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<title>Direction complement "-qilai"</title>
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<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>
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<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>
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<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>
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<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>
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<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>
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