Mastering the use of 来 (Lái) and 去 (Qù) is essential for anyone learning Chinese. These two characters translate to “come” and “go,” respectively, but their usage goes beyond simple translation. This article will dive deep into the nuances of 来 and 去, providing you with practical examples to better understand their usage.
At its core, 来 (lái) means “come” and 去 (qù) means “go.” But unlike in English, the use of these words can change depending on context and perspective. Let’s break it down.
来 (Lái) is used when the action is moving towards the speaker or the point of reference. For example, if you are inviting a friend to your house, you would say:
请 来 我 家。 (Qǐng lái wǒ jiā.) — Please come to my house.
In this sentence, the action of coming is directed towards the speaker’s location.
去 (Qù), on the other hand, is used when the action is moving away from the speaker or the point of reference. If you are telling someone to go to the store, you would say:
去 商店。 (Qù shāngdiàn.) — Go to the store.
Here, the action of going is directed away from the speaker’s location.
Another important aspect to consider is the point of reference. In Chinese, this point of reference can be someone other than the speaker. For example:
他 来 北京。 (Tā lái Běijīng.) — He is coming to Beijing.
她 去 上海。 (Tā qù Shànghǎi.) — She is going to Shanghai.
In these sentences, the point of reference is the cities Beijing and Shanghai, not the speaker. This means that he is moving towards Beijing and she is moving away from her current location to Shanghai.
来 and 去 are also used in compound verbs to indicate directionality. For instance:
走 来 (zǒu lái) — to come walking
走 去 (zǒu qù) — to go walking
跑 来 (pǎo lái) — to come running
跑 去 (pǎo qù) — to go running
飞 来 (fēi lái) — to fly towards
飞 去 (fēi qù) — to fly away
In these examples, the direction of the movement is clarified by adding 来 or 去 to the verb. This helps specify whether the movement is towards or away from a particular point of reference.
来 and 去 can also be used to express past and future actions. For example:
他 来了。 (Tā láile.) — He came.
她 去了。 (Tā qùle.) — She went.
In these sentences, 了 (le) is added to indicate that the action has been completed. 来 and 去 can also be used with 将 (jiāng) or 要 (yào) to indicate future actions.
他 将 来 北京。 (Tā jiāng lái Běijīng.) — He will come to Beijing.
她 要 去 上海。 (Tā yào qù Shànghǎi.) — She is going to Shanghai.
While understanding the basic meanings of 来 and 去 is important, their usage becomes more complex in everyday conversations. For instance, 来 and 去 can be used to indicate a sequence of actions. Consider the following example:
他 去 学校, 然后 来 我 家。 (Tā qù xuéxiào, ránhòu lái wǒ jiā.) — He went to school, and then came to my house.
In this sentence, 去 is used first to indicate going to school, and then 来 is used to indicate coming to the speaker’s house.
Additionally, 来 and 去 can be used idiomatically in certain expressions. For example:
来
