to the speaker. This guide breaks down simple, complex, and abstract directional complements with practical examples, cultural insights, and common mistakes to help you master this fundamental aspect of Mandarin.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): qūxiàng bǔyǔ
• Part of Speech: Grammatical Term / Structure
• HSK Level: HSK 3 (Simple), HSK 4 (Complex & Abstract)
• Concise Definition: A grammatical component that follows a verb to indicate the direction of an action.
• In a Nutshell: Think of the Directional Complement not as a single word, but as a “grammar kit” you attach to verbs. It's similar to adding prepositions like “up,” “down,” “in,” or “out” after verbs in English (e.g., “walk up,” “take out”). The core of this pattern is the use of 来 (lái) for actions moving towards the speaker and 去 (qù) for actions moving away from the speaker. This simple rule makes your descriptions of movement much more precise and natural.

• 趋 (qū): To tend towards, to head for. It implies movement in a certain direction.
• 向 (xiàng): Direction, towards.
• 补 (bǔ): To supplement, to add, to patch. In grammar, it means to add extra information.
• 语 (yǔ): Language, word.

When combined, 趋向补语 (qūxiàng bǔyǔ) literally means “direction-tending supplementary words.” This is a perfect description of its function: words that supplement a verb with information about its direction.

The Directional Complement reveals a key aspect of the Chinese linguistic mindset: the importance of perspective. While English has phrasal verbs like “go up” or “come down,” the Chinese system is more rigorous and consistent in anchoring the action to the speaker's viewpoint. Compare “He walked up the stairs.” in English. Where is the speaker? We don't know. They could be at the top, at the bottom, or watching from the side. Now look at the Chinese equivalents:

• 他走上楼来了 (tā zǒu shàng lóu lái le) - He walked up the stairs (towards me). The speaker is at the top.
• 他走上楼去了 (tā zǒu shàng lóu qù le) - He walked up the stairs (away from me). The speaker is at the bottom.

This mandatory inclusion of perspective (来/去) makes the language inherently more contextual and less ambiguous about the speaker's position in space and time. It reflects a high-context communication style where the relationship between participants is clearly encoded in the grammar itself.

The Directional Complement is used constantly in everyday speech. It can be broken down into three main categories.

This is the most basic form: Verb + Direction Word (e.g., 上, 下, 进, 出) + 来/去. Often, the initial verb is implied, and you just use the direction word itself as the verb.

• 上来 (shànglái): to come up
• 下去 (xiàqù): to go down
• 进来 (jìnlái): to come in
• 出去 (chūqù): to go out
• 回来 (huílái): to come back
• 过去 (guòqù): to go over

This form adds an action verb before the simple complement: Verb + Simple Directional Complement.

• 跑上来 (pǎo shànglái): to run up (towards the speaker)
• 拿出去 (ná chūqù): to take out (away from the speaker)
• 走过去 (zǒu guòqù): to walk over (away from the speaker)
• 寄回来 (jì huílái): to mail back (towards the speaker)

Many directional complements have developed abstract meanings that are crucial for fluency.

• 起来 (qǐlai):
  • Indicates the beginning of an action: 他笑起来了。(He started to laugh.)
  • Means “it seems” or “to look”: 这件衣服看起来很贵。(This piece of clothing looks expensive.)
• 下去 (xiàqù):
  • Indicates the continuation of an action: 如果你喜欢，就读下去吧。(If you like it, keep reading.)
• 出来 (chūlai):
  • Indicates recognition or identification: 我听出来了，这是他的声音。(I recognized it, that's his voice.)

This is a critical rule:

• If the object is a PLACE, it must go between the two parts of the complement.
  • Correct: 他走进教室来了。(tā zǒu jìn jiàoshì lái le - He walked into the classroom.)
  • Incorrect: 他走进来教室了。
• If the object is a THING, it can go either between the parts or after the whole complement.
  • 他带回来一本书。(tā dài huílái yī běn shū.)
  • 他带一本书回来。(tā dài yī běn shū huílái.)

