Modern Chinese Compound Directional Complement Object Word Order

The directional complement is the most frequently used one in all kinds of complements. The word order of the compound directional complement and the object is the key points of TCSL (teaching Chinese as a Second Language). And it is a research hotspot in Chinese grammatical study. This paper analyzes comprehensively the word order of locative objects and compound directional complements from the perspective of cognitive linguistics theory explains, and the word order of non-locative objects and compound directional complements in the light of structuralism theory. It finds out the restraining factors, such as characters of objects or verbs, and the character and meaning of compound directional complements and so on. Firstly, it explains the sole pattern—pre-object pattern in the word order of locative objects and compound directional complements based on the distance iconicity theory. Then, from semantic and pragmatic aspects, it descriptively analyzes the word order of non-locative objects and compound directional complements. It lists the conditions of post-object pattern, pre-object pattern, intermediate-object pattern and ba pattern. For example, long object is used in post-object pattern, uncertain affected object can be used pre-object pattern, and direction of verb's displacement is the same as that of compound directional complement; there is merely qualification in the intermediate-object pattern; object must be certain in ba pattern, and verb must be transitive verb. Then it explains their conditions one by one.