Direction After a Verb: 来, 去, 上, 下, 进, 出, 过, 回
Add 来 or 去 after a verb to show movement toward or away from you, and 上, 下, 进, 出, 过 or 回 to show which way something moves.
Pattern
Verb + 来/去; Verb + 上/下/进/出/过/回 (+ place)
来 moves toward the speaker, 去 moves away; 上, 下, 进, 出, 过, 回 say which way.
外面很冷，快进来吧！
When to use Direction After a Verb: 来, 去, 上, 下, 进, 出, 过, 回
A directional complement is a direction word placed right after a verb. 来 means the movement comes toward the speaker, and 去 means it goes away from the speaker: if you are inside, you say 进来 “come in”; if you are outside, 进去 “go in”. In the same way, 回来 is “come back (here)” and 回去 is “go back (there)”. A thing being moved (not a place) can go before or after 来/去: 拿几本书来 or 拿来几本书.
他已经回去了。
He has already gone back.
明天我拿几本书来。
Tomorrow I’ll bring a few books.
这些水果你拿去吃吧。
Take this fruit and eat it.
老师走进了教室。
The teacher walked into the classroom.
Common traps
- Say 进教室来, not 进来教室: with 来 and 去, the place goes before them.
- If you are inside, say 进来 to someone outside, not 进去: 来 always points toward the speaker.
- Say 他走进教室, not 他走教室: a verb like 走 needs 进, 出 or 回 to show where the person went.
Targeted drill
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