Compound Directional Complements

Overview

Compound directional complements describe movement in relation to the speaker's perspective. They combine a motion verb (走, 跑, 拿…) with a directional verb (上, 下, 进, 出, 回, 过) and then 来 or 去 to show whether something moves toward or away from the speaker's current position. Unlike English, where "come" and "go" can be used loosely, Chinese is strict: the choice of 来 or 去 is always anchored to where the speaker is physically standing at the moment of speaking. This page covers all six direction pairs, how to match the correct verb group, when 把 is required, and the structural difference between objects and locations.

Combines a motion verb + directional verb + 来/去 to show movement toward or away from the speaker. The choice of 来 vs 去 is always based on the speaker's current position.

Pattern(s)

Motion Verb + Direction Verb + 来/去

• 来 → movement toward the speaker’s current position
• 去 → movement away from the speaker’s current position

The six base directional verbs pair with 来 and 去 to form twelve compound directional complements:

1. Core Structure — Present, Past, Future

Before you can use compound directional complements correctly, you need to understand where they sit in a sentence. Unlike English, which changes the verb form to mark tense ("came in" vs "come in"), Chinese keeps the verb and complement completely unchanged. Time is shown instead by small signals: time words (今天, 刚才, 明天) or the completion particle 了. The critical point is where 了 goes — it always follows the entire complement, never between the verb and the directional part.

The complement never changes form. Mark time with 了 or a time word. 了 always goes after the full complement — never between the verb and direction.

Key rule: Never separate the verb from its directional complement — and never place 了 between them. ❌ 她跑了上来 → ✅ 她跑上来了

2. Matching Verbs to Direction Groups

In Chinese, the directional complement tells you not only which direction something is moving, but also what type of verb is needed. Not every motion verb fits naturally with every direction group. A simple way to figure out which complement works is to ask yourself: Is my whole body moving through space, or am I using my hands to move something else? Body movement verbs (走, 跑, 爬, 飞, 跳) work with direction groups that describe whole-body travel through space. Hand movement verbs (拿, 送, 搬, 递, 倒) describe using your hands — or your physical effort — to cause an object to travel, and they work with direction groups that imply object handling. When you learn a new motion verb, categorise it immediately into one of these two groups.

Ask: am I moving my body, or moving an object with my hands? Body verbs and hand verbs pair with different directional complements.

Key rule:

1. Use the 去 series (上去, 下去, 进去…) when the movement is going away from the speaker.
2. Use the 来 series (上来, 下来, 进来…) when the movement is coming toward the speaker.

3. Speaker’s Location — Far vs. Close to the Action

This is the single most important conceptual shift for English speakers. In English, "come" and "go" are somewhat flexible — you can say "I'm coming to your house" even when you are not yet there. Chinese is strict: the choice between the 来 series (toward speaker) and the 去 series (away from speaker) depends entirely on the speaker's physical location at the moment of speaking — not on the destination, not on logical intent, and not on the direction the subject is physically facing.

来 or 去 is determined solely by where the speaker is standing right now — not by the destination or the direction of movement.

The same physical movement — someone walking downstairs — takes 下来 when you are downstairs (toward you) and 下去 when you are upstairs (away from you). Only your position changes.

🔑 Strong Example — 下来: Speaker is downstairs. A friend is upstairs. 你从楼上下来吧！(Nǐ cóng lóushàng xiàlái ba!) — “Come downstairs!” (movement comes toward the speaker)

🔑 Strong Example — 下去: Speaker is upstairs. A friend is also upstairs. 你先下去，我一会儿就来。(Nǐ xiān xiàqù, wǒ yīhuìr jiù lái.) — “You go down first, I’ll be there in a moment.” (movement goes away from the speaker)

来/去 can apply metaphorically too: 我来了 ("I'm on my way!") uses 来 even before arriving, because the destination is mentally treated as the speaker's position.

4. Using 把 with Compound Directional Complements

The 把 structure is not always required when using compound directional complements, but it becomes very useful — and sometimes necessary — when the object you are moving is definite, specific, or described by a long phrase. Without 把, the structure is neutral and the object typically follows the full directional complement. When the object is something specific ("that book," "my phone," "the red chair from the corner"), placing it after the complement becomes grammatically awkward. 把 solves this by moving the object before the verb, making the sentence cleaner and placing explicit focus on the object being handled.

Use 把 when the object is definite or complex. 把 moves the object before the verb for clarity. Mandatory with long or specific objects.

See also: 把字句 (bǎ zì jù) — the full 把 grammar page covers all three disposal structures in depth.

Rules for 把 with directional complements:

1. 把 is mandatory when the object is definite or specific (那本书, 我的手机, 桌上的那把椅子)
2. Without 把: Subject + Verb + Directional Complement + Object (neutral — object follows) With 把: Subject + 把 + Object + Verb + Directional Complement (object-focused — object leads)

把 moves the object before the verb, keeping the complement uninterrupted — essential when the object is long or clause-modified.

