Difference between revisions of "Expressing "until" with "dao""
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*他们 想 在 这里 住 <strong>到</strong> <em>春天</em> 。 <span class="pinyin">Tāmen xiǎng zài zhèlǐ zhù <strong>dào</strong> <em> chūntiān</em>.</span><span class="trans">They want to live here until it's spring.</span> | *他们 想 在 这里 住 <strong>到</strong> <em>春天</em> 。 <span class="pinyin">Tāmen xiǎng zài zhèlǐ zhù <strong>dào</strong> <em> chūntiān</em>.</span><span class="trans">They want to live here until it's spring.</span> | ||
*你们 要 玩 <strong>到</strong> <em>什么 时候</em> ？<span class="pinyin">Nǐmen yào wán <strong>dào</strong> <em> shénme shíhou</em>? </span><span class="trans">When will you be done playing?</span> | *你们 要 玩 <strong>到</strong> <em>什么 时候</em> ？<span class="pinyin">Nǐmen yào wán <strong>dào</strong> <em> shénme shíhou</em>? </span><span class="trans">When will you be done playing?</span> | ||
| − | *爸爸 看电视 看 <strong>到</strong> <em>半夜</em> 。<span class="trans">My dad watched TV until midnight.</span> | + | *爸爸 看电视 看 <strong>到</strong> <em>半夜</em> 。<span class="pinyin">Bàba kàn diànshì <strong>dào</strong> <em>bànyè</em>.</span><span class="trans">My dad watched TV until midnight.</span> |
| − | *我们 吃 火锅 吃 <strong>到</strong> <em>火锅店 关门</em> 。<span class="trans">We ate hotpot until the hotpot place was closed.</span> | + | *我们 吃 火锅 吃 <strong>到</strong> <em>火锅店 关门</em> 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒmen chī huǒguō chī <strong>dào</strong> <em>huǒguōdiàn guānmén</em>.</span><span class="trans">We ate hotpot until the hotpot place was closed.</span> |
| − | *我们 部门 从 八点 | + | *我们 部门 从 八点 开始 开会，一直 开 <strong>到</strong> <em>中午</em> 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒmen bùmén cóng bā diǎn kāishǐ kāihuì, yīzhí kāi <strong>dào</strong> <em>zhōngwǔ</em>.</span><span class="trans">We had a department meeting from 8am to noon.</span> |
*她 给 她 妈妈 打 电话 一直 打 <strong>到</strong> <em>手机 没 电</em> 。<span class="pinyin">Tā gěi tā māma dǎ diànhuà yīzhí dǎ <strong>dào</strong> <em>shǒujī méi diàn</em>.</span><span class="trans">She called her mom until her phone was dead.</span> | *她 给 她 妈妈 打 电话 一直 打 <strong>到</strong> <em>手机 没 电</em> 。<span class="pinyin">Tā gěi tā māma dǎ diànhuà yīzhí dǎ <strong>dào</strong> <em>shǒujī méi diàn</em>.</span><span class="trans">She called her mom until her phone was dead.</span> | ||
*周五 晚上 我 跟 同事 去 KTV ，我们 一直 唱 <strong>到</strong> <em>第二天 早上 五点</em> 。<span class="pinyin">Zhōuwǔ wǎnshang wǒ gēn tóngshì qù KTV, wǒmen yīzhí chàng <strong>dào</strong> <em>dìèr tiān zǎoshang wǔ diǎn</em>.</span><span class="trans">I went to the KTV Friday evening with my coworker. We sang until 5 o'clock the next morning.</span> | *周五 晚上 我 跟 同事 去 KTV ，我们 一直 唱 <strong>到</strong> <em>第二天 早上 五点</em> 。<span class="pinyin">Zhōuwǔ wǎnshang wǒ gēn tóngshì qù KTV, wǒmen yīzhí chàng <strong>dào</strong> <em>dìèr tiān zǎoshang wǔ diǎn</em>.</span><span class="trans">I went to the KTV Friday evening with my coworker. We sang until 5 o'clock the next morning.</span> | ||
Revision as of 08:07, 20 June 2017
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Level
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Similar to
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Used for
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Keywords
One kind of complement in Chinese involves putting 到 after the verb. 到 (dào) is used to indicate that the action has obtained a goal or a certain state.
Structure
Verb + 到 + A Certain Time Point
Examples
- 我 昨天 晚上 工作 到 十二 点 半。I worked until 12:30 last night.
- 我们 一直 等 到 天黑 。 We waited until it was getting dark.
- 他们 想 在 这里 住 到 春天 。 They want to live here until it's spring.
- 你们 要 玩 到 什么 时候 ？When will you be done playing?
- 爸爸 看电视 看 到 半夜 。My dad watched TV until midnight.
- 我们 吃 火锅 吃 到 火锅店 关门 。We ate hotpot until the hotpot place was closed.
- 我们 部门 从 八点 开始 开会，一直 开 到 中午 。We had a department meeting from 8am to noon.
- 她 给 她 妈妈 打 电话 一直 打 到 手机 没 电 。She called her mom until her phone was dead.
- 周五 晚上 我 跟 同事 去 KTV ，我们 一直 唱 到 第二天 早上 五点 。I went to the KTV Friday evening with my coworker. We sang until 5 o'clock the next morning.
See also
Sources and further reading
Books
- New Practical Chinese Reader 2 (新实用汉语课本2) (pp. 240) →buy
- Chinese Grammar Without Tears (简明汉语语法学习手册) (p.93-95) →buy
