方向补语
RuleVerb + directional complement (lai/qu, jin/chu...): attaches the direction of movement after the verb.
Curiosity
How do you add direction (toward or away from the speaker) to an action, as in "come in" or "go out"?
Intuition
A directional adds "which way" after the verb. lai is toward the speaker, qu is away from the speaker. They combine: jin lai (come in), chu qu (go out).
Visualization
Add the direction lai to ta jin (he enters) → ta jin lai (he comes in, toward me). lai/qu attach after the verb.
action only (no direction)
他subject进verb
directional added (toward me)
他subject进verb来directional complement
Essence
Verb + lai/qu (simple), or verb + jin/chu/shang/xia/hui + lai/qu (compound: zou jin lai, "walk in"). A place object goes before lai/qu (zou jin jiaoshi lai). It can also gain abstract senses (xiang qi lai, "recall").
Examples
请进来。
Please come in.
他从书包里拿出一本书。
He took a book out of his bag.
我突然想起来了。
I suddenly recalled it.
Mini-quiz
Which expresses "go out (away from here)"?