Overview
Abstract (or figurative) directional complements (引申趋向补语, yǐnshēn qūxiàng bǔyǔ) extend physical movement meanings into metaphorical territory. 起来 can mean "begin" (笑起来, start laughing) or "seem" (看起来, it seems), 下去 means "continue" (说下去, keep talking), 出来 means "figure out" (想出来, think of), and 下来 means "settle" (安静下来, quiet down).
At the CEFR B2 level, these figurative uses are extremely common in native speech. They are among the most frequently used expressions but are difficult for learners because the meaning has drifted far from the original directional sense. Learning them as vocabulary items rather than trying to derive their meaning from component parts is the most effective strategy.
How It Works
起来 -- begin / seem / gather together
| Use |
Example |
Meaning |
| Begin |
笑起来 |
start laughing |
| Seem |
看起来 |
looks like / seems |
| Gather |
把东西收起来 |
put things away |
下去 -- continue
| Example |
Meaning |
| 说下去 |
keep talking |
| 坚持下去 |
keep persevering |
| 学下去 |
continue studying |
出来 -- emerge / figure out / discern
| Example |
Meaning |
| 想出来 |
think of (a solution) |
| 看出来 |
discern / notice |
| 说出来 |
speak up / say it |
下来 -- settle / calm / preserve
| Example |
Meaning |
| 安静下来 |
quiet down |
| 停下来 |
stop |
| 记下来 |
write down / record |
过来 -- regain / manage
| Example |
Meaning |
| 醒过来 |
wake up / regain consciousness |
| 忙不过来 |
too busy to manage |
Examples in Context
| Chinese |
Pinyin |
English |
Note |
| 笑起来了。 |
Xiào qǐlái le. |
Started laughing. |
begin |
| 说下去！ |
Shuō xiàqù! |
Keep talking! |
continue |
| 他想出来一个办法。 |
Tā xiǎng chūlái yí gè bànfǎ. |
He thought of a solution. |
figure out |
| 安静下来。 |
Ānjìng xiàlái. |
Quiet down. |
settle |
| 看起来不错。 |
Kàn qǐlái búcuò. |
Looks good. |
seem |
| 他醒过来了。 |
Tā xǐng guòlái le. |
He woke up / came to. |
regain |
| 你能看出来吗？ |
Nǐ néng kàn chūlái ma? |
Can you tell? / Can you notice? |
discern |
| 把名字写下来。 |
Bǎ míngzi xiě xiàlái. |
Write down the name. |
record |
| 天气暖和起来了。 |
Tiānqì nuǎnhuo qǐlái le. |
The weather is warming up. |
begin state |
| 我们停下来休息一下。 |
Wǒmen tíng xiàlái xiūxi yíxià. |
Let's stop and rest a bit. |
halt |
Common Mistakes
Taking figurative meanings literally
- Wrong: Interpreting 想出来 as "think and come out"
- Right: 想出来 = figure out / come up with (an idea emerges from thinking)
- Why: The directional meaning has been metaphorically extended; treat these as vocabulary items.
Confusing 起来 meanings
- Wrong: Not distinguishing "begin" from "seem" uses
- Right: 笑起来 (begin to laugh) vs. 看起来 (seems like) -- context determines meaning
- Why: 起来 has multiple figurative extensions that must be learned in context.
Using 下去 with states rather than actions
- Wrong: 高兴下去 (continue being happy -- unnatural)
- Right: 说下去 (keep talking), 学下去 (keep studying) -- with actions
- Why: 下去 "continue" works best with ongoing actions, not states.
Practice Tips
- Learn the top figurative complements as vocabulary sets: 起来 (begin/seem), 下去 (continue), 出来 (figure out), 下来 (settle/record).
- Practice 看起来 in daily conversation: 看起来很好吃, 看起来很累, 看起来不错.
- Use 下去 to encourage persistence: 坚持下去, 努力下去, 学下去.
Related Concepts