来 (lái) - to come & to arrive

来Tone 2

lái ｜ 7 strokes ｜ radical: 木

俊梁

来 · lái

to come;

to arrive;

future;

next;

about;

approximately;

used to indicate purpose or intention.

to cometo arrivefuture

Usage highlights

to comefutureoriginto come and goto appearto bring

Synonyms

  • 至— to arrive
  • 到— to reach
  • 临— to approach

Antonyms

  • 去— to go
  • 往— to go toward
  • 离— to leave

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • Please come here tomorrow (明天来).
  • The future is full of possibilities (未来).
  • This book costs about 50 yuan (这本书五十来块钱).
  • He came to help me (他来帮我).

Collocations

  • to come(来)
  • future(未来)
  • origin(来源)
  • to come and go(来往)
  • to appear(出来)
  • to bring(带来)

Idioms

  • To come and go freely(来去自由)
  • To come uninvited(不请自来)
  • The past is past, the future is promising(既往不咎，来日方长)
  • To come in an endless stream(纷至沓来)
  • To come back to life(死而复来)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Originally depicted wheat in oracle bone script, later borrowed for its sound to mean 'to come'.
  • In Buddhism, 'coming' refers to the cycle of rebirth and the future.
  • Commonly used in names to express hope for the future or welcoming positive things.

FAQ