Difference between revisions of "Expressing "until" with "dao""

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You will sometimes see 一直 (yīzhí) proceeding 到, which serves the purpose of the emphasis on the "ongoing duration."
 
You will sometimes see 一直 (yīzhí) proceeding 到, which serves the purpose of the emphasis on the "ongoing duration."
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Note that the verbs are mostly single-syllable verb.
  
 
=== Examples ===
 
=== Examples ===

Revision as of 04:43, 22 February 2018

Chinese-grammar-wiki-dao.jpg

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.

Used with Single 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."

Note that the verbs are mostly single-syllable verb.

Examples

  • 我们 一直 天黑 。Wǒmen yīzhí děng dào tiān hēi.We waited until it was getting dark.
  • 你们 要 玩 几 点 ?Nǐmen yào wán dào jǐ diǎn?When will you be done playing?
  • 我们 在 酒吧 一直 半夜 。Wǒmen zài jiǔbā yīzhí liáo dào bànyè.We were chatting in the bar til midnight.
  • 你 弟弟 要 在 我们 家 住 什么 时候 ?Nǐ dìdi yào zài wǒmen jiā zhù dào shénme shíhou?How much longer is your younger brother going to stay in our house?
  • 今天 的 会 一直 晚上 九点 。Jīntiān de huì yīzhí kāi dào wǎnshang jiǔ diǎn.We had a meeting today til 9 pm.

Used with Verb-Obj.

Structure

Verb + Obj. (+ 一直) + Verb + 到 + Time / Event

Examples

  • 他 打游戏 一直 他 妈妈 回家 。Tā dǎ yóuxì yīzhídào tā māma huí jiā.He didn't stop playing computer games until his mother came home.
  • 我 邻居 吵架 一直 警察 过来 。Wǒ línjū chǎojià yīzhí chǎo dào jǐngchá guòlái.My neighbors didn't end their fight until the police came.
  • 我们 吃 火锅 吃 火锅店 关门 。Wǒmen chī huǒguō chī dào huǒguōdiàn guānmén.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 十二 点 半 。Wǒ nǚ'ér zuótiān wǎnshang xiě zuòyè xiě dào shí'èr diǎn bàn.My daughter didn't finish her homework until 12:30 last night.
  • 她 给 男朋友 打 电话 一直 手机 没 电 。Tā gěi nánpéngyou dǎ diànhuà yīzhídào shǒujī méi diàn.She called her boyfriend and they kept talking until her phone was out of battery.

See also

Sources and further reading

Books

HSK4