起
来

About

The word "起来" is formed by combining the character "起", which means to rise or start, with "来", which means to come; this union creates a compound verb that functions primarily as a directional complement, attaching to other verbs to indicate the inception of an action or upward movement, such as in "站起来" (stand up), where it literalizes the action.

Example Sentences Hide

他每天七点起来。

Tā měitiān qī diǎn qǐlái.

He gets up at seven every day.

她突然哭起来了。

Tā tūrán kū qǐlái le.

She suddenly started crying.

我们把桌子抬起来吧。

Wǒmen bǎ zhuōzi tái qǐlái ba.

Let's lift the table.

这个故事听起来很有趣。

Zhège gùshì tīng qǐlái hěn yǒuqù.

This story sounds very interesting.

如果不赶紧采取措施，问题会严重起来。

Rúguǒ bù gǎnjǐn cǎiqǔ cuòshī, wèntí huì yánzhòng qǐlái.

If we don't take measures quickly, the problem will become serious.

Word Definition - 起来

qi lai to stand up; to get up; also pr. [qǐlái]; (after a verb) indicating the beginning and continuation of an action or a state; indicating an upward movement (e.g. after 站[zhàn]); indicating completion; (after a perception verb, e.g. 看[kàn]) expressing preliminary judgment; also pr. [qǐlai]

Individual Character Details

起 qǐ
来 lái