Difference between revisions of "Tricky uses of "dao""

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You probably learned the [[result complement]] 到 a long time ago, as part of words like 看到 ("to see") and 听到 ("to hear"). But other times it's less clear what the 到 really means. Like the difference between 买 and 买到 or 做 and 做到. What 到 adds is a clearer sense that something has really been achieved.
 
You probably learned the [[result complement]] 到 a long time ago, as part of words like 看到 ("to see") and 听到 ("to hear"). But other times it's less clear what the 到 really means. Like the difference between 买 and 买到 or 做 and 做到. What 到 adds is a clearer sense that something has really been achieved.
  
做到
+
==The difference 到 makes==
我相信你一定能做到。
 
  
买到
+
Adding 到 after a verb makes it very clear that the desired result was achieved. If you looked and you saw, then 到 indicates that. On the other hand, not adding 到 makes it unclear whether or not the desired result was achieved. It kind of makes many verbs mean "try and V."  So 做 without 到 is kind of like "try and do," but when you want to make it very clear that results ''were achieved'' or ''must be achieved'', that's when you want to add 到.
这里很难买到进口食品。
 
  
拿到
+
==Illustrative examples==
他偷偷进了她的房间,拿到了他想要的东西。
 
  
想到
+
=== 做 vs. 做到 ===
 +
 
 +
<div class="liju">
 +
* 我还没有做。
 +
* 我下个星期可以做。
 +
* 我相信你一定能做到。
 +
</div>
 +
 
 +
=== 买 vs. 买到 ===
 +
 
 +
<div class="liju">
 +
* 我还没有买。
 +
* 我没买到。
 +
* 这里很难买到进口食品。
 +
</div>
 +
 
 +
=== 拿 vs. 拿到 ===
 +
 
 +
<div class="liju">
 +
* 他偷偷进了她的房间,拿到了他想要的东西。
 +
</div>
 +
 
 +
=== 想 vs. 想到 ===
 +
 
 +
<div class="liju">
 
看到这张照片,我想到了我的女儿。
 
看到这张照片,我想到了我的女儿。
 +
</div>
 +
 +
=== 追 vs. 追到 ===
  
追到
+
<div class="liju">
 
如果你追到了她,我就请你喝酒。
 
如果你追到了她,我就请你喝酒。
 +
</div>
  
感到
+
=== 了解 vs. 了解到 ===
听到这件事以后,我感到很难过。
 
 
 
猜到
 
他们是夫妻,我早就猜到了。
 
  
了解到
+
<div class="liju">
 
从他那里,我了解到了这个女人很多事。
 
从他那里,我了解到了这个女人很多事。
 +
</div>
  
意识到
+
=== 联系 vs. 联系到 ===
我有很多工作,我没有意识到现在已经十点了。
 
  
联系到
+
<div class="liju">
 
我们二十年没见面了,我不知道怎么联系到他。
 
我们二十年没见面了,我不知道怎么联系到他。
 +
</div>
  
 
[[Category:B1 grammar points]]
 
[[Category:B1 grammar points]]

Revision as of 08:10, 2 February 2014

You probably learned the result complement 到 a long time ago, as part of words like 看到 ("to see") and 听到 ("to hear"). But other times it's less clear what the 到 really means. Like the difference between 买 and 买到 or 做 and 做到. What 到 adds is a clearer sense that something has really been achieved.

The difference 到 makes

Adding 到 after a verb makes it very clear that the desired result was achieved. If you looked and you saw, then 到 indicates that. On the other hand, not adding 到 makes it unclear whether or not the desired result was achieved. It kind of makes many verbs mean "try and V." So 做 without 到 is kind of like "try and do," but when you want to make it very clear that results were achieved or must be achieved, that's when you want to add 到.

Illustrative examples

做 vs. 做到

  • 我还没有做。
  • 我下个星期可以做。
  • 我相信你一定能做到。

买 vs. 买到

  • 我还没有买。
  • 我没买到。
  • 这里很难买到进口食品。

拿 vs. 拿到

  • 他偷偷进了她的房间,拿到了他想要的东西。

想 vs. 想到

看到这张照片,我想到了我的女儿。

追 vs. 追到

如果你追到了她,我就请你喝酒。

了解 vs. 了解到

从他那里,我了解到了这个女人很多事。

联系 vs. 联系到

我们二十年没见面了,我不知道怎么联系到他。

HSK4