Expressing "until" with "dao"

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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.

Structure

Verb + 到 + [Certain Time]

Examples

  • 我 昨天 晚上 工作 十二 点 半Wǒ zuótiān wǎnshang gōngzuò dào shí'èr diǎn bàn.I worked until 12:30 last night.
  • 我们 一直 等 天黑Wǒmen yīzhí děng dào tiānhēi.We waited until it was getting dark.
  • 他们 想 在 这里 住 春天Tāmen xiǎng zài zhèlǐ zhù dào chūntiān.They want to live here until it's spring.
  • 你们 要 玩 什么 时候Nǐmen yào wán dào shénme shíhou? When will you be done playing?
  • 爸爸 看电视 看 半夜Bàba kàn diànshì dào bànyè.My dad watched TV until midnight.
  • 我们 吃 火锅 吃 火锅店 关门Wǒmen chī huǒguō chī dào huǒguōdiàn guānmén.We ate hotpot until the hotpot place was closed.
  • 我们 部门 从 八点 开始 开会,一直 开 中午Wǒmen bùmén cóng bā diǎn kāishǐ kāihuì, yīzhí kāi dào zhōngwǔ.We had a department meeting from 8am to noon.
  • 她 给 她 妈妈 打 电话 一直 打 手机 没 电Tā gěi tā māma dǎ diànhuà yīzhí dǎ dào shǒujī méi diàn.She called her mom until her phone was dead.
  • 周五 晚上 我 跟 同事 去 KTV ,我们 一直 唱 第二天 早上 五点Zhōuwǔ wǎnshang wǒ gēn tóngshì qù KTV, wǒmen yīzhí chàng dào dìèr tiān zǎoshang wǔ diǎn.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

HSK4