起来 as Result Complement
起来 after a verb indicates beginning of an action, gathering together, or subjective impression.
Pattern
Verb + 起来 / Adjective + 起来
Explanation
起来 as a complement has three main uses: (1) beginning of an action - start to do something; (2) gathering or coming together; (3) expressing a subjective impression or feeling about something when used with adjectives.
When expressing 'seems like' or 'when you actually do it', 起来 follows an adjective or verb: 说起来容易 (sounds easy when you say it). This usage conveys how something appears or feels from the speaker's perspective.
Examples
大家唱起来了。
Dàjiā chàng qǐlái le.
Everyone started singing.
起来 = start doing.
这个菜看起来很好吃。
Zhège cài kàn qǐlái hěn hǎochī.
This dish looks delicious.
看起来 = looks like (subjective impression).
请把这些文件收起来。
Qǐng bǎ zhèxiē wénjiàn shōu qǐlái.
Please put these documents away.
收起来 = gather up, put away.
Common Mistakes
他起来跑了。
他跑起来了。
起来 is a complement that follows the verb, not precedes it.
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