Traditional: 來
lái HSK 1

English Meaning

Categories

📚 Example Sentences

他来。
Tā lái.
He comes.
我来这。
Wǒ lái zhè.
I come here.
你来。
Nǐ lái.
You come.
请明天来我家。
Qǐng míngtiān lái wǒ jiā.
Please come to my house tomorrow.
火车将在中午到达。
Huǒchē jiāng zài zhōngwǔ dàodá.
The train will arrive at noon.

💡 Memory Tip

Imagine someone waving and saying 'Come here!' – the sound 'lái' rhymes with 'lie' as in 'lie down to rest when you come.' Associate it with movement toward you, like a friend coming over.

📝 Usage Notes

Used in both formal and informal contexts, in spoken and written Chinese. Common in everyday conversations, invitations, instructions, and narratives. As a verb, it describes physical movement (e.g., coming to a place); as a grammatical particle, it softens commands or indicates intent (e.g., 来帮我一下 - come help me).

📖 Grammar Points

Used in serial verb constructions (e.g., 来我家吃饭 - come to my house to eat); as a direction complement (e.g., 拿过来 - bring it over); to indicate purpose (e.g., 我来学习 - I came to study); or as a future marker in colloquial speech (e.g., 我来说 - I'll speak).

🏯 Cultural Notes

In Chinese culture, 来 is often used in polite invitations (e.g., 请来坐 - please come sit) and reflects hospitality. It can also appear in idiomatic expressions like 来来往往 (coming and going), symbolizing the flow of life or social interactions.

🔄 Similar Words

Compared to 去 (qù, 'to go'), which indicates movement away from the speaker, 来 implies movement toward the speaker. Unlike 到达 (dàodá, 'to arrive'), which is more formal and emphasizes completion, 来 is more general and can indicate the process of coming.

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