Difference between revisions of "Using "dao" to mean "to go to""

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* 我 <em>到</em> 中国 去 学习 中文。<span class="trans">I go to China to study Chinese.</span>
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* 我 <em>到</em> 中国 去 学习 中文 。 <span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em>dào</em> Zhōngguó qù xuéxí Zhōngwén.</span> <span class="trans">I go to China to study Chinese.</span>
* 你 <em>到</em> 那儿 去 做 什么?<span class="trans">What did you go there to do?</span>
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* 你 <em>到</em> 那儿 去 做 什么 ? <span class="pinyin">Nǐ <em>dào</em> nàr qù zuò shénme?</span> <span class="trans">What did you go there to do?</span>
* 他们 要 <em>到</em> 酒吧 去 喝 酒。<span class="trans">They are going to the bar to drink.</span>
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* 他们 要 <em>到</em> 酒吧 去 喝 酒 。 <span class="pinyin">Tāmen yào <em>dào</em> jiǔbā qù hē jiǔ.</span> <span class="trans">They are going to the bar to drink.</span>
* 今年 我们 <em>到</em> 中国 去 旅游。<span class="trans">This year we are going to China to travel.</span>
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* 今年 我们 <em>到</em> 中国 去 旅游 。 <span class="pinyin">Jīnnián wǒmen <em>dào</em> Zhōngguó qù lǚyóu.</span> <span class="trans">This year we are going to China to travel.</span>
* 我们 <em>到</em> 公园 去 看 书 吧。<span class="trans">Let's go to the park to read.</span>
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* 我们 <em>到</em> 公园 去 看 书 吧 。 <span class="pinyin">Wǒmen <em>dào</em> gōngyuán qù kān shū bā.</span> <span class="trans">Let's go to the park to read.</span>
* 我们 经常 <em>到</em> KTV 去 唱 歌。<span class="trans">We often go to Karaoke to sing songs.</span>
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* 我们 经常 <em>到</em> KTV 去 唱 歌 。 <span class="pinyin">Wǒmen jīngcháng <em>dào</em> KTV qù chàng gē.</span> <span class="trans">We often go to Karaoke to sing songs.</span>
* 明天 我 <em>到</em> 女朋友 家 里 去 见 她 的 父母。<span class="trans">Tomorrow I am going to my girlfriend's house to meet her parents.</span>
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* 明天 我 <em>到</em> 女朋友 家 里 去 见 她 的 父母 。 <span class="pinyin">Míngtiān wǒ <em>dào</em> nǚpéngyou jiā lǐ qù jiàn tā de fùmǔ.</span> <span class="trans">Tomorrow I am going to my girlfriend's house to meet her parents.</span>
* 我 想 <em>到</em> 商店 去 买 点 水果。<span class="trans">I want to go to the store to buy fruit.</span>
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* 我 想 <em>到</em> 商店 去 买 点 水果 。 <span class="pinyin">Wǒ xiǎng <em>dào</em> shāng diàn qù mǎi diǎn shuǐguǒ.</span> <span class="trans">I want to go to the store to buy fruit.</span>
* 你们 <em>到</em> 哪 里 去 吃 饭 啊?<span class="trans">Where do you all go to eat food?</span>
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* 你们 <em>到</em> 哪 里 去 吃 饭 啊 ? <span class="pinyin">Nǐmen <em>dào</em> nǎ lǐ qù chī fàn a?</span> <span class="trans">Where do you all go to eat food?</span>
* 小 狗 <em>到</em> 沙发 上 去 睡觉 了。<span class="trans">The small dog went on top of the sofa to sleep.</span>
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* 小 狗 <em>到</em> 沙发 上 去 睡觉 了 。 <span class="pinyin">Xiǎo gǒu <em>dào</em> shāfā shàng qù shuìjiào le.</span> <span class="trans">The small dog went on top of the sofa to sleep.</span>
  
 
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Revision as of 13:23, 28 October 2014

A simple and direct way to indicate that you arrived somewhere is to use the verb 到 (dào).

Structure for place

The verb 到 (dào) is used to talk about going to places.

Subject + 到 + Place

Examples

  • 你 要 哪儿 ? Nǐ yào dào nǎr? Where are you going to?
  • 上海 。 dào Shànghǎi. I arrived at Shanghai.
  • 他们 已经 酒吧 了 。 Tāmen yǐjīng dào jiǔbā le. They already got to the bar.
  • 我 刚 家 。 Wǒ gāng dàojiā. I just got home.
  • 公司 了 吗 ? dào gōngsī le ma? Did you get to the company?
  • 我们 先 北京 , 然后 香港 。 Wǒmen xiān dàoBěijīng, ránhòu dàoXiānggǎng. First we'll arrive in Beijing, then in Hong Kong.
  • 南京 路 的 时候 , 给 我 打 电话 吧 。 dào Nánjīng lù de shíhou, gěi wǒ dǎ diànhuà bā. When you arrive at Nanjing Road, give me a call.
  • 两 年 以前 我 了 中国 。 Liǎng nián yǐqián wǒ dào le Zhōngguó. Two years ago I arrived in China.
  • 从 这里 那 里 需要 一 个 小时 。 Cóng zhèlǐ dào nà lǐ xūyào yī gè xiǎoshí. To arrive there from here takes an hour.
  • 请 问 这 个 地铁 火车站 吗 ? Qǐng wèn zhè gè dìtiě dào huǒchēzhàn ma?

Structure for place and action

If you are going to a place to do something else, you can add 去 (qù) and the verb. This has the meaning of "going to the place to do something."

Subject + 到 + Place + 去 + Action

Examples

  • 中国 去 学习 中文 。 dào Zhōngguó qù xuéxí Zhōngwén. I go to China to study Chinese.
  • 那儿 去 做 什么 ? dào nàr qù zuò shénme? What did you go there to do?
  • 他们 要 酒吧 去 喝 酒 。 Tāmen yào dào jiǔbā qù hē jiǔ. They are going to the bar to drink.
  • 今年 我们 中国 去 旅游 。 Jīnnián wǒmen dào Zhōngguó qù lǚyóu. This year we are going to China to travel.
  • 我们 公园 去 看 书 吧 。 Wǒmen dào gōngyuán qù kān shū bā. Let's go to the park to read.
  • 我们 经常 KTV 去 唱 歌 。 Wǒmen jīngcháng dào KTV qù chàng gē. We often go to Karaoke to sing songs.
  • 明天 我 女朋友 家 里 去 见 她 的 父母 。 Míngtiān wǒ dào nǚpéngyou jiā lǐ qù jiàn tā de fùmǔ. Tomorrow I am going to my girlfriend's house to meet her parents.
  • 我 想 商店 去 买 点 水果 。 Wǒ xiǎng dào shāng diàn qù mǎi diǎn shuǐguǒ. I want to go to the store to buy fruit.
  • 你们 哪 里 去 吃 饭 啊 ? Nǐmen dào nǎ lǐ qù chī fàn a? Where do you all go to eat food?
  • 小 狗 沙发 上 去 睡觉 了 。 Xiǎo gǒu dào shāfā shàng qù shuìjiào le. The small dog went on top of the sofa to sleep.

到,去,走

There are different ways to express when you want to go somewhere. Sometimes it can be hard to figure out exactly which word to use. 到 (dào) is used when you talk about arriving at a place. The exact translation is "to reach". 去 (qù) is used when you are going to a place. The exact meaning is "to go". 走 (zǒu) is used when you are literally walking to a place. Therefore also the exact meaning "to walk".

See also

Sources and further reading

Books