来 meaning and stroke order
To come; (used as a substitute for a more specific verb); hither (directional complement for motion toward the speaker, as in 回來|回来[hui2 lai5])
How to write 来, stroke by stroke
7 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 来
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to come
- (used as a substitute for a more specific verb)
- hither (directional complement for motion toward the speaker, as in 回來|回来[hui2 lai5])
- ever since (as in 自古以來|自古以来[zi4 gu3 yi3 lai2])
- for the past (amount of time)
- (prefix) the coming ...; the next ... (as in 來世|来世[lai2 shi4])
How 来 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. A wheat plant that has not yet borne fruit; compare 來.
Radical: 木 (tree), shared by 388 characters on this site.
How to remember 来
The etymology hint describes a wheat plant that has not yet borne fruit, and you can see it in the parts: 未 (wèi, not yet) with 丷 like two little leaves or grains on top. Picture wheat that is still coming, something on its way to you.
来 (lái) means to come, toward the speaker, and it often follows other verbs to show direction, as in 回来 (huílái) and 进来 (jìnlái). It can also replace a more specific verb, for example when you offer to do something yourself. Example: 你什么时候来？(Nǐ shénme shíhou lái?) When are you coming?
Common mistake: Learners mix up 来 (lái, come) and 去 (qù, go). 来 means movement toward the speaker, so on the phone from home you say 你来我家 (nǐ lái wǒ jiā), not 你去我家. Also, in complements like 回来 the 来 is often said in the neutral tone (huílai).
Common words with 来
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 回来 | huílái | to return; to come back | HSK 1 |
| 起来 | qǐlái | to stand up; to get up; also pr. [qi3lai2] | HSK 1 |
| 出来 | chūlái | to come out; to appear | HSK 1 |
| 进来 | jìnlái | to come in | HSK 1 |
| 来到 | láidào | to arrive; to come | HSK 1 |
| 过来 | guòlái | to come over; to manage | HSK 2 |
| 带来 | dàilái | to bring; (fig.) to bring about; to produce | HSK 2 |
| 来自 | láizì | to come from (a place); From: (in email header) | HSK 2 |
| 原来 | yuánlái | original; former; originally; formerly; at first | HSK 2 |
| 后来 | hòulái | afterwards; later; newly arrived | HSK 2 |
| 接下来 | jiē xiàlái | to accept; to take | HSK 2 |
| 越来越 | yuè lái yuè | more and more | HSK 2 |
| 看起来 | kàn qǐlái | seemingly; apparently; looks as if; appears to be; gives the impression that; seems on the | HSK 3 |
| 下来 | xiàlái | to come down; (completed action marker) | HSK 3 |
来 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 来
Learning 来 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 来
How many strokes are in 来?
来 is written with 7 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 来 mean?
来 (lái) means to come; (used as a substitute for a more specific verb); hither (directional complement for motion toward the speaker, as in 回來|回来[hui2 lai5]). A common word with it is 回来 (huílái), meaning "to return; to come back".
How do you pronounce 来?
来 is pronounced lái, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 来?
The radical of 来 is 木, which carries the idea of "tree". Dictionaries list 来 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 来?
The traditional form of 来 is 來. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 来 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 来 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 来 is part of the HSK 1 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 1.
What does 我来 mean when someone says it?
我来 (wǒ lái) means "let me do it" or "I'll handle it." Here 来 stands in for a more specific verb, such as paying, carrying, or cooking.
How is 来 used with time expressions?
After a length of time, 来 means "for the past," as in 三年来 (sān nián lái), over the past three years. In 以来 (yǐlái) it means ever since, and before a noun like 来年 (láinián) it means the coming one.