Using "dao" to mean "to go to"
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A simple and direct way to indicate that you arrived somewhere is to use the verb 到 (dào).
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Structure for place
The verb 到 (dào) is used to talk about going to places.
Subject + 到 + Place
Examples
- 你 要 到 哪儿？Where are you going to?
- 我 到 上海。I arrived at Shanghai.
- 他们 已经 到 酒吧 了。They already got to the bar.
- 我 刚到家。I just got home.
- 你 到 公司 了 吗？Did you get to the company?
- 我们 先到北京，然后到香港。First we'll arrive in Beijing, then in Hong Kong.
- 你 到 南京 路 的 时候， 给 我 打 电话 吧。When you arrive at Nanjing Road, give me a call.
- 两 年 以前 我到 了 中国。Two years ago I arrived in China.
- 从 这里 到 那 里 需要 一 个 小时。To arrive there from here takes an hour.
- 请 问 这 个 地铁 到 火车站 吗？Can you ask the metro what train station we arrived at?
Structure for place and action
If you are going to a place to do something else, you can add 去 and the verb. This has the meaning of "going to the place to do something."
Subject + 到 + Place + 去 + Action
Examples
- 我 到 中国 去 学习 中文。I go to China to study Chinese.
- 你 到 那儿 去 做 什么？What did you go there to do?
- 他们 要 到 酒吧 去 喝 酒。They are going to the bar to drink.
- 今年 我们 到 中国 去 旅游。This year we are going to China to travel.
- 我们 到 公园 去 看 书 吧。Let's go to the park to read.
- 我们 经常 到 KTV 去 唱 歌。We often go to Karaoke to sing songs.
- 明天 我 到 女朋友 家 里 去 见 她 的 父母。Tomorrow I am going to my girlfriend's house to meet her parents.
- 我 想 到 商店 去 买 点 水果。I want to go to the store to buy fruit.
- 我们 到 哪 里 去 吃 饭 啊？Did you all go there to eat food?
- 小 狗 到 沙发 上 去 睡觉 了。The small dog went on top of the sofa to sleep.
到，去，走
When you want to go somewhere there are different ways to express this. Sometimes it can be hard to figure out exactly which word to use. 到 is used when you talk about arriving at a place. The exact translation is "to reach". 去 is used when you are going to a place. The exact meaning is "to go". 走 is used when you are literally walking to a place. Therefore also the exact meaning "to walk".
