出来 - Emergence or Completion

At its heart, 出来 is a compound directional complement. That sounds fancy, but it just means it adds a "direction" to a verb. The word 出 means "to exit" and 来 means "to come towards the speaker." When you put them together after a verb, you are saying that the action results in something appearing or moving toward you from an enclosed space. It is like a grammar traffic light turning green for an object to move forward. You will see it used for physical movement, mental creation, and even sensory detection. It is incredibly versatile and makes your Chinese sound much more natural and fluid.

1. 1Using 出来 is quite simple once you get the hang of the word order. Here is how you build it:
2. 2Basic Pattern: [Verb] + 出来 (e.g., 走出来 - to walk out).
3. 3With an Object: [Verb] + 出 + [Object] + 来 (e.g., 想出一个办法来 - to think of a solution).
4. 4Potential Form: [Verb] + 得 + 出来 (can do it) or [Verb] + 不 + 出来 (cannot do it).
5. 5If you are talking about a physical object, the object usually sits right in the middle of 出 and 来. It might feel a bit like a sandwich, but you will get used to it! Just remember that 出来 always follows the main action verb to show the result or direction.

There are three main scenarios where 出来 shines like a star. First is physical movement. Use it when someone or something moves from an inside space to an outside space where you are standing. For example, if you are waiting for a friend outside a mall, they 走出来 (walk out).

Second is the "Creation" sense. This is for when something goes from nothing to something. If you write a poem, draw a picture, or think of a brilliant plan, you use 出来. You are bringing that idea out of your mind and into the world.

Third is "Recognition." This is the most "pro" way to use it. If you can tell who is calling just by their voice, you 听出来 (hear and recognize) them. If you can spot the difference between two similar photos, you 看出来 (see and recognize) it. It is like your senses are pulling the truth out of the confusion.

Do not use 出来 if the movement is going away from you. If you are inside a house and tell someone to go outside, you should use 出去 (chūqù). Using 出来 there would be like telling them to walk into your own chest!

Also, avoid using 出来 for simple actions that don't involve a transition from "hidden" to "visible." For example, just "looking" at a book doesn't need 出来. But if you are looking for a hidden message in the book and you find it, then you can say you "looked it out."

One big mistake is putting the object at the very end. Beginners often say 想出来办法, but it sounds much better as 想出办法来. It is a small tweak that makes a big difference.

Another classic error is confusing 出来 with 起来. While 起来 is about starting an action (like starting to cry), 出来 is about the completion or emergence of something. Don't worry, even native speakers might trip over these if they are talking too fast, but try to keep the "emergence" vs. "starting" distinction in mind. Think of 出来 as the finish line of a discovery.

Let's compare 出来 with its cousin, 出去.

• 出来: Movement towards the speaker (Come out).
• 出去: Movement away from the speaker (Go out).

If you are in the office and a coworker leaves, they 走出去. If you are on the street and they exit the building to meet you, they 走出来.

Now, let's look at 起来.

• 出来: Something becomes visible or known (Recognition/Creation).
• 起来: An action begins and continues (Starting).

If you start laughing, you 笑起来. If you recognize a person's laugh from a recording, you 听出来 it is them. See the difference? One is about the start of the noise, the other is about identifying the source.