坐下来 / 坐下去

[L3P]

Hello!



Dictionaries give the same translations for both 坐下来 and 坐下去 - 'sit down',but since 下来 means 'come down here' and 下去 means 'go down there' there must be a difference between the two.Is there?


Thank you.

 

[aaronsun666]

The two phrases differs greatly in meaning.

坐下来 － This is a common phrase. examples: 坐下来聊聊。 ／坐下来说话，别站着。

坐下去 － sounds like the arse is hovering somewhere in the air and you ask the person to set his arse down

 

[L3P]

Thanks,aaronsun666,I got it!

 

[retrogradedwithwind]

Here the 来 and 去 indicate the direction of the move of the ass.

 

[Messquito]

When the speaker says 坐下來, it is very likely that:
1. the speaker is sitting himself and he would like the addressee to come sit with him(the speaker).
2. if the speaker is not sitting down, then it's possible that they are in the speaker's house and when he asks the addressee to sit with him, he means to invite him to sit within the house (the speaker represents the house)-->he invites the addressee to sit and stay with him in the place. This is similar to the use of 留下來吧！=Stay!
When the speaker says 坐下去,
1. it sounds as if the speaker is giving a command, and the addressee is not told to sit down so that he can be seated "with" the speaker. It sounds harsh, so sometimes we would use only 坐下
2. another use for the suffix -下去 would be to show determination. It means that you can take the action only if you have determination or firm will. It describe a decisive and prompt action. Some examples:

A: 這個東西給你吃一口，很健康！ Take a bite of this, it's healthy!
B: 這個我吃過，超難吃的！I've tasted this before; it is gross!
A: 但是很健康，你吃一口吧！ But it's healthy, just take a bite!
B: 呃... Uh...
A: 你就吃下去吧！ Just eat it!

A: 我想要報名那個課程，但是有點怕會... I want to apply for that course, but I'm afraid I would...
B: 你就報下去吧，又不會怎樣。 Just apply! It won't hurt!

As to 坐下去, said someone wants to sit down on the grass but he's afraid if the soil would stain his trousers or something. You might tell him, 你就坐下去吧，一點點土不會怎樣！Just sit down; a little dirt is no big deal!

3. a more common one for the use of 坐下去, is to mean "continue/keep on sitting." 你再這樣做下去，屁股會變得更大！ If you keep on sitting like this, you'll get an even bigger ass!

 

[SuperXW]

Messquito, you haven't consider the situations when the subject is not 你, but 他. The speaker would just be a narrator in those cases.
For example:
他坐下来，打开书包。
他坐下去就不起来了。
Your rules can't apply to these then...

 

[brofeelgood]

坐下去 = sit down
- 这里到处都是狗屎,你怎么没看清楚就坐(了)下去?

坐上去 = sit on something
- 这马桶座圈沾满了屎,你怎么没看清楚就坐(了)上去?

 

[aaronsun666]

坐下去 － sounds like the arse is hovering somewhere in the air and you ask the person to set his arse down

One example to demonstrate this usage: 他一屁股坐下去，凳子碎了，屁股差点摔两半（儿）了。