• Example 1: (Simple Complement)
  • 你在楼上吗？请你下来一下。
  • Pinyin: Nǐ zài lóushàng ma? Qǐng nǐ xiàlái yíxià.
  • English: Are you upstairs? Please come down for a moment.
  • Analysis: The speaker is downstairs, so the action of “coming down” is towards them, requiring 下来 (xiàlái).
• Example 2: (Simple Complement)
  • 外面太吵了，我们进去吧。
  • Pinyin: Wàimiàn tài chǎo le, wǒmen jìnqù ba.
  • English: It's too noisy outside, let's go in.
  • Analysis: The speaker is outside, and the destination (“inside”) is away from their current position, so they use 进去 (jìnqù).
• Example 3: (Complex Complement)
  • 他从房间里跑了出来。
  • Pinyin: Tā cóng fángjiān lǐ pǎo le chūlái.
  • English: He ran out of the room.
  • Analysis: The speaker is outside the room, watching him run towards them. The verb is “run” (跑) and the direction is “out and towards” (出来).
• Example 4: (Complex Complement with Object)
  • 请帮我把那个箱子搬上去。
  • Pinyin: Qǐng bāng wǒ bǎ nàge xiāngzi bān shàngqù.
  • English: Please help me move that box upstairs.
  • Analysis: The speaker is downstairs, asking someone to move the box away and up, hence 上去 (shàngqù). The object (箱子) is handled with a 把 (bǎ) structure here.
• Example 5: (Object Placement - Place)
  • 孩子们都跑进公园去了。
  • Pinyin: Háizimen dōu pǎo jìn gōngyuán qù le.
  • English: The children all ran into the park.
  • Analysis: The object is a place (公园), so it must be placed between 进 (jìn) and 去 (qù).
• Example 6: (Object Placement - Thing)
  • 他从包里拿出一本书来。
  • Pinyin: Tā cóng bāo lǐ ná chū yī běn shū lái.
  • English: He took a book out of his bag.
  • Analysis: The object is a thing (书), so it can be placed between 出 (chū) and 来 (lái). This structure often feels more descriptive.
• Example 7: (Abstract Usage - 起来)
  • 听到这个好消息，大家都高心地笑起来了。
  • Pinyin: Tīngdào zhège hǎo xiāoxi, dàjiā dōu gāoxìng de xiào qǐlái le.
  • English: Hearing the good news, everyone started to laugh happily.
  • Analysis: 起来 (qǐlai) here doesn't mean “up.” It signifies the beginning of the action of laughing.
• Example 8: (Abstract Usage - 下去)
  • 这份工作太难了，我真的坚持不下去了。
  • Pinyin: Zhè fèn gōngzuò tài nán le, wǒ zhēn de jiānchí bù xiàqù le.
  • English: This job is too hard, I really can't continue on.
  • Analysis: 下去 (xiàqù) indicates the continuation of an action through time. “坚持不下去” is a common phrase for “cannot go on.”
• Example 9: (Abstract Usage - 看起来)
  • 你今天看起来有点儿累，是不是没睡好？
  • Pinyin: Nǐ jīntiān kànqǐlái yǒudiǎnr lèi, shì bu shì méi shuì hǎo?
  • English: You look a little tired today, did you not sleep well?
  • Analysis: 看起来 (kànqǐlái) is a set phrase meaning “to look,” “to seem,” or “it appears.” It has no literal directional meaning.
• Example 10: (Abstract Usage - 出来)
  • 我一听就听出来是你。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ yì tīng jiù tīng chūlái shì nǐ.
  • English: As soon as I heard it, I could tell it was you.
  • Analysis: Here, 出来 (chūlái) means to successfully identify or distinguish something through an action (in this case, listening). It implies bringing a hidden identity “out” into the open.

• Confusing 来 (lái) and 去 (qù): This is the most common mistake. Always ask: is the action moving towards or away from the speaker's perspective? If you are on the phone telling a friend to come to your house, you say “你来吧” (Nǐ lái ba), not “你去吧”.
• Incorrect Object Placement: Remember the rule: places go in the middle. Forgetting this is a dead giveaway of a non-native speaker.
  • Incorrect: ~~他回家去了。~~ (Tā huí jiā qù le.) While sometimes heard colloquially, the grammatically standard form is preferred in writing and formal speech.
  • Correct: 他回家去了。(Tā huí jiā qù le.) (Here, 家 acts like a place and is fused with 回).
  • Correct: 他走进房间去了。(Tā zǒu jìn fángjiān qù le.)
• Literal Interpretations: Don't try to translate abstract complements literally. 想起来 (xiǎng qǐlai) means “to recall,” not “to think up and come.” Learn these as vocabulary chunks with their own specific figurative meanings.

• 结果补语 (jiéguǒ bǔyǔ) - The Result Complement. Describes the result of a verb (e.g., 听懂 - listened and understood).
• 可能补语 (kěnéng bǔyǔ) - The Potential Complement. Shows whether an action is possible by inserting 得 or 不 (e.g., 听得懂 - able to understand, 听不懂 - unable to understand).
• 程度补语 (chéngdù bǔyǔ) - The Degree Complement. Describes the extent or degree of an adjective or verb, often using 得 (e.g., 他跑得很快 - He runs very fast).
• 来 (lái) - The fundamental verb indicating motion towards the speaker.
• 去 (qù) - The fundamental verb indicating motion away from the speaker.
• 动词 (dòngcí) - Verb. The word that a complement modifies to add more detail.
• 宾语 (bīnyǔ) - Object. The placement of the object is a key grammatical rule when using directional complements.