<p>All depends on the relative positions between you and the object</p>
<p>王经理在三楼，你<strong>上去</strong>找他吧。indicates your location is below where Manager  Wang is (you are either on the ground floor or the second floor and have to <strong>go up</strong> to find him)</p>
<p>王经理在三楼，你<strong>下去</strong>找他吧。indicates your location is above where Manager Wang is (you have to be on the fourth floor or above and have to <strong>go down</strong> to find him)</p>
<p>More examples:</p>
<p>王经理在外面，你<strong>出去</strong>找他吧 (if Manager Wang is outside, you have to <strong>go outside</strong> to find him)</p>
<p>王经理在里面，你<strong>进去</strong>找他吧 (if Manager Wang is inside, you have to <strong>go inside</strong> to find him)</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-10-01T12:52:27.987Z
What if the location of the speaker or the one they speak to is unknown?
Rusurano
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-10-01T14:02:55.047Z
then use 去 (go), e.g. 不知道王经理在哪里，你去找他吧
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-10-01T17:00:59.930Z
One minor point: the location isn't necessarily relative to _you_; it's sometimes relative to the person you're speaking to. In both English and Chinese, if you're on the phone with someone, you can say you will "come" over, and someone knocking at the door can ask if they can "come" in. In Japanese, it's strictly the speaker's position (i.e., "I'm going" not "I'm coming" when you're on your way).
Stumpy Joe Pete
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-10-02T05:03:30.433Z
Funny, that is the same in Spanish: Come here. Ven por acá. I'm coming! Ya voy. (literally: Already go.)
Pedroski
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-10-01T09:07:17.050Z
2024-10-01T09:07:17.050Z
Tang Ho
<p>This is a very interesting question. It indeed has a logic behind those simple words. It depends not only on the position of the listener who is going to take the action as directed, but also on the position of the speaker who may be involved as the destination for the listener. For example,</p>
<p>(1) A and B are in different positions.</p>
<p>A: 我在一楼大厅。我去哪里找你？</p>
<p>B：我在二楼201房间。你<strong>上来</strong>吧。I am in the second floor. You come up to see me. (Towards me)</p>
<p>(2) A and B are talking face to face.</p>
<p>A: 我想见王经理。我去哪里找他？</p>
<p>B：他在二楼201房间。你<strong>上去</strong>吧。He is in the second floor. You go up to see him. (Going away from me)</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-10-01T11:08:43.387Z
2024-10-02T02:12:50.360Z
2024-10-02T02:12:50.360Z
PdotWang
<p><strong>來 - come (towards me)</strong></p>
<p><strong>去 - go (away from me)</strong></p>
<p><strong>上 - on top; up.</strong></p>
<ul>
<li><p><strong>上來 - coming up.</strong> 到屋顶上來 - coming up (to) the roof.</p>
</li>
<li><p><strong>上去 - going up.</strong> 到屋顶上去 - going up (to) the roof.</p>
</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>下 - down lower; under.</strong></p>
<ul>
<li><p><strong>下來 - coming down.</strong> 從屋顶上下來 - coming down (from) the roof.</p>
</li>
<li><p><strong>下去 - going down.</strong> 用防火梯下去 - use the fire safety/escape stair going down.</p>
</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>出 - out</strong></p>
<ul>
<li><p><strong>出來 - coming out.</strong> 你出來 - You, come out.</p>
</li>
<li><p><strong>出去 - going out; get out.</strong> 出去走一走 - going out for a walk. 你出去 - You, get out.</p>
</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>回 - return</strong></p>
<ul>
<li><p><strong>回來 - return/come back (to me).</strong> 別回來 - don't return/come back (to me).</p>
</li>
<li><p><strong>回去 - return/go back (to him).</strong> 別回去 - don't return/go back (to him).</p>
</li>
</ul>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-10-02T00:19:48.113Z
2024-10-02T00:19:48.113Z
r13
<p>I know the meanings of 出, 回, 来, 去, and similar direction verbs. However I have major issues understanding whenever they start combining with words like 上, 下, 前, 后, and so on.</p>
<p><em>The example:</em> 王经理在三楼，你<strong>上去</strong>找他吧。</p>
<p>Why do we use 上去 here? What stops us from using, for example, 下去? The person may be in a higher floor of the same building. Can you explain me the logic behind the construction? Thanks.</p>

<grammar><difference>
I'm confused with composite direction verbs, help me sort it out
# I'm confused with composite direction verbs, help me sort it out

(Asked by: username_0 on 2024-10-01)

I know the meanings of 出, 回, 来, 去, and similar direction verbs. However I have major issues understanding whenever they start combining with words like 上, 下, 前, 后, and so on.

*The example:* 王经理在三楼，你**上去**找他吧。

Why do we use 上去 here? What stops us from using, for example, 下去? The person may be in a higher floor of the same building. Can you explain me the logic behind the construction? Thanks.

**Tags:** grammar, difference


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## 3 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2024-10-01. Score: 4 | Accepted answer

All depends on the relative positions between you and the object

王经理在三楼，你**上去**找他吧。indicates your location is below where Manager Wang is (you are either on the ground floor or the second floor and have to **go up** to find him)

王经理在三楼，你**下去**找他吧。indicates your location is above where Manager Wang is (you have to be on the fourth floor or above and have to **go down** to find him)

More examples:

王经理在外面，你**出去**找他吧 (if Manager Wang is outside, you have to **go outside** to find him)

王经理在里面，你**进去**找他吧 (if Manager Wang is inside, you have to **go inside** to find him)

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: What if the location of the speaker or the one they speak to is unknown?  
> **username_1**: then use 去 (go), e.g. 不知道王经理在哪里，你去找他吧  
> **username_2**: One minor point: the location isn't necessarily relative to _you_; it's sometimes relative to the person you're speaking to. In both English and Chinese, if you're on the phone with someone, you can say you will "come" over, and someone knocking at the door can ask if they can "come" in. In Japanese, it's strictly the speaker's position (i.e., "I'm going" not "I'm coming" when you're on your way).  
> **username_3**: Funny, that is the same in Spanish: Come here. Ven por acá. I'm coming! Ya voy. (literally: Already go.)  

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### Answer by username_4 on 2024-10-01. Score: 0

This is a very interesting question. It indeed has a logic behind those simple words. It depends not only on the position of the listener who is going to take the action as directed, but also on the position of the speaker who may be involved as the destination for the listener. For example,

(1) A and B are in different positions.

A: 我在一楼大厅。我去哪里找你？

B：我在二楼201房间。你**上来**吧。I am in the second floor. You come up to see me. (Towards me)

(2) A and B are talking face to face.

A: 我想见王经理。我去哪里找他？

B：他在二楼201房间。你**上去**吧。He is in the second floor. You go up to see him. (Going away from me)


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### Answer by username_5 on 2024-10-02. Score: 0

**來 - come (towards me)**

**去 - go (away from me)**

**上 - on top; up.**

* **上來 - coming up.** 到屋顶上來 - coming up (to) the roof.
* **上去 - going up.** 到屋顶上去 - going up (to) the roof.

**下 - down lower; under.**

* **下來 - coming down.** 從屋顶上下來 - coming down (from) the roof.
* **下去 - going down.** 用防火梯下去 - use the fire safety/escape stair going down.

**出 - out**

* **出來 - coming out.** 你出來 - You, come out.
* **出去 - going out; get out.** 出去走一走 - going out for a walk. 你出去 - You, get out.

**回 - return**

* **回來 - return/come back (to me).** 別回來 - don't return/come back (to me).
* **回去 - return/go back (to him).** 別回去 - don't return/go back (to him).


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