Level 25 Complete

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你又进了一步 :-D

你累不累？你不累的话，快去Level 26“上课.”

Why put “上课“ in scare quotes? Well, isn’t this way better than actually going to class?

Directional Complements - COMPLETE!

OK, so that probably doesn’t sound all that exciting, but trust us, it’s pretty wicked that you’re able to use 来 & 去 with all of these different verbs:

过 来/去
上 来/去
下 来/去
回 来/去
进 来/去
出 来/去 
起 来

NOTE: 起 never combines with 去 as a complement. More on that in a sec.

A “complement” is a fancy way of saying “result.” That’s why all of the directional complements fall into the “verb-how” category. When it comes to directions, whether the result is “coming 来 or going 去” is all a matter of *perspective*. Hey, you’re not bad at visualization, eh? Imagine the next few scenarios as if they are really happening.

Examples with 上 & 下

Are you standing on top of the mountain and want to go down? 
我·想·从·山上·下去。

How about on top of the mountain and want your friend to come up? 
朋友, 你·上来·找·我。

What if you are at the bottom of the mountain and are telling your friend to go up? 
你·上去。

Suppose your friend is at the top of the mountain, and you’d like him to come down. 
你·在·山上，是吗？你·下来·找·我·吧。
(吧 ba - particle indicating suggestion)

As you can see, whether to use 上来， 上去， 下来， or 下去 depends on where you’re standing relative to the mountain.

Examples with 进 & 出

You’re standing in your room with the door slightly ajar. Your mom knocks on the door:

Mom: 我·可以·进去·吗？
You: 嗯！进来！

Same situation, but your mom wants you to come out:

Mom: 你·能不能·出来·一会儿？
You: 我·不能·出去，因为·我·还·得·给·朋友·打电话。

Examples with 回

Imagine today you are going to fly back home from a trip. 
我·今天·回去。

After you’ve landed, you tell your 男朋友 or 女朋友： 
我·回来·了！

You’re on the phone with your friend:

Friend: 你·回来·了吗？
You: 没有，我·还·没·回去。

What’s up with 起？

起来 means “to rise, to get up” (at least when used in its complement form). This can literally mean “rise” from being seated or laying down, but it’s also a shorthand for ‘getting up’ in the morning. Regardless, there’s only one direction you’re going, but why choose 来 instead of 去？

We can only speculate, but consider that 去 can have the meaning “to die” or “to expunge,” and that’s certainly not what happens when you wake up. It’s much more like when someone passes out and then “comes to.” Makes sense, eh?

Are There Any 单身狗 Out There?

单身狗 is a colloquialism that arose in China over the past 5-10 years. Despite directly translating as “single dog,” we see it most frequently used as a term of endearment. “Aw! Look at you, ya 单身狗! Being single’s nice, eh? You’ll probably find someone, but enjoy it for now!”

If you are a 单身狗, you likely won’t be much longer with your Chinese improving so rapidly! You’re potential 男朋友s, or 女朋友s are only going to grow a few hundred million, no big deal. Not to mention, it’s not like non-Chinese speakers aren’t impressed when you whip out some fluent 中国话 ;-).

You’re doing so well, keep solidifying your daily study habit, and nothing will be able to stop you.

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Member Comments from 2019-mid-2020

Do you also want to leave a comment? You can do so below！

Kate Gans

I wanted to finish picking my actors, but have only found the first 52 of 55. After level 24 there are no more casting calls.
Are we not using pu, nu, and lü?

Mandarin Blueprint

Hey Kate! These pronunciations don't show up until the intermediate course. Just so happens they aren't that common!