Directional Complements: Extended Figurative Uses
趋向补语4：引申用法
Use directional complements 上, 起来, 下去, and 下来 in their figurative (non-directional) meanings
Directional complements like 上, 起来, 下去, and 下来 extend beyond physical direction to express abstract meanings: the start of an action, its continuation, or the preservation of a result. These figurative uses are essential for natural-sounding Chinese.
V + 上 and V + 起来 both indicate the beginning of an action, but 起来 is more vivid and emphatic. V + 下去 stresses continuation into the future. V + 下来 stresses that something is preserved or settled from the past to the present.
Lesson Targets
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Podcast: Directional Complements: Extended Figurative Uses (趋向补语4：引申用法)
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Understanding 趋向补语4：引申用法
You already know directional complements for physical movement — 走上来, 跑下去. Now you will learn their figurative extensions, which are far more common in everyday conversation. When you say 他哭起来了, nobody is literally "crying upward" — 起来 here means the crying has started. Similarly, 说下去 does not mean "speak downward" — 下去 means "continue speaking." And 留下来 does not mean "stay and come down" — 下来 means the staying has resulted in a stable state. These figurative uses transform directional words into aspect markers that describe how an action begins, continues, or settles. Mastering them is a major leap toward sounding natural, because native speakers use these extensions constantly.
Key Points
- V + 上: beginning of an action or getting into a state — 他又玩儿上了游戏 (He has started playing games again).
- V + 起来: vivid onset of an action — 他大声地哭起来了 (He burst into loud crying).
- V + 下去: continuation of an ongoing action — 你继续说下去 (Keep talking / Go on speaking).
- V + 下来: a result is preserved or settled — 这个传统保留下来了 (This tradition has been preserved).
- 上 often implies getting attached to or engaged in something.
- 起来 emphasizes the sudden or vivid start — often translates as "burst into" or "start to."
The figurative use of directional complements reflects the Chinese linguistic tendency to express abstract concepts through concrete, spatial metaphors. "Up" (起来) relates to emergence and beginning, while "down" (下来/下去) relates to settling and continuing — mirroring the Chinese philosophical idea that all actions rise and then either persist or settle.
Key Vocabulary
Example Sentences
这孩子又玩儿上了游戏了。
This kid has started playing games again.
上 = getting into / starting an activity
他大声地哭起来了。
He burst into loud crying.
起来 = sudden onset of action
天气渐渐暖和起来了。
The weather has gradually started to warm up.
起来 = entering a new state
这部电影看了一半，他就不想看下去了。
After watching half the movie, he did not want to continue watching.
下去 = continuation
你说的话我都记下来了。
I have noted down everything you said.
下来 = preserving a result
这首歌他一听就喜欢上了。
He fell in love with this song as soon as he heard it.
上 = becoming attached
请你坚持下去，不要放弃。
Please keep persevering, do not give up.
下去 = continue the effort
这个传统一直保留下来了。
This tradition has been preserved all along.
下来 = result preserved over time
Common Mistakes
Use 起来 for the start of an action. 下去 means continuation, not beginning — 哭下去 would mean "continue crying," not "burst into tears."
Use 下来 when something has been preserved as a result up to now. 下去 would mean "continue to preserve it going forward."
Practice Exercises
Tips & Tricks
Think of 起来 as "springing up" — actions that suddenly start or states that emerge.
Think of 下去 as "going forward" — actions that continue from now into the future.
Think of 下来 as "settling down" — results that are preserved from the past until now.
V + 上 often implies emotional attachment: 爱上 (fall in love), 喜欢上 (grow fond of), 迷上 (become obsessed with).
Homework
Write eight sentences — two each for 上, 起来, 下去, and 下来 in their figurative uses. For each pair, write one affirmative and one negative sentence. Explain the figurative meaning in a brief note.