Introduction
来 (lái) and 去 (qù) after a verb say which way the action goes — towards the speaker or away from them. 进来！(Jìn lái!) — Come in. 进去！(Jìn qù!) — Go in. The verb is the same; where you are standing decides the ending.
Overview
Structure: Verb + 来 (lái) / 去 (qù)
| Pattern | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| V + 来（towards me） | 请进来。(Qǐng jìn lái.) | Come in. |
| V + 去（away from me） | 你进去吧。(Nǐ jìn qù ba.) | Go in. |
| 拿 + 来 / 去 | 拿来一杯水。(Ná lái yì bēi shuǐ.) | Bring a glass of water. |
| V + O + 来 / 去 | 他带朋友来了。(Tā dài péngyou lái le.) | He brought a friend. |
| 上/下/回 + 来 / 去 | 他回来了。(Tā huí lái le.) | He's back. |
来 (lái) or 去 (qù) — where is the speaker?
- 请进来。(Qǐng jìn lái.) — Come in. You are inside, calling someone towards you.
- 你进去吧。(Nǐ jìn qù ba.) — Go on in. You are outside, sending someone away from you.
- The same pair runs through the whole set: 回来 (huí lái) come back，回去 (huí qù) go back，上来 (shàng lái) come up，上去 (shàng qù) go up.
- An object sits between the verb and 来/去: 他带朋友来了。(Tā dài péngyou lái le.) ❌ 他带来朋友了 is possible but changes the emphasis.
Examples
请进来，外面很冷。
Qǐng jìn lái, wàimiàn hěn lěng.
Come in, it's cold outside.
你进去吧，我在这儿等。
Nǐ jìn qù ba, wǒ zài zhèr děng.
You go in, I'll wait here.
他回来了吗？
Tā huí lái le ma?
Is he back?
请拿来一杯水。
Qǐng ná lái yì bēi shuǐ.
Bring a glass of water, please.
我明天带朋友来。
Wǒ míngtiān dài péngyou lái.
I'll bring a friend tomorrow.
太晚了，我们回去吧。
Tài wǎn le, wǒmen huí qù ba.
It's late, let's head back.
Usage Notes
- 来 (lái) and 去 (qù) in this slot are read light and quick — jìn lai, huí qu — not stressed like full verbs.
- The verbs that take them are verbs of movement: 进 (jìn) enter，出 (chū) exit，上 (shàng) up，下 (xià) down，回 (huí) back，过 (guò) across，带 (dài) bring，拿 (ná) carry.
- The negative is 没 (méi) for something that did not happen: 他没回来。(Tā méi huí lái.)
- The choice is about the speaker, not about the listener or the destination. Standing outside a room, 进去 (jìn qù) is right even if you are talking to someone who will end up inside.
- 上/下/进/出/回/过 also combine with 来/去 into longer pairs — 走出来 (zǒu chūlái)，跑回去 (pǎo huíqù) — which have their own lesson.