把 also signals a formal or instructional tone — making intent clear even with shorter, simpler objects.

Three common 把 patterns:

5. Object vs. Location — Structure Differences

One of the most persistent errors with compound directional complements is confusing how to position objects (things being moved) with how to specify locations (places where the movement happens). They are governed by completely different rules and cannot share the same position in a sentence.

Objects and locations follow entirely different placement rules and cannot go in the same position.

OBJECTS (what is being moved)

Object position depends on whether 把 is used:

• Neutral structure (no 把): Subject + Verb + Directional Complement + Object

  她拿上来一本书。(Tā ná shànglái yī běn shū.) — She brought up a book.

• 把 structure (definite object): Subject + 把 + Object + Verb + Directional Complement

  她把那本书拿上来了。(Tā bǎ nà běn shū ná shànglái le.) — She brought that book up.

Objects can never be placed between the direction verb and 来/去: ❌ 拿上书来 is wrong.

LOCATIONS (where the movement goes)

Locations split the complement — they insert between the direction verb and 来/去, not after the complete compound:

• Location structure: Subject + Verb + Direction Verb + Location + 来/去

  跑进房间来 (pǎo jìn fángjiān lái) — Run into the room (toward speaker) 搬进办公室去 (bān jìn bàngōngshì qù) — Move into the office (away from speaker)

Critical difference:

1. OBJECTS — go after the complete complement (neutral) or before the verb with 把: ✅ 拿上来一本书 (neutral) / 把书拿上来 (把 structure) ❌ 拿上书来 (wrong — object cannot split the complement)

2. LOCATIONS — must always split the complement, inserting between the direction verb and 来/去: ✅ 跑进房间来 (location splits the complement correctly) ❌ 跑进来房间 (wrong — location cannot follow the complete compound)

6. Hand Movements vs. Body Movements

Chinese makes a clear grammatical distinction between two types of movement verbs, and understanding this distinction prevents the most common structural errors learners make with compound directional complements.

Body verbs (走, 跑) move the subject — no object possible. Hand verbs (拿, 送) move an object — object required, often needs 把.

Body movement verbs

走, 跑, 爬, 跳, 飞, 游 — the subject's own body moves. These verbs cannot take an object; the subject itself is what travels through space.

Hand movement verbs

拿, 放, 递, 搬, 送, 寄, 倒 — an object is moved using the hands or physical effort. An object is required; use 把 when the object is definite.

Clarification:

1. Body movement + compound directional complement = the person moves through space.
2. Hand movement + compound directional complement = an object moves through space.

Example pair:

Don't mix the two groups: ❌ 他把水跑上来了 is wrong — 跑 cannot carry an object. ✅ 他把水拿上来了 is correct — 拿 handles the object.

Quick Reference Chart

Find your position in the chart below, then choose 来 (toward you) or 去 (away from you).

How to use this chart — step by step:

1. Ask: Where am I (the speaker) right now?
2. Find your row in the chart.
3. Ask: Is the movement coming toward me, or going away from me?
4. If toward you → choose from the 来 series column. If away from you → choose from the 去 series column.

The one rule that makes everything clear: 来 = toward the speaker (wherever I am right now) 去 = away from the speaker (wherever I am right now) Always ask: Where am I right now? — not where am I going, not where is the other person.

---

Drills

Fill in each blank with the correct compound directional complement:

1. 她从楼上跑___了。(She came running down — you are downstairs)
2. 请___！(Please come in! — you are inside)
3. 他把那本书___了。(He brought that book up — you are downstairs)
4. 快___！(Come back quickly! — movement toward you)
5. 他冲___了。(He burst in — you are inside)
6. 鸟飞___了。(The bird flew in — toward you, inside)
7. 把椅子搬___。(Bring the chair in — toward you, inside)
8. 你___工作吧。(Go back to work — movement away from you)
9. 他跑___了。(He ran over — toward you)
10. 她把信寄___了。(She sent the letter back — away from you)
11. 爷爷慢慢地走___了。(Grandpa slowly came up — you are downstairs)
12. 他从房间里冲___了。(He burst out of the room — toward you)

Answer Key: 1. 下来 2. 进来 3. 拿上来 4. 回来 5. 进来 6. 进来 7. 进来 8. 回去 9. 过来 10. 回去 11. 上来 12. 出来

---

Notes

• Tone reduction: In natural speech, 来 and 去 in compound directional complements are typically unstressed and their tones flatten — 来 approaches a neutral tone and 去 may sound shorter. This is standard and expected, not an error.
• Simple vs. compound directional complements: At HSK 2, 来 and 去 alone can attach to motion verbs as simple directional complements (走来, 跑去). The compound forms covered here (上来, 进去…) extend this at HSK 3 by inserting the directional verb between the motion verb and 来/去.

---

Sources

HSK Standard Course 2 — directional complement foundations: simple 来/去 series attached to motion verbs

HSK Standard Course 3 — compound directional complements: 上来/下去/进来 series, speaker perspective rules, 把 structure, object vs. location placement, body vs. hand movement verbs