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Expressing the directional complement 'up' with 起来 (qǐlái)
Aspect & Tense
Direction & Movement
Structure
Verb + 起来
Explanation
The complement 起来 (qǐlái) is attached after a verb to indicate an upward movement or the beginning of an action. In its literal sense, it means 'up,' as in 站起来 (to stand up). It can also express the start of a new state, as in 笑起来 (to start laughing).
Examples
天亮了，该起来了。
Tiān liàng le, gāi qǐlái le.
It's dawn — time to get up.
大家一听到音乐就唱起来了。
Dàjiā yī tīng dào yīnyuè jiù chàng qǐlái le.
Everyone started singing as soon as they heard the music.
风突然刮起来了，我们赶紧回家吧。
Fēng tūrán guā qǐlái le, wǒmen gǎnjǐn huí jiā ba.
The wind suddenly picked up — let's hurry home.