起来 (qǐlái)

In Chinese, "起来" is a verb complement that indicates the beginning of an action or the upward movement of an action. It is often used after verbs to show that something is starting to happen or moving upwards.

Basic Usage

Here are some common usages of "起来":

• Indicating the beginning of an action: When used in this way, "起来" suggests that an action is starting. For example: 他笑了起来。(tā xiàole qǐlái.) - He started to laugh.
• Indicating upward movement: "起来" can also indicate an upward movement. For example: 他站了起来。(tā zhànle qǐlái.) - He stood up.
• Indicating a completed state of an action: It can indicate that an action has been completed to a certain state. For example: 你看起来很高兴。(nǐ kàn qǐlái hěn gāoxìng.) - You look happy.

Examples

Here are some example sentences containing "起来":

• 他唱起歌来。(tā chàng qǐ gē lái.) - He started to sing.
• 孩子们跳了起来。(háizimen tiàole qǐlái.) - The children jumped up.
• 他想起了他的朋友。(tā xiǎng qǐle tā de péngyǒu.) - He thought of his friend.