Problems with 下来and下去

[hainandao]

So I was hoping someone could quickly give me a hand with this as I'm still not too clear on these two...

I had thought that ...下去 pointed out a continuation of an action that you've just started doing. I'm getting confused with...下来 because I'm used to seeing it in 写下来/拍下来/定下来 types of contexts but recently I cam across a text talking about a person deciding to 留下来. Is it just pointing to something that has been definitively 'done' like saying he won't go somewhere else afterwards or am I way off?? Also why can't this use ...下去 to show he continues to stay in the place??? Confuuuused!

Thanks for your help guys

[爱德华]

As i understand it, 下去 indicates a descending action "to go down" as a verb with no completion to the movement. I would use "仍留"

To indicate someone remaining you could say "她(仍留)在屋里" she remains in the house..

Just joined this forum so hope my first bit of advise is useful!

[creamyhorror]

Generally speaking (imo),

下去 = to continue performing an action / to move downwards

下来 = to stop or become stationary / put something into a crystallised/finalised state

Examples:

写下来 = to write down

买下来 = to buy something up

坐下来 = to sit down

坐下去 = to sit down (possibly emphasising the physical act of sitting more)

喝下去 / 吃下去 = to swallow down (in the sense of downward motion)

I think it's probably best to learn these as full phrases rather than try to use a general rule to predict whether they take 下来 or 下去 as a complement.

[hainandao]

Thanks for the input guys. #creamyhorror you're totally right about learning these type of compliments together rather than looking for some universal rule. I was just wondering what difference writing 留下来/留下去 would have on the sentence's meaning...does saying 留下来 imply that it is a permanent decision to remain wheras 留下去 suggests to continue staying or so something??

[anonymoose]

The confusion seems to arise because you are mixing the uses of 下来. As explained above, 下来 can be used to signify putting something into a crystalised state, as in 写下来.

But distinct to this usage is another usage of 下来 which goes hand in hand with 下去. Basically, if an action was continued from the past until the present, use 下来, and if the action is continued from the present into the future, use 下去. It kind of makes sense if you think about it, as 下来 is "coming" from the past up to the present (or at least a later time), whereas 下去 is "going" into the future from the present.

[Guest realmayo]

It kind of makes sense if you think about it

I imagine Chinese time as a vertical scroll, with writing from top to bottom: the present is a point in the middle, with the past up above and the future below.

This was the only way I could get my head around 下来s and 下去s.

[hainandao]

Anonymouse# you are probably right about me confusing the different usages, thanks for your help guys.

[Quamarine]

You should notice 来 means come and 去 means go

so 下来 means I am down and you are up, 下去 means I am up and you are down

So ，if I am sitting and I (must) say to you 坐下来 and if I am standing and I may say to you 坐下去

[Angelina]

Downvote by mistake.