How to use 来、去
Verb + 来 / 去; Verb + Directional Element + 来 / 去
Direction complements explain where an action moves in relation to an understood viewpoint. 来 presents movement toward that reference point, while 去 presents movement away from it. The reference point often belongs to the speaker, but the context can establish another location. Choosing the complement therefore requires more than identifying the physical destination alone.
Compound complements combine a direction such as entering, leaving, returning, or moving upward with 来 or 去. They can follow another action verb to describe how something is moved. Object placement depends on whether the object is a destination or a thing being moved. 把 is often useful when the sentence foregrounds what happens to a specific object.
Examples with pinyin and English
我在楼上，你上来。
I'm on the upper floor. Come up to me.
你在楼上等我一下。我一会儿就上去。
Please wait a moment on the upper floor. I'll come up in a few minutes.
出来玩吧，我们在酒吧等你。
Come and hang out with us. We'll be waiting in the bar.
我妈不让我出去。
My mother won't let me go out.
What to remember
- Choose 来 or 去 from the reference viewpoint.
- Compound complements add a specific direction.
- Destination and moved-object placement can differ.
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Source and editorial notes
Explanation rewritten for Laowai. Examples are adapted from the Laowai English grammar curriculum, with editorial corrections where needed. The original curriculum credits AllSet Learning’s Chinese Grammar Wiki as used with permission. Read the retained source credits.
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