来 (來) lái

1. lái verb to come
   Domain: Modern Chinese 现代汉语
   Notes: An intransitive verb indicating motion towards the speaker. For example, 你回来啦！ 'You have come back!' (Lao She, 2003, p. 176) 来 is used in this sense in both modern and literary Chinese (Kroll 2015 '來' 2). 来 is the 11th most frequently used word in the Beijing Language Institute's 1985 frequency wordlist (Ho 2002, '来' 1; Kroll 2015 '來' 2, pp. 250-251; NCCED '来' 1).
2. lái particle indicates an approximate quantity
   Domain: Modern Chinese 现代汉语 , Subdomain: Quantity
   Notes: (NCCED '来' 助2)
3. lái verb please
   Domain: Modern Chinese 现代汉语
   Notes: (Ho 2002, '来' 3)
4. lái verb used to substitute for another verb
   Domain: Modern Chinese 现代汉语
   Notes: (NCCED '来' 5; Ho 2002, '来' 2)
5. lái verb used between two word groups to express purpose and effect
   Domain: Modern Chinese 现代汉语 , Subdomain: Spoken Language
   Notes: (Kroll 2015 '來' 4, pp. 250-251; NCCED '来' 9)
6. lái particle ever since
   Domain: Literary Chinese 文言文
   Notes: In this sense, 来 is used after a time expression (Kroll 2015 '來' 3a, pp. 250-251; NCCED '来' 3). For example, 几十年来 'n the last few years.' (VOA, 2015-07-25) This sense is also used in literary Chinese (Kroll 2015 '來' 4).
7. lái noun wheat
   Domain: Literary Chinese 文言文
   Notes: (Kroll 2015 '來' 1, pp. 250-251)
8. lái adjective next; future
   Domain: Literary Chinese 文言文
   Notes: In the sense of 以来 (Kroll 2015 '來' 3, pp. 250-251; NCCED '来' 1). For example, 来日绮窗前 'In future days in front of the carved window ...' (Wang Wei, Lines in Complete Tang Poems, Scroll 118)
9. lái verb a simple complement of direction
   Domain: Modern Chinese 现代汉语
   Notes: 来 is used in this sense after a verb or verb phrase to indicate movement towards the speaker (NCCED '来' 5). For example, 一出来 'as soon as he came out ...' (Lao She, 2003, p. 260)
10. lái verb to occur; to arise
    Domain: Modern Chinese 现代汉语
    Notes: (Kroll 2015 '來' 2a, pp. 250-251; NCCED '来' 4)
11. lái verb to earn
    Domain: Modern Chinese 现代汉语
    Notes: (NCCED '来' 11)

Contained in

• 寻来范畴(尋來範疇) derived category
• 由来(由來) origin
• 傥来(儻來) accidentally ; by itself
• 远方来鸿(遠方來鴻) letter from afar
• 来集(來集) come to perch
• 重译来朝(重譯來朝) repeatedly sent emissaries to visit the court
• 适来(適來) just now
• 来项(來項) income
• 对我来说(對我來說) as far as I'm concerned
• 外来(外來) external; foreign; outside
• 兵来将挡，水来土掩(兵來將擋，水來土掩) counter soldiers with arms, water with an earth weir; different situations call for different action
• 来者不拒(來者不拒) to refuse nobody ; all comers welcome
• 马来文(馬來文) Malaysian language
• 希伯来书(希伯來書) Epistle of St Paul to the Hebrews
• 承不起来(承不起來) unable to sustain something
• 机会带来成功(機會帶來成功) Opportunity brings success.
• 停下来(停下來) to stop
• 上来(上來) to come up; to approach ; to start; to begin ; to pick up speed; to increase momentum
• 空穴来风(空穴來風) wind to empty spaces winds fly
• 一路来(一路來) all the way; all along; since the start
• 乱来(亂來) to act recklessly; to mess around
• 飞来横祸(飛來橫禍) sudden and unexpected disaster
• 来文(來文) received document; sent document
• 马来人(馬來人) Malay person or people
• 来电显示(來電顯示) caller ID
• 比来(比來) lately; recently
• 谈得来(談得來) to be able to talk to; to get along with; to be congenial
• 来正(來正) the first month next year
• 话说回来(話說回來) returning to our main topic,...; that said,...; again,...; in this connection; in passing; nevertheless,...; anyhow
• 来神(來神) to become spirited
• 来源批判学(來源批判學) source criticism
• 来路不明(來路不明) unidentified origin; no-one knows where it comes from; of dubious background
• 来历不明(來歷不明) of unknown origin
• 未来派(未來派) Futurism (artistic and social movement of the 20th century)
• 血债要用血来偿(血債要用血來償) A debt of blood must be paid in blood. / Blood calls for blood.
• 一来二去(一來二去) gradually; little by little; in the course of time
• 来意(來意) purpose in coming
• 来鸿(來鴻) incoming letter
• 当来(當來) future
• 挣来(掙來) to earn
• 机不可失，失不再来(機不可失，失不再來) opportunity knocks but once
• 站进来(站進來) come inside and stand
• 悲从中来(悲從中來) sorrow from personal problems
• 严格来讲(嚴格來講) strictly speaking

