来
Ancient forms
4 formsGlyphs: Wikimedia Commons, public domain.
Meaning
lái lai2
- to come
- (used as a substitute for a more specific verb)
- hither (directional complement for motion toward the speaker, as in 回来)
- ever since (as in 自古以来)
- for the past (amount of time)
- (prefix) the coming ...; the next ... (as in 来世)
- (between two verbs) in order to
- (after a round number) approximately
- (used after 得 to indicate possibility, as in 谈得来, or after 不 to indicate impossibility, as in 吃不来)
Example sentences
- Don't forget to pick me up at 6 o'clock tomorrow.
HSK words with 来 · 24 of 67
- 起来 qǐlai to stand up
- 出来 chūlái to come out
- 回来 huílai to return; to come back
- 来到 láidào to arrive; to come
- 进来 jìnlái to come in
- 来自 láizì to come from (a place)
- 带来 dàilái to bring
- 过来 guòlái to come over
- 原来 yuánlái original
- 越来越 yuèláiyuè more and more
- 后来 hòulái afterwards; later
- 接下来 jiēxiàlái to accept
- 下来 xiàlai to come down
- 本来 běnlái original
- 以来 yǐlái since (a previous event)
- 从来 cónglái always
- 将来 jiānglái in the future
- 看起来 kànqǐlai seemingly
- 上来 shànglái to come up
- 传来 chuánlái (of a sound) to come through
- 未来 wèilái future
- 看来 kànlai apparently
- 来源 láiyuán source (of information etc)
- 来不及 láibují there's not enough time (to do sth)