Directional Complement: 下去 (xiàqù) - Down Away from Speaker

You just need a verb and the phrase 下去. You glue them together. The verb comes first. Then comes 下. Finally, you add 去. It creates a new meaning. The verb provides the action. The 下去 provides the direction or the sense of continuation. It is like adding an arrow to a word. If you are walking, 走下去 means "walk down and away." If you are talking, 说下去 means "keep talking." It is simple but powerful. You will hear it everywhere in daily life. It is like the "continue" button on your remote control.

1. 1Start with an action verb like 走 (walk) or 说 (speak).
2. 2Add the word 下 (down).
3. 3Add the word 去 (go/away).
4. 4For physical movement: [Verb] + 下去. Example: 跑下去 (run down).
5. 5For continuation: [Verb] + 下去. Example: 学下去 (keep studying).
6. 6If you have an object, put it after 下去. Example: 读下去这本书 (Keep reading this book).
7. 7For the negative "cannot continue," put 不 in the middle: 吃不下去 (Can't keep eating).
8. 8For the positive "can continue," put 得 in the middle: 做得下去 (Can keep doing it).

Use it for physical movement first. Imagine you are hiking. You tell your friend to "go down" the mountain. You would say 走下去. Use it when you are at the top looking down. It also works for abstract things. This is the most common way you will use it. Use it when an action started in the past and continues into the future. If you are watching a great show, you want to 看下去. If you are working hard, you want to 做下去. It implies persistence and grit. It is like saying "don't stop now." Use it in job interviews to show you want to stay with the company. Use it when ordering food if you are still hungry and want to keep eating. It is the grammar of momentum.

Do not use it if the movement is toward you. If you are at the bottom of the stairs, use 下来. Do not use it for actions that just started. For that, we use 起来. For example, 笑起来 means "start laughing." 笑下去 would mean "keep laughing." Do not use it for things moving up. That would be 上去. It is strictly for "down" or "forward in time." Also, avoid using it with verbs that do not involve a process. You wouldn't say 死下去 because dying is usually a one-time event. Think of it like a grammar traffic light; it only turns green for actions that can flow forward.

A big mistake is the order of words. Some people say 下走去. This is wrong. The verb always leads the way. Another mistake is mixing up 下去 and 下来. Remember: 去 is away, 来 is toward. If you say 走下去 while someone is coming toward you, they might get confused. Also, don't forget the object placement. Putting the object between 下 and 去 is a common error. Keep 下去 together unless you are using 得 or 不. Yes, even native speakers might slip up on complex sentences, so don't sweat it too much! Just keep practicing, and it will become second nature.

Let's compare 下去 and 下来. 下去 is like a car driving away into the sunset. It feels like it's going further and further. 下来 is like a bird landing on your shoulder. It feels like it's coming closer or finishing. For continuation, 下去 means "keep going from now on." 下来 often means "from the past until now." It is a subtle difference. Think of 下去 as looking at the future. Think of 下来 as looking at the result or the past. It is like a grammar traffic light. 下去 is the green light to keep moving. 下来 is more like the yellow light, signaling things are settling down.