Also contained in

不来梅 、 来义乡 、 宝丽来 、 不来梅港 、 来安县 、 阿来 、 马来西亚

Word is mentioned most frequently in

Truncated for common words

• 卷七十　表第八:　屬國表 Volume 70 Tables 8: Vassal States History of Liao 遼史 — count: 277
• 第二十四回 Chapter 24 Water Margin 水滸傳 — count: 187
• 卷三十九 志第十九: 地理二 Volume 39 Treatises 19: Geography 2 Old Book of Tang 舊唐書 — count: 135
• 第四十五回 Chapter 45 Water Margin 水滸傳 — count: 111
• 卷一百十五　列傳第四十五: 二國外記 Volume 115 Biographies 45: Two Records of Foreign Countries History of Liao 遼史 — count: 105
• 《龜策列傳》 Biographies of Diviners Records of the Grand Historian 史記 — count: 105
• 第四十三回 Chapter 43 Water Margin 水滸傳 — count: 104
• 第二回 Chapter 2 Water Margin 水滸傳 — count: 102
• 第三十九回 Chapter 39 Water Margin 水滸傳 — count: 98
• 第二回 Chapter 74 Dream of the Red Chamber 紅樓夢 — count: 96

Collocations

• 来思 (來思) 今我來思 — The Book of Songs 詩經, 小雅‧鹿鳴之什‧采薇 Minor odes of the kingdom - Decade Of Lu Ming - Cai Wei — count: 9
• 尸来 (屍來) 公尸來燕來寧 — The Book of Songs 詩經, 大雅‧生民之什‧鳧鷖 Greater odes of the kingdom - Decade Of Sheng Min - Fu Yi — count: 5
• 福禄来 (福祿來) 福祿來成 — The Book of Songs 詩經, 大雅‧生民之什‧鳧鷖 Greater odes of the kingdom - Decade Of Sheng Min - Fu Yi — count: 5
• 燕来 (燕來) 公尸來燕來寧 — The Book of Songs 詩經, 大雅‧生民之什‧鳧鷖 Greater odes of the kingdom - Decade Of Sheng Min - Fu Yi — count: 4
• 来燕 (來燕) 公尸來燕來寧 — The Book of Songs 詩經, 大雅‧生民之什‧鳧鷖 Greater odes of the kingdom - Decade Of Sheng Min - Fu Yi — count: 4
• 伻来 (伻來) 伻來以圖 — Book of Documents 尚書, 周書 洛誥 Zhou Shu - Announcement concerning Luo — count: 3
• 来止 (來止) 曾孫來止 — The Book of Songs 詩經, 小雅‧甫田之什‧甫田 Minor odes of the kingdom - Fu Tian Zhi Shen - Fu Tian — count: 3
• 长夜室来 (長夜室來) 淮夷來求 — The Book of Songs 詩經, 大雅‧蕩之什‧江漢 Greater odes of the kingdom - Decade Of Dang - Jiang Han — count: 3
• 牧来 (牧來) 爾牧來思 — The Book of Songs 詩經, 小雅‧鴻鴈之什‧無羊 Minor odes of the kingdom - Hong Yan Zhi Shen - Wu Yang — count: 2
• 曾孙来 (曾孫來) 曾孫來止 — The Book of Songs 詩經, 小雅‧甫田之什‧甫田 Minor odes of the kingdom - Fu Tian Zhi Shen - Fu Tian — count: 2