Lessons 1, 3, 7, 11: Verb + 下 and Verb + 上

Two resultative complements, 下 and 上: detaching/receiving/moving from high to low, and achieving a result/closing/moving from low to high.

Hanyu textbook · Hanyu 5 · Lesson 1 · Hanyu 5 · Lesson 3 · Hanyu 5 · Lesson 7 · Hanyu 5 · Lesson 11

她今年终于考上了大学。

Tā jīnnián zhōngyú kǎoshàng le dàxué.

This year she finally got into university.

Explanation

Verb + 下: A. Indicates a completed action, with the sense of coming off or separating (taking off, removing). B. 下 indicates a person or thing moving from a high place to a low place, or a direction from high to low. In addition, 下 as a resultative complement expresses completion, holding, or receiving (收下, 买下, 留下).

Verb + 上: A. Indicates an action with a result, sometimes with the sense of closing or coming into contact again. B. Indicates a person or thing moving from a low place to a high place, or achieving a certain goal.

Structure

1
Vverb下 (A: hoàn thành, tách khỏi, tiếp nhận)
A completed action with the sense of coming off; or holding, receiving, keeping (收下, 买下, 留下).
- 一到春天人们都脱下冬衣，换上春装。
  Yí dào chūntiān rénmen dōu tuōxià dōngyī, huànshàng chūnzhuāng.
  Every spring, people take off their winter coats and put on spring clothes.
- 国王相信了他的话，就收下了他。
  Guówáng xiāngxìn le tā de huà, jiù shōuxià le tā.
  The king believed his words and accepted him.
- 我把这套房子买下了。
  Wǒ bǎ zhè tào fángzi mǎixià le.
  I have already bought this house.
- 这是我们送给你的生日礼物，请你收下吧。
  Zhè shì wǒmen sòng gěi nǐ de shēngrì lǐwù, qǐng nǐ shōuxià ba.
  This is a birthday gift from us to you; please accept it.
2
Vverb下 (B: từ cao xuống thấp)
A person or thing moving from a high place to a low place; 去 can follow a place object (下山去).
- 请同学们快坐下，我们上课了。
  Qǐng tóngxuémen kuài zuòxià, wǒmen shàngkè le.
  Please sit down quickly, class is starting.
- 她感动得流下了眼泪。
  Tā gǎndòng de liúxià le yǎnlèi.
  She was so moved that tears fell.
- 我们从这里走下山去吧。
  Wǒmen cóng zhèlǐ zǒuxià shān qù ba.
  Let's go down the mountain from here.
- 他跳下水去把孩子救了上来。
  Tā tiàoxià shuǐ qù bǎ háizi jiù le shànglái.
  He jumped into the water and saved the child.
- 太阳已经落了，我们快下山去吧。
  Tàiyáng yǐjīng luò le, wǒmen kuài xiàshān qù ba.
  The sun has set; let's hurry down the mountain.
- 看到这种情况，我流下了眼泪。
  Kàndào zhè zhǒng qíngkuàng, wǒ liúxià le yǎnlèi.
  Seeing this scene, I shed tears.
3
Vverb上 (A: có kết quả, khép lại, tiếp xúc)
An action with a result, sometimes with the sense of closing or coming into contact (关上, 锁上, 爱上, 换上).
- 我把窗户关上，锁上门，咱们就走。
  Wǒ bǎ chuānghu guānshàng, suǒshàng mén, zánmen jiù zǒu.
  I close the window, lock the door, and then we'll go.
- 刚来时不习惯，一年后她已经爱上了这个地方，不愿意离开了。
  Gāng lái shí bù xíguàn, yì nián hòu tā yǐjīng àishàng le zhège dìfang, bú yuànyì líkāi le.
  When she first arrived she wasn't used to it, but a year later she had fallen in love with this place and didn't want to leave.
4
Vverb上 (B: từ thấp lên cao / đạt mục đích)
Moving up to a high place, or achieving some goal (爬上, 骑上, 考上).
- 我看见他骑上自行车出去了。
  Wǒ kànjiàn tā qíshàng zìxíngchē chūqù le.
  I saw him ride his bike outside.
- 他提着书爬上了十层楼。
  Tā tízhe shū páshàng le shí céng lóu.
  He carried his books and climbed up to the tenth floor.
- 她今年终于考上了大学。
  Tā jīnnián zhōngyú kǎoshàng le dàxué.
  This year she finally got into university.

Usage notes

With a place, put the place object between V + 下 and 去: 走下山去, 跳下水去; the textbook corrects "下去山" to "下山去".
下 can also express capacity: 装不下 (can't hold it all).

Common mistakes

~~看到这种情况，我的眼里流了眼泪。~~
看到这种情况，我流下了眼泪。
the textbook corrects it using V + 下
~~太阳已经降落了，我们快下去山吧。~~
太阳已经落了，我们快下山去吧。
the place object goes before 去

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