<p>It means &quot;to start talking/chatting&quot;.</p>
<p>起来 can be used as a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_grammar#Complement_of_direction" rel="nofollow noreferrer">direction complement</a> to express that <a href="https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/38848/what-s-the-difference-between-%e8%b5%b7%e6%9d%a5-and-%e4%b8%8a">the action <strong>has started</strong></a>.</p>
<p>As it's common in direction complements, when there is an object, the second direction verb 去 / 来 can be moved after it, and <a href="https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/30114/is-it-acceptable-to-omit-%e6%9d%a5-in-%e8%b5%b7%e6%9d%a5-as-a-direction-complement">it can even be omitted</a><sup>1</sup>.</p>
<p>For example:</p>
<ul>
<li>咱们<strong>动起来</strong>吧 = Let's move！</li>
<li>我刚<strong>看起</strong>这本书<strong>来</strong>，就觉得无聊 = I just started reading this book, and I'm already bored</li>
</ul>
<p>Additional examples can be found <a href="https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Direction_complement_%22-qilai%22" rel="nofollow noreferrer">here</a>.</p>
<hr>
<p><sup>1: in the linked question, 起来 was used in its more literal meaning of &quot;rise up&quot;. In your example and in this answer, &quot;to begin&quot; is figurative. The AllSetLearning link explains these two usages as well.</sup></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-09-04T04:34:38.223Z
I agree on HungYu Chang's answer. 起 in the OP's sentence doesn't mean "to start", but like 到 or 及, which is also a complement, denoting 'involvement' other than 'start'.
dan
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-09-05T04:11:13.057Z
In my view,  聊到, would be better translated into English as "regarding"
Wayne Cheah
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-09-05T04:28:28.617Z
And yes, 聊起 is better understood as "talk about", (or "start to talk about"), which I initially wanted to use. However, I settled on just "start to..." because OP was confused as to why 聊, (talk), 起, (rise), is combined and what is the role of 起. So in order to remain topical to OP's question, 起, it's many meanings and role in 聊起 has to be explained. By replacing 起 with 到 dose not explain adequately the role of 起 in this context.
Wayne Cheah
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-09-03T09:13:02.143Z
2020-09-03T09:28:12.163Z
2020-09-03T09:28:12.163Z
blackgreen
<p>聊起這個男人的事情 and 聊到這個男人的事情 have the same meaning, so that I think 聊起 is more like 「TALK ABOUT」 instead of 「START TO TALK」.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>这不，马小姐正在和她的好朋友李太太【開始】聊起这个男人的事情。</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Add 開始 in this sentence is more like &quot;START TO TALK SOMETHING/SOMEBODY&quot;</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-09-04T04:21:25.737Z
Yes, I agree with you that 起 here means 到 instead of "start to".
dan
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-09-03T13:56:16.613Z
2020-09-03T13:56:16.613Z
HungYu Chang
<p>Besides &quot;rise&quot;, 起, also has the meaning of &quot;start&quot; or &quot;start to...&quot;</p>
<p>So, 聊起, in the context of the sentence means &quot;start to talk&quot;</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-09-03T09:11:13.367Z
2020-09-03T09:11:13.367Z
Wayne Cheah
<blockquote>
<p>这不，马小姐正在和她的好朋友李太太聊起这个男人的事情。</p>
</blockquote>
<p>起 in 聊起 here denotes this sense defined in dictionaries:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>用在动词后，表示动作涉及某人或某事，相当于“及”或“到”(used after a verb, denoting the person or things involed in the action. works like '及' or '到')</p>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<p>他从没提起过这件事。</p>
</blockquote>
<p>P. S. It might not be relevant to your question.  FWIW, the sentence has an issue that 正在 and 聊起 contradict  each other. This might be an improvement:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>这不，马小姐和她的好朋友李太太聊起了这个男人的事情。</p>
</blockquote>
<p>or</p>
<blockquote>
<p>这不，马小姐正在和她的好朋友李太太聊着这个男人的事情。</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-09-04T04:30:36.420Z
2020-09-04T04:36:17.620Z
2020-09-04T04:36:17.620Z
dan
<p>I found a sentence from a story which goes:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>这不，马小姐正在和她的好朋友李太太聊起这个男人的事情。</p>
</blockquote>
<p>The word that I don't fully understand is “聊起”。</p>
<p>I know that 聊 means to talk and 起 means to rise, but that just doesn't make sense together. Can anyone help me out? Any help would be appreciated.</p>
<p>Thank you!</p>

