In Chinese language, the directional complement usually has extensive application. 起来is one of the most important directional complements in Chinese language that the foreign students who learn Chinese in China should master. However, the meanings of 起来in站起来, 哭起来and 捆起来 are different. You should use them properly after correct understanding.

In the sentence 他站起来了,起来is the basic application, indicating that the body or parts of body move together with the action from the low to the high. But in 他哭起来and 他笑起来, it is the extensive application. As a matter of fact, there are totally three types of extensive applications for 起来as follows.

The first one that the foreign students who study in Mandarin learning courses should know is that used after verbs or adjectives to indicate the action or state begins and will continue to develop. For instance, 他的一个笑话把大家逗得大笑起来. In this usage, it emphasizes to start a new action and develop from static state to the trends like快到家门口了，他的心情突然紧张起来.

Another extensive application is also used after the verbs, but it indicates two or more things connect or gather together to reach the fixed state. Accordingly, you can make sentence like 互联网把全球连接起来了. Of course, it can also applied to indicate that the things develop from the scattering state to the concentrating condition such as 这一课题光靠我们自己是不行的，应该和别的单位联合起来.

You should know there is one more usage except the two extensive applications above when you learn Chinese online free. Being placed after the verb, it can also imply to put something that is scattering and obvious into the hidden and safe place through certain actions. You may often hear children say that 快把礼物藏起来. And you can also say 放起来吧，别丢了.