来 lái
to come
来 (lái) means "to come" in Chinese and is one of the highest-frequency words in the Speak1000 curriculum.
How to use 来
你来 ___
You come to ___
___来了
___ has arrived / is here
过来 / 回来
Come over / Come back
Words used with 来
过来
guòlái
to come over
回来
huílái
to come back / return
外卖
wàimài
takeout / food delivery
办公室
bàngōngshì
office
Frequently asked questions
What does 来 (lái) mean in Chinese?
来 (lái) means "to come" in Chinese. 来 (lái) means "to come" in Chinese and is one of the highest-frequency words in the Speak1000 curriculum.
How do you use 来 in a sentence?
The core pattern is "你来 ___" (You come to ___). Once you know this block, you can reuse it with many other words to build full sentences.
What words are commonly used with 来?
Common words that pair with 来 include 过来, 回来. Learning these together helps you build complete, natural sentences instead of isolated vocabulary.
What is the difference between 来 (lái) and 给 (gěi)?
Both are high-frequency Chinese words taught early in Speak1000. 来 means "to come"; 给 means "to give / for". The fastest way to tell them apart is to hear each one used in real sentences — our free lessons drill every word in context so the contrast becomes natural.
Related Chinese concepts
Why this concept matters
One concept should unlock a network, not one translation
Speak1000 teaches 来 as part of a cumulative sentence network. You connect it to concepts you already know, hear the combinations in context, and retrieve them in new situations.
See the Concept Unlock MethodHear 来 used in real sentences
The fastest way to remember 来 (lái) is to hear it used naturally. Start with our free interactive lesson and practice with real audio from day one.
Try Free Lesson: Unit 1