lái
  1. to come
  2. (used as a substitute for a more specific verb)
  3. hither (directional complement for motion toward the speaker, as in 回来 huílai)
  4. ever since (as in 自古以来 lái)
  5. for the past (amount of time)
  6. (prefix) the coming ...; the next ... (as in 来世 láishì)
  7. (between two verbs) in order to
  8. (after a round number) approximately
  9. (used after to indicate possibility, as in 谈得来 tándelái, or after to indicate impossibility, as in 吃不来 chībulái)

CEDICT