Questions & Answers about wǒ lái chǔlǐ zhège wèntí.
Why is 来 in this sentence? Doesn’t 来 usually mean to come?
Yes, 来 usually means to come, but in the pattern 我来 + verb, it often means I’ll do it, let me do it, or I’ll take care of it rather than physical movement.
So 我来处理这个问题 is not usually about literally coming somewhere to handle the problem. It means the speaker is volunteering, taking responsibility, or stepping in.
Common similar patterns:
- 我来帮你 — I’ll help you
- 我来介绍一下 — Let me introduce this
- 我来付钱 — I’ll pay
Is 我来处理这个问题 the same as 我处理这个问题?
Not exactly.
- 我处理这个问题 simply states I handle this problem or I am handling this problem
- 我来处理这个问题 adds the idea of I’ll be the one to handle it
So 来 adds a sense of volunteering, taking over, or deciding who will do it.
You can think of it like this:
- 我处理这个问题 — neutral statement
- 我来处理这个问题 — let me handle this / I’ll handle this
What does 处理 mean exactly?