Pattern
Verb + direction complement
Key words
Core idea
Directional constructions show the direction or path of an action.
The basic shape is:
motion/action verb + direction complementThe direction complement can show moving in, out, up, down, back, over, here, or away.
How it works
The main verb tells what action happens. The following direction part tells where the action moves or how it is oriented.
Many direction words can combine with 来 or 去 to show movement toward or away from the speaker's point of view.
Usage boundary
At this level, focus on literal movement first. Later, the same construction also appears in extended meanings, but the physical direction meaning is the foundation.
Examples
老师走进教室。
Lǎoshī zǒu jìn jiàoshì.
The teacher walks into the classroom.
他跑回家。
Tā pǎo huí jiā.
He runs back home.
请拿出来。
Qǐng ná chūlai.
Please take it out.
Common mistakes
Avoid
老师走教室进。
Use
老师走进教室。
The direction complement follows the motion verb before the place word.
Seen in stories
The Scooter Pointing Upstairs
车头好像指着楼上，后轮还卡在水沟盖旁边。
Its front seems to point upstairs, and the rear wheel is still stuck beside the drain cover.
The Scooter Pointing Upstairs
管理员说，车主平常都会把车推进骑楼。
The building manager says the owner usually pushes the scooter into the arcade.
The Scooter Pointing Upstairs
今天他却只把钥匙放下来，连安全帽都没拿。
Today, though, he only put the key down and did not even take his helmet.
The Scooter Pointing Upstairs
阿澄沿着楼梯走上去，听见三楼有很小的敲门声。
A Cheng walks up the stairs and hears a tiny knocking sound on the third floor.
The Scooter Pointing Upstairs
管理员把备用钥匙拿出来，阿澄赶快跑进去扶他。
The manager takes out the spare key, and A Cheng quickly runs in to help him.
Show 3 more story examples
The Scooter Pointing Upstairs
管理员把备用钥匙拿出来，阿澄赶快跑进去扶他。
The manager takes out the spare key, and A Cheng quickly runs in to help him.
The Scooter Pointing Upstairs
邻居被送下楼时，还一直道歉说机车停得太丑。
When the neighbor is brought downstairs, he keeps apologizing that the scooter was parked so badly.
The Wrong Classroom
早上八点，大卫跑进教室。
At eight o'clock in the morning, David ran into the classroom.
'Jìn' acts as a directional complement here, indicating the action 'run' moves 'into' a space.