Mandarin · Chapter 20 · Lesson 6 · Grammar primer
Compound directional complements
Verb + a two-part direction showing motion relative to the speaker: 走出来, 跑下去, 拿起来, 带过来. The 来/去 element fixes whether the motion heads toward or away from the speaker, and the object slots inside the complement (拿出一本书来).
The short version
Choose 来 (lái) or 去 (qù) from your own feet
The deixis word is decided by where the speaker is standing, not by the doorway or the compass. Outside as your friend runs out to join you, it is 他跑出来了 (tā pǎo chū lái le); inside as he leaves you behind, the same event is 他跑出去了 (tā pǎo chū qù le). And 起 (qǐ) only ever takes 来 (lái): there is no 站起去 (zhàn qǐ qù).
他跑出来了 tā pǎo chū lái le
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