Understanding 趋向补语4: Expressing Temporal Meaning

In Chinese grammar, 趋向补语 (qūxiàng bǔyǔ) refers to a type of complement that indicates the direction or tendency of an action. The fourth category, which expresses temporal meaning, can be further divided into two main usages: indicating the beginning of an action and indicating the continuation of an action.

1. Indicating the Beginning of an Action: Verb + 上/起来

This structure is used to express the initiation of an action. The verbs are often combined with the particles 上 (shàng) or 起来 (qǐlái) to convey that an action has started.

• Examples:
• 这孩子又玩儿上游戏了。 (Zhè háizi yòu wánr shàng yóuxì le.)
  "This child has started playing games again."
• 他大声地哭起来了。 (Tā dàshēng de kū qǐlái le.)
  "He has started to cry loudly."
• 这项工作上个月就干起来了。 (Zhè xiàng gōngzuò shàng gè yuè jiù gàn qǐlái le.)
  "This work started last month."

2. Indicating the Continuation of an Action: Verb + 下去/下来

This structure is used to express that an action is ongoing or continuing. The verbs are typically paired with the particles 下去 (xiàqù) or 下来 (xiàlái) to indicate that the action is sustained over time.

• Examples:
• 别紧张，你说下去。 (Bié jǐnzhāng, nǐ shuō xiàqù.)
  "Don't be nervous, keep speaking."
• 你这样坚持下去一定能成功。 (Nǐ zhèyàng jiānchí xiàqù yīdìng néng chénggōng.)
  "If you keep persisting like this, you will definitely succeed."
• 在这三年里，我把每天锻炼一个小时的习惯保持下来了。 (Zài zhè sān nián lǐ, wǒ bǎ měitiān duànliàn yīgè xiǎoshí de xíguàn bǎochí xiàlái le.)
  "In these three years, I have maintained the habit of exercising for an hour every day."

By understanding these structures, learners can effectively express the initiation and continuation of actions in Chinese, enhancing their fluency and comprehension of the language.