<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?> <!DOCTYPE html> <html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xmlns:epub="http://www.idpf.org/2007/ops"> <head> <title>Direction complement "-qilai"</title> <link href="../Styles/main.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css"/> </head> <body> <h1>Direction complement "-qilai"</h1> <p>起来 (qǐlái) comes up very frequently in Chinese and can be used both literally and figuratively. This is a little like the usage of "up" in English, which can be used literally, as in "stand up," or figuratively, as in "add up." When used figuratively, 起来 often serves as a direction complement.</p> <h2>Contents</h2> <div class="contents"><ul><li><span style="font-size: 20px;">1 Basic Meaning </span></li> <ul><li><span style="font-size: 20px;">1.1 Structure </span></li> <li><span style="font-size: 20px;">1.2 Examples </span></li> </ul> <li><span style="font-size: 20px;">2 Used for Initiation of an Action </span></li> <ul><li><span style="font-size: 20px;">2.1 Structure </span></li> <li><span style="font-size: 20px;">2.2 Examples </span></li> </ul> <li><span style="font-size: 20px;">3 Used for an Initial Judgement </span></li> <ul><li><span style="font-size: 20px;">3.1 Structure </span></li> <li><span style="font-size: 20px;">3.2 Examples </span></li> </ul> <li><span style="font-size: 20px;">4 See also </span></li> <li><span style="font-size: 20px;">5 Sources and further reading </span></li> <ul><li><span style="font-size: 20px;">5.1 Books </span></li> <li><span style="font-size: 20px;">5.2 Websites</span></li> </ul> </ul> </div> <h2>Basic Meaning</h2> <h3>Structure</h3> <p>起来 can be used to express an upward movement like "up," as in the English examples of "stand up" or "pick up."</p> <div class="deux">Verb + 起来</div> <h3>Examples</h3> <div class="exemple"><ul><li><span style="font-size: 20px;">请 大家 站 起来 。 Qǐng dàjiā zhàn qǐlái. Everyone, please stand up. </span></li> <li><span style="font-size: 20px;">捡 起来。 Jiǎn qǐlái. Pick it up (from the floor). </span></li> <li><span style="font-size: 20px;">头 抬 起来 。 Tóu tái qǐlái. Raise your head. </span></li> <li><span style="font-size: 20px;">别动 ！把 手 举 起来 。 Bié dòng! Bǎ shǒu jǔ qǐlái. Don't move! Put your hands up.</span><br/></li> </ul> </div> <h2>Used for Initiation of an Action</h2> <h3>Structure</h3> <p>起来 can also be used to show that an action or state has started and is ongoing: </p> <div class="deux">Verb / Adj.+ 起来 +了</div> <h3>Examples</h3> <div class="exemple"><ul><li><span style="font-size: 20px;">小鸟 飞 起来 了 。 Xiǎoniǎo fēi qǐlái le . The birds started flying. </span></li> <li><span style="font-size: 20px;">宝宝 哭 起来 了 。 Bǎobao kū qǐlái le. The baby started crying. </span></li> <li><span style="font-size: 20px;">两 个 大妈 吵 起来 了 。 Liǎng gè dàmā chǎo qǐlái le. Two middle-aged ladies started arguing. </span></li> <li><span style="font-size: 20px;">天气 热 起来 了 。 Tiānqì rè qǐlái le. It's getting hot. </span></li> <li><span style="font-size: 20px;">结婚 以后 ，她 胖 起来 了 。 Jiéhūn yǐhòu, tā pàng qǐlái le. After she got married, she has started to gain weight. </span></li> <li><span style="font-size: 20px;">爷爷 的 身体 好 起来 了 。 Yéye de shēntǐ hǎo qǐlái le. Grandpa's health is getting better.</span><br/></li> </ul> </div> <p>When used like this, 起来 is only used with spontaneous actions, like 唱 (chàng), 跳 (tiào), 聊 (liáo), or with states like 热 (rè), 冷 (lěng), or 好 (hǎo) etc. It cannot be used with planned actions. </p> <div class="exemple"><ul><li><span style="font-size: 20px;">我们 做饭 起来 吧。 Wǒmen zuòfàn qǐlái ba. </span></li> <li><span style="font-size: 20px;">我们 开始 做饭 吧 。 Wǒmen kāishǐ zuòfàn ba. Let's start cooking.</span><br/></li> </ul> </div> <p>It can also used as a way to encourage people to start doing something immediately:</p> <div class="exemple"><ul><li><span style="font-size: 20px;">大家 唱 起来 ，跳 起来 ! Dàjiā chàng qǐlái, tiào qǐlái ! Let's sing and dance!</span><br/></li> </ul> </div> <h2>Used for an Initial Judgement</h2> <p>起来 is used here to express that the speaker has only just initiated an action, and based on that, has made a preliminary judgement. It is used in the following structure: </p> <h3>Structure</h3> <div class="deux">Subj. + Verb + 起来 + Adv. + Adj.</div> <p>This expresses that the subject seems adjective when the action of the verb is performed. This structure is frequently used with perception verbs such as 看, 听, 闻, 尝, etc.</p> <h3>Examples</h3> <div class="exemple"><ul><li><span style="font-size: 20px;">他 看起来 很 友好 。 Tā kàn qǐlái hěn yǒuhǎo. He looks very friendly. </span></li> <li><span style="font-size: 20px;">你 的 头发 闻起来 很 香 。 Nǐ de tóufa wén qǐlái hěn xiāng. Your hair smells good. </span></li> <li><span style="font-size: 20px;">这 件 事情 听起来 有点 复杂 。 Zhè jiàn shìqing tīng qǐlái yǒudiǎn fùzá. This matter sounds a little bit complex. </span></li> <li><span style="font-size: 20px;">这些 菜 尝起来 都 不错 。 Zhèxiē cài cháng qǐlái dōu bùcuò. These foods all taste good. </span></li> <li><span style="font-size: 20px;">你 的 床 摸起来 很 舒服 。 Nǐ de chuáng mō qǐlái hěn shūfu. Your bed feels very comfortable.</span><br/></li> </ul> </div> <h3>See also</h3> <div class="See-also"><ul><li><span style="font-size: 20px;">Result complement "xiaqu" </span></li> <li><span style="font-size: 20px;">Advanced result complements </span></li> <li><span style="font-size: 20px;">Direction complement </span></li> <li><span style="font-size: 20px;">Appearance with "kanqilai"</span><br/></li> </ul> </div> <h3>Sources and further reading </h3> <h4>Books</h4> <div class="See-also"><ul><li><span style="font-size: 20px;">Chinese Grammar - Broken down into 100 items - Basic and Intermediate Levels (汉语语法百项讲练 - 初中级) (pp. 25-31) [ →buy] </span></li> <li><span style="font-size: 20px;">Boya Chinese Elementary Starter 2 (博雅汉语初经起步篇) (pp. 80) →buy </span></li> <li><span style="font-size: 20px;">New Practical Chinese Reader 5 (新实用汉语课本5) (pp. 134-5) →buy </span></li> <li><span style="font-size: 20px;">40 Lessons for Basic Chinese Course (基础汉语40课下册） (pp. 355-6) →buy </span></li> <li><span style="font-size: 20px;">Integrated Chinese: Level 2, Part 2 (pp. 20) →buy </span></li> <li><span style="font-size: 20px;">HSK Standard Course 5上 (pp. 36) →buy</span><br/></li> </ul> </div> <h4>Websites</h4> <div class="See-also"><ul><li><span style="font-size: 20px;">Yale: Extended meaning of some directional complements</span><br/></li> </ul> </div> </body> </html>