来 (lái) means "come" — but the word to hold onto is toward. 来 always encodes motion toward the speaker's position, the here-and-now of the conversation, while its partner 去 (qù) points away. English "come / go" shares this instinct, yet Chinese enforces it far more strictly: every directional complement (进来 vs 进去, 回来 vs 回去) forces you to pick a viewpoint on every single motion. Beyond the plain verb, 来 does a surprising amount of extra work — offering to do something, ordering in a restaurant, and, abstractly, "bringing about."
Sense 1: come (toward the speaker)
The full verb: someone or something moves toward where you are. It takes 了, time words, and a destination just like any verb.
你什么时候来？我在门口等你。
nǐ shénme shíhou lái? wǒ zài ménkǒu děng nǐ
When are you coming? I'll wait for you at the entrance.
他上个月来中国工作了。
tā shàng ge yuè lái Zhōngguó gōngzuò le
He came to China to work last month.
快来，公交车到站了！
kuài lái, gōngjiāo chē dào zhàn le
Come quick, the bus is here!
Sense 2: (come to) do — 'let me' and 'come on'
In a serial construction, 来 + verb offers to take on the action — English "let me / I'll…": 我来开车 "let me drive." As a standalone opener, 来！ is the hortative "come on, let's…".
你累了，我来开车吧。
nǐ lèi le, wǒ lái kāi chē ba
You're tired — let me drive.
来，我给大家介绍一下我的同事。
lái, wǒ gěi dàjiā jièshào yíxià wǒ de tóngshì
Come, let me introduce my colleague to everyone.
时间差不多了，来，我们开始吧。
shíjiān chàbuduō le, lái, wǒmen kāishǐ ba
It's about time — come on, let's get started.
Sense 3: the diner's 来 — 'I'll have'
Ordering food or shopping, 来 stands in for "give me / I'll have," letting you skip a specific verb like 要 or 买.
老板，来两瓶啤酒！
lǎobǎn, lái liǎng píng píjiǔ
Boss, two beers!
服务员，我们来一份宫保鸡丁。
fúwùyuán, wǒmen lái yí fèn gōngbǎo jīdīng
Waiter, we'll have a Kung Pao chicken.
Sense 4: directional complement — 来 = toward here
Tacked onto a motion verb, 来 says the motion is toward the speaker: 进来 "come in," 回来 "come back," 过来 "come over," 拿来 "bring (here)," 站起来 "stand up." (On complements, 来 is toneless: jìnlai, huílai.)
快进来，外面太冷了。
kuài jìnlai, wàimiàn tài lěng le
Come in quick, it's freezing outside.
请把菜单拿来，谢谢。
qǐng bǎ càidān ná lai, xièxie
Please bring the menu, thanks.
别怕，慢慢站起来。
bié pà, mànmàn zhàn qǐlai
Don't be afraid — stand up slowly.
Sense 5: bring about (abstract 带来)
Extended to non-motion, the compound 带来 (dài lai) means "bring / bring about" — outcomes, changes, news that arrive into someone's world.
这场及时雨给农民带来了好消息。
zhè chǎng jíshí yǔ gěi nóngmín dài lai le hǎo xiāoxi
This timely rain brought good news to the farmers.
新政策会给我们带来很多变化。
xīn zhèngcè huì gěi wǒmen dài lai hěn duō biànhuà
The new policy will bring about many changes for us.
Key collocations
| Phrase | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 过来 | guòlai | come over |
| 进来 | jìnlai | come in |
| 回来 | huílai | come back |
| 出来 | chūlai | come out |
| 起来 | qǐlai | get up; (directional) up |
| 拿来 | ná lai | bring (here) |
| 来一个 / 来一份 | lái yí ge / lái yí fèn | I'll have one / an order of… |
| 本来 | běnlái | originally |
| 后来 | hòulái | later, afterwards |
| 看来 | kànlái | it seems |
| 带来 | dài lai | bring / bring about |
Grammar notes
来 and 去 are the two simple directional complements, and the whole system of compound directionals (进来/进去, 拿上来, 走下去) is built on choosing between them — see simple 来 / 去 complements and the directional complement overview. As full verbs of motion, 来 and 去 have their own entry at 来 / 去 as full verbs. The "let me / come to do" use is a serial verb construction — 来 + a second verb phrase, with no linker between them.
One placement rule saves a lot of errors: when a place is the object of a directional, it goes between the verb and 来/去 — 回家来 "come home," 上楼来 "come upstairs" — never after 来. A plain thing-object is freer (拿来一本书 or 拿一本书来). The deictic contrast with 去 is treated in that verb's entry; the key is that 来/去 are chosen by whose location the motion heads for.
Common Mistakes
1. Using 来 for motion away from the speaker. If you're heading somewhere else, it's 去, not 来.
❌ 下午我来超市买点儿东西。
Incorrect if you're going there from here — motion away uses 去.
✅ 下午我去超市买点儿东西。
xiàwǔ wǒ qù chāoshì mǎi diǎnr dōngxi
I'm going to the supermarket this afternoon to buy a few things.
2. Dropping 来/去 off a directional complement. Chinese wants the viewpoint marked.
❌ 快进吧，外面冷。
Incomplete — a directional needs 来/去: 进来 (toward the speaker) or 进去 (away).
✅ 快进来吧，外面冷。
kuài jìnlai ba, wàimiàn lěng
Come on in, it's cold out.
3. Putting a place object after 来. A place goes between the verb and 来.
❌ 他已经回来家了。
Incorrect — the place 家 sits before 来: 回家来.
✅ 他已经回家来了。
tā yǐjīng huí jiā lai le
He's already come home.
4. Inserting 为了 for 'come to do something'. 来 links straight to the next verb.
❌ 我来为了帮你。
Incorrect — 来 attaches directly to the verb: 来帮你.
✅ 我来帮你。
wǒ lái bāng nǐ
I'll come and help you. / Let me help you.
Key Takeaways
- 来 = motion toward the speaker's here-and-now; 去 = motion away. Chinese forces this choice on every directional.
- Full verb (他来了), serial "let me / come on" (我来开车; 来，开始吧), diner's "I'll have" (来一个), and abstract "bring about" (带来).
- As a complement, 来 marks toward here: 进来, 回来, 过来, 拿来 (toneless -lai).
- A place object sits between the verb and 来: 回家来, not 回来家.
- Don't drop 来/去 off a directional, and don't add 为了 before "come to do."
Now practice Chinese
Reading grammar gets you part of the way. The exercises are where it sticks — free, no signup needed.
Start learning Chinese→Related Topics
- 去 (qù) — to goHSK 1 — 去 (qù) is 'go, away from where the speaker is': the destination attaches directly (去北京, no 'to'), it frames purpose in serial verbs (去买东西), and it works as a directional complement (回去, 拿去) — the mirror image of 来 (lái).
- 进 (jìn) — to enter / go inHSK 2 — 进 (jìn) means 'enter / go in' (进屋, 进城, 进公司), lives most naturally with viewpoint 来/去 (进来 'come in' vs 进去 'go in'), and works as a directional complement fused onto motion verbs: 走进 'walk into', 搬进 'move into'. Opposite of 出.