Directional complements

Exercises

 

Other terminology: the complement of direction; 趋向补语

 

1. What are directional complements?

Directional complements are: directional words such as (up), (down), (in), (out), (back), (cross over), and (up), [see table].

păo   jìn 

  

RUN   IN    

jiàoshì  

教室

CLASSROOM 

To run into the classroom.                                          

 

fàng xià 

  

PUT DOWN

 nĭde shū 

你的书

YOUR BOOK

To put down your book.

 

2. What are the functions of and in directional complements?

There are two verbs which can indicate the speaker's positions. One is (to come), which describes an action moving towards the place where the speaker is, and the other one is (to go), which describes an action moving away from the place where the speaker is, [see table].

HE

ná  lái

  

TAKE (TOWARDS)

yì     bēi chá

   

 A     BEI TEA

He has brought a cup of tea.                                                          

 

tā 

 

HE

jiè               qù

          

BORROW  (AWAY)    

yí   ge zhàoxiāngjī

  照相 

 A    GE CAMERA

He has borrowed a camera.(The camera is not with the speaker.)

                                     

3. Can a direction word and or be used together?

Directional words + or , can form a combined complement which indicates both the direction of the action and the speaker's position.

tā 

HE 

ná       jìn lái 

   

TAKE  IN(TOWARDS)

 yì   bēi chá

  

A    BEI TEA

He has brought in a cup of tea.

 

4. Can you show me a list of combined directional complements?

The following table is for combined directional complements.

   

 

can only be combined with .

 

5. Can I use a combined directional complement as the main verb in a sentence?

The combined directional complements in the above table can be used as the main verbs of sentences.

wŏmen  huí          qù       ba.

              .

WE         BACK(AWAY) BA(SUGGESTION)

Should we go back?

 

6. When do I use the full version of directional verb complements in sentences?

Use the full version of directional verb complements when you want to indicate the direction of the action, e.g., up (), down ()..., and the speaker's position, e.g. towards the speaker (), away from the speaker().

tā      zŏu     jìn  lái.

        

HE     WALK  IN (TOWARDS) [The speaker is inside.]

He comes in.

 

7. Where should I place the directional verb complements in a sentence?

Directional verb complements should be placed after the subjects of sentences as normal verbs are. The negatives , and should be placed before the main verbs.   neg.   v. +  compl

nĭ      bié         zhàn    qĭ  lái

               .

YOU  DON'T  STAND UP

(You) don't stand up!

 

 8. Where should I place a for completed action when I use a directional complement?

The particle "" (for completed action) can be placed either after the main verb (method of action), or at the end of the sentence if a sentence has no object.

s.                                v. ()                                                                          complement ()

HE

păo(le)

()

RUN(LE)  

 shàngqu(le)

  ()

UP(AWAY)[LE]

He has run up.

If the particle "" is placed at the end of the sentence, it can also indicate a change of situation.

If a sentence has an object, should be placed after the directional word, or at the end of the sentence.

s.                                    v+complement ()                              o.                               or ( )

tā 

HE

păo  shàng le 

       ()

RUN UP      LE

lóu  

FLOOR

qù    le  

   ()

(AWAY)LE

He has run upstairs.

 

9. Can the particle be used with a directional complement?

3. The particle " " should only be placed after the main verbs of method, but not verbs of direction,

s.                                    v.                                                                              complement 

tā  

HE

păo zhe  

  

RUN ZHE

shàng qu  

 

UP(AWAY)

He went up running.

 

10. Can the particle be used with a directional complement?   

can only be placed after or .

s.                                adv. v + complement                                                       o.                     or + ()

chá 

TEA

 yĭjīng ná shàng  

    

ALREADY TAKE UP   

 lóu

STAIRS

qù       guò le

    

(AWAY)GUOLE

The tea has already been taken upstairs.

 

11. Where should I place the object of a sentence if a directional verb complement is used?

A simple object, such as a noun without a number word and measure word; a noun without a descriptive clause; and in particular an object which is a place word e.g., , 学院... should be placed in the middle of a combined complement.

s.                                    v.    complemnet                                       simple o.                                    or

tā  

SHE

 zŏu   jìn     

       

WALK  IN        

fángjiān      

     

ROOM

lái

(TOWARDS)

She walked into the room. (The speaker is in the room.)

              

Normally a complex object such as  a noun with a number, measure word or a descriptive clause can be placed after the combined complement or .

s.                      v. + complex complement                                 o.

      

SHE

ná    chū              lái            le  

                     

TAKE OUT (TOWARDS) LE 

yì zhāng fēicháng piàoliang         de huà   

               

A ZHANG VERY BEAUTIFUL         DE PICTURE

She took out a very beautiful picture.

 

12. I have seen some sentences with combined directional complements and complex objects, where or are placed after the complex objects. Can you tell me the reason for this?

 

If or is placed after a complex object, it usually implies that the sentence is not finished. or sometimes refer to a second clause in a sentences.

s.                  v.+ complement                o.                                                          or          second action

   她

SHE

ná  chū       

 

TAKE OUT

yìzhāng hĕn piàoling      dehuà

       漂亮     

A ZHANG VERY PRETTY   DE PICTURE

lái      

(IN ODER)

gĕi dàjiā          kàn      le   yíxià 

大家         了一下

TO EVERYONE LOOK LE YIXIA 

She took out a very pretty picture to show everybody.        

 

Exercises

 

You can submit your work online here

 

Click here for the answers

 

1. Translate the following sentences into Chinese.

 

1.         Could you take those shirts in please? Look, it's going to rain.

2.         Could you come over here and tell me what you have just said?

3.         What should we do? The door is locked. We can't go in.

4.         I've brought you a cup of tea. Don't work too hard. Have a rest.

5.         Should we climb up to the top of the hill? From there we can see the whole city.

6.         Get up! Look, what time it is!

7.         Xiao Ding came down from upstairs and said to me very happily...

 

2. Place the following nouns into the sentences below.

 

学院,    ,        教室,    上海,    小王的家,        ,        一封信.

 

1. 我们走出    ____    ____   .

2. 丁云跑下   ____         ____  .

3. 我们上     ____         ____    .

4. 他们回     ____         ____   .

5. 老师把书拿进   ____     ____   .

6. 他们把钱送回     ____     ____  .

7. 昨天我给他寄回    ____    ____    .