过来
guòlai
Come here · trad. 過來
过来 (guòlái) is the most common and direct way to say "come here" in Mandarin Chinese. It literally means "to come over" or "to cross over to here," emphasizing movement towards the speaker's location.
What does 过来 (guòlai) mean?
过来 (guòlai) means “come here” in English. Word for word, it breaks down as “pass come.”
When to use it
Neutral. To add politeness, you can say 请过来 (qǐng guòlái). For a softer, less demanding tone, use 过来一下 (guòlái yīxià), meaning "come here for a moment." For urgency, say 快点过来 (kuàidiǎn guòlái).
How to pronounce it
Sounds roughly like “GWOR-lie.” The 过 (guò) is a falling tone, and 来 (lái) is a rising tone.
Other ways to say it
- 请过来qǐng guòlaiplease come here (polite)
- 过来一下guòlai yíxiàcome here for a moment (softer)
- 快点过来kuàidiǎn guòlaicome here quickly (urgent)
Examples
你过来一下，我有话跟你说。
nǐ guòlai yíxià, wǒ yǒu huà gēn nǐ shuō.
Come here for a moment, I have something to tell you.
请你过来这边坐。
qǐng nǐ guòlai zhèbiān zuò.
Please come over here and sit.
孩子们，快点过来吃饭了！
háizimen, kuàidiǎn guòlai chīfàn le!
Kids, come here quickly, it's time to eat!
Pro tip: 过来 is a directional complement. The character 来 (lái) always indicates movement *towards* the speaker. If the movement is *away* from the speaker, you would use 去 (qù), as in 过去 (guòqù, "go over there").
Related phrases
来 · Come安静 · Be quiet叫 · Call
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