(lái) - Lai — to come & to bring

Tone 2

lái | 10 strokes | radical:

· lái

Lai — to come;

to bring;

to cause;

a servant or attendant;

used in classical Chinese and some dialects.

Lai — to cometo bringto cause

Usage highlights

Come hereBring goodsCause troubleServant's dutyAttend to guestsSend someone

Synonyms

Antonyms

  • to go
  • to send away

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • Please come here (倈这里).
  • He brought gifts (倈礼物).
  • This caused trouble (倈麻烦).
  • The servant attended carefully (仆人倈侍候).

Collocations

  • Come here(倈这里)
  • Bring goods(倈货物)
  • Cause trouble(倈麻烦)
  • Servant's duty(倈职责)
  • Attend to guests(倈客人)
  • Send someone(倈人)

Idioms

  • Come and go freely(倈去自由)
  • Bring good fortune(倈福)
  • Serve diligently(勤倈)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Used in classical Chinese texts with meanings of coming, bringing, or causing.
  • Appears in some Chinese dialects and historical contexts as a term for servants or attendants.
  • Less common in modern standard Mandarin but preserved in certain regional usages and literary works.

FAQ