The simple directional complement

When an action verb is followed by another verb or a combination of two verbs indicating the direction of the action of the first verb, the latter are called directional complement. The directional complement can be divided in simple and compound. The simple directional complement consists of action verbs followed by the verbs 去 (qù) and 来 (lái), which we have already discussed in the lesson The usage of 去 and 来, specifying respectively distancing and approaching with respect to the person who is talking.

进来吧！
jìnlái ba
[to-enter to-come MOD]
Come in! (action towards the speaker)

我马上回去！
wǒ mǎshàng huíqù
[I right-away to-go-back to-go]
I’ll be right back! (action away from the speaker)

There are also figurative directional complements, such as:

上 (shàng): “to go up”, indicates the beginning of an action, a positive outcome and a contact.

她爱上了我哥哥。
tā ài shàngle wǒ gēgē
[she to-love to-go-up ASP I elder-brother]
She fell in love with my brother. (beginning of an action)

我终于买上了房子。
wǒ zhōngyú mǎi shàngle fángzi
[I at-last to-buy to-go-up ASP house]
At last I bought a house. (positive outcome)

外面很冷，戴上手套！
wàimiàn hěn lěng, dài shàng shǒutào
[outside INT cold to-put-on to-go-up gloves]
It’s cold outside, put on your gloves. (contact)

下 (xià): “to go down”, indicates detachment or accessibility.

这里很热，脱下夹克。
zhèlǐ hěn rè, tuō xià jiákè
[here INT hot to-take-off to-go-down jacket]
It’s hot here, take off your jacket. (detachment)

你留下吃晚饭吗？
nǐ liú xià chī wǎnfàn ma
[you to-stay to-go-down to-eat dinner MOD]
Are you staying for dinner?

出 (chū): “to go out”, expresses an outward direction and indicates the manifestation of an action.

请拿出护照。
qǐng ná chū hùzhào
[please to-take to-go-out passport]
Please, show your passport.

过 (guò): “to pass” expresses a rotating movement.

我回过头的时候，他已经走了。
wǒ huí guòtóu de shíhòu, tā yǐjīng zǒule
[I to-turn to-pass head ST time he already to-go MOD]
When I turned around, he was already gone.

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