<meaning><direction-complement>
What's the meaning of 聊起 in 马小姐正在和她的好朋友李太太聊起这个男人的事情
# What's the meaning of 聊起 in 马小姐正在和她的好朋友李太太聊起这个男人的事情

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-09-03)

I found a sentence from a story which goes:

> 这不，马小姐正在和她的好朋友李太太聊起这个男人的事情。

The word that I don't fully understand is “聊起”。

I know that 聊 means to talk and 起 means to rise, but that just doesn't make sense together. Can anyone help me out? Any help would be appreciated.

Thank you!

**Tags:** meaning, direction-complement


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## 4 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2020-09-03. Score: 2

It means "to start talking/chatting".

起来 can be used as a [direction complement](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_grammar#Complement_of_direction) to express that [the action **has started**](https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/38848/what-s-the-difference-between-%e8%b5%b7%e6%9d%a5-and-%e4%b8%8a).

As it's common in direction complements, when there is an object, the second direction verb 去 / 来 can be moved after it, and [it can even be omitted](https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/30114/is-it-acceptable-to-omit-%e6%9d%a5-in-%e8%b5%b7%e6%9d%a5-as-a-direction-complement)1.

For example:

* 咱们**动起来**吧 = Let's move！
* 我刚**看起**这本书**来**，就觉得无聊 = I just started reading this book, and I'm already bored

Additional examples can be found [here](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Direction_complement_%22-qilai%22).

---

1: in the linked question, 起来 was used in its more literal meaning of "rise up". In your example and in this answer, "to begin" is figurative. The AllSetLearning link explains these two usages as well.

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: I agree on username_4 username_4's answer. 起 in the OP's sentence doesn't mean "to start", but like 到 or 及, which is also a complement, denoting 'involvement' other than 'start'.  
> **username_3**: In my view,  聊到, would be better translated into English as "regarding"  
> **username_3**: And yes, 聊起 is better understood as "talk about", (or "start to talk about"), which I initially wanted to use. However, I settled on just "start to..." because OP was confused as to why 聊, (talk), 起, (rise), is combined and what is the role of 起. So in order to remain topical to OP's question, 起, it's many meanings and role in 聊起 has to be explained. By replacing 起 with 到 dose not explain adequately the role of 起 in this context.  

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### Answer by username_4 on 2020-09-03. Score: 2

聊起這個男人的事情 and 聊到這個男人的事情 have the same meaning, so that I think 聊起 is more like 「TALK ABOUT」 instead of 「START TO TALK」.

> 这不，马小姐正在和她的好朋友李太太【開始】聊起这个男人的事情。

Add 開始 in this sentence is more like "START TO TALK SOMETHING/SOMEBODY"

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: Yes, I agree with you that 起 here means 到 instead of "start to".  

---

### Answer by username_3 on 2020-09-03. Score: 1

Besides "rise", 起, also has the meaning of "start" or "start to..."

So, 聊起, in the context of the sentence means "start to talk"


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### Answer by username_2 on 2020-09-04. Score: 0

> 这不，马小姐正在和她的好朋友李太太聊起这个男人的事情。

起 in 聊起 here denotes this sense defined in dictionaries:

> 用在动词后，表示动作涉及某人或某事，相当于“及”或“到”(used after a verb, denoting the person or things involed in the action. works like '及' or '到')

> 他从没提起过这件事。

P. S. It might not be relevant to your question. FWIW, the sentence has an issue that 正在 and 聊起 contradict each other. This might be an improvement:

> 这不，马小姐和她的好朋友李太太聊起了这个男人的事情。

or

> 这不，马小姐正在和她的好朋友李太太聊着这个男人的事情。


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