The word 起来 is formed by combining two directional verbs: 起 (qǐ), which fundamentally means "to rise up" or "to begin", and 来 (lái), which means "to come". Their union creates a single compound that conceptually merges the initiating, upward movement of 起 with the orienting, approaching vector of 来, resulting in a holistic word that intrinsically suggests an action commencing and unfolding toward the speaker or into a visible/active state.