Difference between revisions of "Expressing "until" with "dao""
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| − | *我们 <strong>一直</strong> 等 <em>到</em> 天黑 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒmen <strong>yīzhí</strong> děng <em>dào</em> | + | *我们 <strong>一直</strong> 等 <em>到</em> 天黑 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒmen <strong>yīzhí</strong> děng <em>dào</em> tiān hēi.</span><span class="trans">We waited until it was getting dark.</span> |
| − | *你们 要 玩 <em>到</em> 几 点 ？<span class="pinyin">Nǐmen yào wán | + | *你们 要 玩 <em>到</em> 几 点 ？<span class="pinyin">Nǐmen yào wán <em>dào</em> jǐ diǎn?</span><span class="trans">When will you be done playing?</span> |
*我们 在 酒吧 <strong>一直</strong> 聊 <em>到</em> 半夜 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒmen zài jiǔbā <strong>yīzhí</strong> liáo <em>dào</em> bànyè.</span><span class="trans">We were chatting in the bar til midnight.</span> | *我们 在 酒吧 <strong>一直</strong> 聊 <em>到</em> 半夜 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒmen zài jiǔbā <strong>yīzhí</strong> liáo <em>dào</em> bànyè.</span><span class="trans">We were chatting in the bar til midnight.</span> | ||
*你 弟弟 要 在 我们 家 住 <em>到</em> 什么 时候 ？<span class="pinyin">Nǐ dìdi yào zài wǒmen jiā zhù <em>dào</em> shénme shíhou?</span><span class="trans">How much longer is your younger brother going to stay in our house?</span> | *你 弟弟 要 在 我们 家 住 <em>到</em> 什么 时候 ？<span class="pinyin">Nǐ dìdi yào zài wǒmen jiā zhù <em>dào</em> shénme shíhou?</span><span class="trans">How much longer is your younger brother going to stay in our house?</span> | ||
Revision as of 07:44, 4 January 2018
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Level
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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.
Contents
Used with One-Syllable Verb
Structure
Verb (+ 一直) + 到 + Time / Event
You will sometimes see 一直 (yīzhí) proceeding 到, which serves the purpose of the emphasis on the "ongoing duration."
Examples
- 我们 一直 等 到 天黑 。We waited until it was getting dark.
- 你们 要 玩 到 几 点 ？When will you be done playing?
- 我们 在 酒吧 一直 聊 到 半夜 。We were chatting in the bar til midnight.
- 你 弟弟 要 在 我们 家 住 到 什么 时候 ？How much longer is your younger brother going to stay in our house?
- 今天 的 会 一直 开 到 晚上 九点 。Today's meeting wasn't over until 9pm.
Used with Verb-Obj.
Structure
Verb + Obj. (+ 一直) + Verb + 到 + Time / Event
Examples
- 他 打游戏 一直 打 到 他 妈妈 回家 。He didn't stop playing computer games until his mother came home.
- 我 邻居 吵架 一直 吵 到 警察 过来 。My neighbors didn't end their fight until the police came.
- 我们 吃 火锅 吃 到 火锅店 关门 。We were eating hotpot and we didn't finish until the place was closed.
- 我 女儿 昨天 晚上 写作业 写 到 十二 点 半 。My daughter didn't finish her homework until 12:30 last night.
- 她 给 男朋友 打 电话 一直 打 到 手机 没 电 。She called her boyfriend until her phone was out of battery.
See also
Sources and further reading
Books
- New Practical Chinese Reader 2 (新实用汉语课本2) (pp. 240) Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy
- Chinese Grammar Without Tears (简明汉语语法学习手册) (pp. 93-95) Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy
