▎下來, xiàlái, a summary of the various meanings of the verb complement 下來

 

Function When 下來 serves as a complement to a verb, forming V1V2V3, the meaning can be locational (downward, upward), temporal (to continue, to keep on), or a state (remain, still).

(1) Locational

1 王太太聽見王先生在樓下叫她，就從樓上走下來了。

Wáng tàitai tīngjiàn Wáng xiānshēng zài lóuxià jiào tā, jiù cóng lóushàng zǒu xiàlái le.

Mrs. Wang heard Mr. Wang call her from downstairs, so she walked down.

2 那本書在櫃子上，請你把那本書從櫃子上拿下來。

Nà běn shū zài guìzi shàng, qǐng nǐ bǎ nà běn shū cóng guìzi shàng ná xiàlái.

That book is up on the shelf. Please take it down.

(2) Temporal

1 他從十年前來這家公司，一直做下來，到現在已經當主任了。

Tā cóng shí nián qián lái zhè jiā gōngsī, yìzhí zuòxiàlái, dào xiànzài yǐjīng dāng zhǔrèn le.

He started at this company ten years ago and has stayed on ever since. He’s a director now.

2 這些都是古代的人傳下來的習慣。

Zhèxiē dōu shì gǔdài de rén chuánxiàlái de xíguàn.

All these habits have been passed down from generation to generation.

(3) State

1 朋友想了很久，最後決定留下來。

Péngyǒu xiǎngle hěn jiǔ, zuìhòu juédìng liúxiàlái.

After much deliberation, my friend decided to stay.

2 畫家把鄉下美麗的風景畫下來。

Huàjiā bǎ xiāngxià měilì de fēngjǐng huàxiàlái.

The artist captured the idyllic countryside scenery in a painting.

 

Usage Typical V1V2V3 can occur in both forms, as seen below.

(1) Actual form: V 下來，沒 V 下來

1 我把老闆說的話都寫下來了。

Wǒ bǎ lǎobǎn shuō de huà dōu xiěxiàlái le.

I wrote down everything the boss said.

2 你把髒衣服脫下來洗一洗。

Nǐ bǎ zāng yīfú tuōxiàlái xǐ yì xǐ.

Take your dirty clothes off and wash them.

3 雖然他看見山上有凶猛的動物，可是他還在山上，沒跑下來。

Suīrán tā kànjiàn shān shàng yǒu xiōngměng de dòngwù, kěshì tā hái zài shān shàng, méi pǎo xiàlái.

Although he saw ferocious animals on the mountain, he’s still up on the mountain. He didn’t come running down.

(2) Potential form: V 得下來，V 不下來

1 月亮怎麼摘得下來？

Yuèliàng zěnme zhāidexiàlái?

How can the moon be plucked?

2 車開得太快，停不下來。

Chē kāi de tài kuài, tíngbúxiàlái.

The car was going to fast. It couldn’t be stopped.

3 那個衣櫥太大，我一個人搬不下來。

Nà ge yīchú tài dà, wǒ yí ge rén bānbúxiàlái.

The closet is too big. I can’t move it down alone.