Compound Directional Complements
A compound directional complement follows a verb to show which way something moves, using a direction word plus 来 or 去. The HSK 3 set is 出来, 出去, 回来, 进去 and 起来, and some also gain figurative meanings like becoming clear.
Simple: 来 = toward speaker; 去 = away from speaker.
Compound pairs: 上来/上去, 下来/下去, 进来/进去, 出来/出去, 回来/回去, 过来/过去
Structure: Verb + Direction + 来/去
走进来 (walk in toward speaker) / 走进去 (walk in away from speaker)
Object placement: Object goes between the directional verb and 来/去:
走进教室来 ✅ (walk into the classroom toward speaker)
起来 is special:
- Upward motion: 站起来 (stand up)
- Start doing: 唱起来 (start singing), 笑起来 (start laughing)
Worked examples
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | What it shows |
|---|---|---|---|
| 他从外面走进来了。 | Tā cóng wài miàn zǒu jìn lái le. | He walked in from outside (toward the speaker). | 进来 = direction toward speaker; 从…来 gives starting point |
| 老师把书拿出去了。 | Lǎo shī bǎ shū ná chū qù le. | The teacher took the book out (away from speaker). | 出去 = away from speaker; object 书 placed before the complement via 把 |
| 音乐一开始，孩子们就唱起来了。 | Yīn yuè yī kāi shǐ, hái zi men jiù chàng qǐ lái le. | As soon as the music started, the children began to sing. | 起来 indicating the start of an action (开始义) |
Word by word
Each word in this pattern on its own: what it does here, the structure, three more examples, and the mistake to avoid.
出来 (chū lái)
Shows movement out toward the speaker, or something becoming clear.
Structure: Verb + 出来
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 小鸟从笼子里飞出来了。 | Xiǎo niǎo cóng lóng zi lǐ fēi chū lái le. | The little bird flew out of the cage. |
| 我听出来了，是你妈妈的声音。 | Wǒ tīng chū lái le, shì nǐ mā mā de shēng yīn. | I can tell by listening, it is your mother's voice. |
| 这个问题我想了半天才想出来。 | Zhè gè wèn tí wǒ xiǎng le bàn tiān cái xiǎng chū lái. | I thought for a long time before I worked out this question. |
Not: 他走出来房间。 A place object goes between 出 and 来: 他走出房间来.
出来 is also explained in: Complex directionals: V+起来/下去/出来 (HSK 4).
出去 (chū qù)
Shows movement out, away from the speaker.
Structure: Verb + 出去
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 他把垃圾扔出去了。 | Tā bǎ lā jī rēng chū qù le. | He threw the rubbish out. |
| 门开着，小猫跑出去了。 | Mén kāi zhe, xiǎo māo pǎo chū qù le. | The door was open and the kitten ran out. |
| 我们走出去看看吧。 | Wǒ men zǒu chū qù kàn kàn ba. | Let us walk out and have a look. |
Not: 球被他踢出了去。 去 stays attached to 出: 踢出去.
In the official HSK 3.0 grammar outline: level 2, complement (趋向补语).
出去 is also explained in: Simple directional complements: 进来/出去 (HSK 4).
回来 (huí lái)
Shows movement back toward the speaker.
Structure: Verb + 回来
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 爸爸下班以后六点回来。 | Bà bà xià bān yǐ hòu liù diǎn huí lái. | Dad comes back at six after work. |
| 你什么时候从国外回来？ | Nǐ shén me shí hòu cóng guó wài huí lái? | When are you coming back from abroad? |
| 他把借的书都还回来了。 | Tā bǎ jiè de shū dōu huán huí lái le. | He returned all the books he borrowed. |
Not: 他回来家了。 A place object goes between 回 and 来: 他回家来了.
In the official HSK 3.0 grammar outline: level 2, complement (趋向补语).
进去 (jìn qù)
Shows movement into a place, away from the speaker.
Structure: Verb + 进去
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 门没锁，你直接走进去吧。 | Mén méi suǒ, nǐ zhí jiē zǒu jìn qù ba. | The door is not locked, just walk in. |
| 这个箱子太小，放不进去。 | Zhè gè xiāng zi tài xiǎo, fàng bú jìn qù. | This box is too small to put it in. |
| 教室里在上课，不能进去。 | Jiào shì lǐ zài shàng kè, bù néng jìn qù. | A class is going on in the classroom, so you cannot go in. |
Not: 他进去走了。 The verb comes first: 他走进去了.
In the official HSK 3.0 grammar outline: level 2, complement (趋向补语).
起来 (qǐ lái)
Shows upward movement, or the start of an action or a state.
Structure: Verb / adjective + 起来
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 听到这个笑话，大家都笑起来了。 | Tīng dào zhè gè xiào huà, dà jiā dōu xiào qǐ lái le. | Hearing the joke, everyone started laughing. |
| 请你站起来回答问题。 | Qǐng nǐ zhàn qǐ lái huí dá wèn tí. | Please stand up and answer the question. |
| 天气慢慢热起来了。 | Tiān qì màn màn rè qǐ lái le. | The weather is slowly getting hot. |
Not: 请你站起去。 起 pairs with 来 and never with 去: 站起来.
In the official HSK 3.0 grammar outline: level 2, complement (趋向补语); level 3, complement (趋向补语); level 5, complement (趋向补语).
起来 is also explained in: Complex directionals: V+起来/下去/出来 (HSK 4) · Directional Complements: Temporal Meaning (HSK 5) · Directional Complements: Extended Stative Meanings (HSK 6).
What you need first
Every topic in GraphChinese names its own prerequisites, and these are the grammar points this one is built on. If a sentence here will not parse, one of them is why.
What this opens up
These patterns list Compound Directional Complements among their own prerequisites, so they become readable once this one holds.
Questions about Compound Directional Complements
What does 复合趋向补语 (Compound Directional Complements) mean in Chinese?
A compound directional complement follows a verb to show which way something moves, using a direction word plus 来 or 去. The HSK 3 set is 出来, 出去, 回来, 进去 and 起来, and some also gain figurative meanings like becoming clear. It is an HSK 3 grammar point.
How do you use 复合趋向补语 (Compound Directional Complements) in a sentence?
他从外面走进来了。 — Tā cóng wài miàn zǒu jìn lái le. — He walked in from outside (toward the speaker). 进来 = direction toward speaker; 从…来 gives starting point.
What do you need to know before 复合趋向补语 (Compound Directional Complements)?
Result Complements (HSK 3), Directional Complements (HSK 2). This pattern is built out of them, so a sentence here that will not parse usually means one of them has not landed yet.
What does 复合趋向补语 (Compound Directional Complements) lead to?
Complex directionals (HSK 4), Simple directional complements (HSK 4). Each of them names 复合趋向补语 (Compound Directional Complements) among its own prerequisites.
Where does the object go with 出来 or 回来?
If it is a place, it goes between the two parts: 走出房间来, 回家来. If it is an ordinary thing, it can go before or after: 拿出一本书来 or 拿出来一本书.
What does 起来 mean besides "up"?
It also shows that an action or state begins, as in 笑起来 (start to laugh) and 热起来 (get hot). It is used with verbs and adjectives that can begin.
Compound Directional Complements is one topic of 829. GraphChinese teaches them in prerequisite order, so this pattern reaches you on the day everything it rests on is proven. The whole course, HSK 0 through HSK 6, is $49 once for lifetime access.
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