Difference between revisions of "Expressing "until" with "dao""
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| − | *我 昨天 晚上 工作 < | + | *我 昨天 晚上 工作 <em>到</em> 十二 点 半 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ zuótiān wǎnshang gōngzuò <em>dào</em> shí'èr diǎn bàn.</span><span class="trans">I worked until 12:30 last night.</span> |
| − | *我们 一直 等 < | + | *我们 一直 等 <em>到</em> 天黑 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒmen yīzhí děng <em>dào</em> tiānhēi.</span><span class="trans">We waited until it was getting dark.</span> |
| − | *他们 想 在 这里 住 < | + | *他们 想 在 这里 住 <em>到</em> 春天 。<span class="pinyin">Tāmen xiǎng zài zhèlǐ zhù <em>dào</em> chūntiān.</span><span class="trans">They want to live here until spring.</span> |
| − | *你们 要 玩 < | + | *你们 要 玩 <em>到</em> 什么 时候 ？<span class="pinyin">Nǐmen yào wán dào <em>dào</em> shénme shíhou?</span><span class="trans">When will you be done playing?</span> |
| − | *爸爸 | + | *爸爸 看 电视 看 <em>到</em> 半夜 。<span class="pinyin">Bàba kàn diànshì <em>dào</em> bànyè.</span><span class="trans">My dad watched TV until midnight.</span> |
| − | *我们 吃 火锅 吃 < | + | *我们 吃 火锅 吃 <em>到</em> 火锅店 关门 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒmen chī huǒguō chī <em>dào</em> huǒguōdiàn guānmén.</span><span class="trans">We ate hotpot until the hotpot place was closed.</span> |
*今天 的 部门 会议 一直 开 <strong>到</strong> <em>晚上 九点</em> 。<span class="pinyin">Jīntiān de bùmén huìyì yīzhí kāi <strong>dào</strong> <em>wǎnshang jiǔ diǎn</em>.</span><span class="trans">This department meeting wasn't over until 9pm.</span> | *今天 的 部门 会议 一直 开 <strong>到</strong> <em>晚上 九点</em> 。<span class="pinyin">Jīntiān de bùmén huìyì yīzhí kāi <strong>dào</strong> <em>wǎnshang jiǔ diǎn</em>.</span><span class="trans">This department meeting wasn't over until 9pm.</span> | ||
*她 给 男朋友 打 电话 一直 打 <strong>到</strong> <em>手机 没 电</em> 。<span class="pinyin">Tā gěi 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 男朋友 打 电话 一直 打 <strong>到</strong> <em>手机 没 电</em> 。<span class="pinyin">Tā gěi 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> | ||
Revision as of 09:58, 6 November 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 + Time
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 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.
- 今天 的 部门 会议 一直 开 到 晚上 九点 。This department meeting wasn't over until 9pm.
- 她 给 男朋友 打 电话 一直 打 到 手机 没 电 。She called her mom until her phone was dead.
- 我们 在 Karaoke 一直 唱 到 第二天 早上 五点 。We were singing at KTV til 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
