How to use 来
(让 +) Subj. + 来
来 can stand for an action that is already obvious from the situation. Instead of repeating the full task, name the person who will take it on and add 来. This is common when volunteering, handing over a job, or deciding whose turn it is. The physical meaning of coming toward someone is backgrounded in this use.
Short phrases with 我 or 你 are particularly common, but other subjects also work when the task is understood. 让 can introduce who should do it, while 吧 can soften an offer or suggestion. Context is essential: without an established task, a bare 来 may instead be understood in its ordinary movement sense.
Examples with pinyin and English
你来！
You do it!
我来吧。
Let me do it.
让他自己来。
Let him do it himself.
还是你们自己来吧。
It's better that you do it by yourselves.
What to remember
- Establish the task through context.
- The subject identifies who will act.
- 吧 can soften an offer or handover.
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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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