lai
(Mandarin)
(Cantonese)

起來 (Traditional: 起來)

HSK 2

Dictionary

to stand up; to get up/also pr. [qi3lai2]

Examples

听到这个消息,大家都笑起来了。

Tīng dào zhège xiāoxi, dàjiā dōu xiào qǐlai le.

Upon hearing this news, everyone started laughing.

Did You Know?

Grammar

Word Formation

起 means 'to rise' and 来 means 'to come'.

Usage Tips

起来 is a directional complement meaning 'up' (站起来 stand up) or a result complement meaning 'start to' (笑起来 start laughing). It can also indicate an action beginning: 做起来 (start doing).