过来 guò lái
“to come over; to manage; to handle”
verb2021 list level 2Traditional 過來
新HSK等级2025 HSK 3.0 syllabus level
过来 appears in the November 2025 exam syllabus in the following numbered entry. Levels refer to the listed reading and use, not every meaning.
- Entry 348: 过来 guòlái — Level 2; official annotation 2 (动). PDF page 88
Separate from the HSK 2.0 and 2021 list labels above. Compare the three lists.
用法How to use 过来
过来 as a main verb means 'to come over (toward the speaker)', with potential forms 过得来/过不来. More often it is a directional complement after verbs of movement or transfer (走过来、跑过来、拿过来); with a complement, 得/不 is inserted before 过来 (走得过来/走不过来), and it also appears in changes of state such as 醒过来 and in 忙得过来/忙不过来 ('be able to manage'). In fast speech the complement is usually neutral (guòlai).
例句Example sentences
- 你快过来，我有话跟你说。nǐ kuài guò lái, wǒ yǒu huà gēn nǐ shuō.Come over quickly, I have something to tell you.
- 他拿着一本书走过来。tā ná zhe yì běn shū zǒu guò lái.He walked over holding a book.
- 妈妈叫我把桌子上的杯子拿过来。mā ma jiào wǒ bǎ zhuō zi shàng de bēi zi ná guò lái.Mom told me to bring the cup on the table over here.
易混词Easily confused
过来vs过去
Both are directional complements, but 过来 shows movement toward the speaker and 过去 shows movement away from the speaker: 他走过来 is 'he came over here', 他走过去 is 'he went over there'.
义项All meanings
- guò lái: to come over; to manage; to handle; to be able to take care of
- guò lai: see 过来