Directional Complement: 进来 (jìnlái) - In Toward Speaker

Directional complements like 进来 act as a suffix to a main verb. The main verb tells you *how* the movement happens (walking, running, carrying). The 进来 part tells you *where* it is going. It is a two-part tag team. 进 means "to enter." 来 means "to come toward the speaker." When you put them together after a verb, you create a vivid picture of movement. It is much more descriptive than just saying "enter." It adds flavor and spatial awareness to your sentences. Without it, your Chinese might feel a bit flat or static.

1. 1Using 进来 is like building with Lego bricks. You just need to follow a specific order:
2. 2Start with your main Verb (like 走 walk, 跑 run, or 搬 move).
3. 3Add the directional result 进 (in).
4. 4Finish with the speaker-oriented particle 来 (toward me).
5. 5Structure: [Verb] + 进来
6. 6Example: 走进来 (Walk in toward me).
7. 7Wait, what if there is an object? If you are moving a physical thing (like a chair or a box), the object usually likes to squeeze into the middle of the directionals.
8. 8Structure with Object: [Verb] + 进 + [Place/Object] + 来
9. 9Example: 搬进屋子来 (Move into the room toward me).

You use 进来 whenever you are the "destination" of an entry. Imagine you are in your office and a coworker knocks. You say 请进 (Please enter), but if you want them to actually walk toward your desk, you might say 请走进来 (Please walk in).

Here are some real-world scenarios:

• Ordering Food: You are at home and the delivery driver is at the gate. You tell them, "Please bring the food in" (请把菜拿进来).
• Job Interviews: You are the boss (congrats!). You tell the next candidate to "Come in" (请进来).
• Digital Life: When you download a file into a folder you are currently looking at, you might say the file "came in" (文件传进来了).
• Rainy Days: You see your cat shivering outside the window. You open it and say, "Quick, come in!" (快进来!).

This is the part where people get tripped up. The most important rule is: You must be inside the space. If you are standing in the garden looking at the house, you cannot use 进来 to describe someone entering the house. Why? Because they are moving *away* from you. In that case, you would use 进去 (jìnqù). Think of it like a grammar traffic light. If the movement is toward your face, it's green for 来. If it's toward the back of your head, it's red for 来 and green for 去. Also, do not use it for general movement that doesn't involve "entering" a boundary. If someone is just walking toward you on an open street, use 过来 (guòlái) instead.

The biggest headache for learners is the "Object Sandwich." Many people try to put the object at the very end.

✗ 走进来办公室 (Wrong)

✓ 走进办公室来 (Correct)

Another common slip-up is forgetting the 来 entirely. If you just say 走进, the sentence feels unfinished, like a movie that cuts to black right before the climax. You need that 来 to tell the listener where the action ends up (with you!). Finally, don't use 进来 if you are the one moving into a space where the listener is not. If you are calling your mom and saying you are entering the house, but she is at the supermarket, you should use 进去 because you aren't moving toward her.

Let's clear up the confusion between the "In" family:

• 进来 (jìnlái): Entering + Toward the speaker. (You are inside).
• 进去 (jìnqù): Entering + Away from the speaker. (You are outside).
• 出来 (chūlái): Exiting + Toward the speaker. (You are outside, they are coming out to meet you).
• 过来 (guòlái): Crossing over + Toward the speaker. (No "entering" involved, just approaching).

Think of 进来 as an invitation and 进去 as a command or observation from a distance. Even native speakers might mix these up in a hurry, but focusing on your physical location will save you 90% of the time.