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

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* 你 要 <em>到</em> 哪儿 ? <span class="pinyin">Nǐ yào <em>dào</em> nǎr?</span> <span class="trans">Where are you going to?</span>
 
* 你 要 <em>到</em> 哪儿 ? <span class="pinyin">Nǐ yào <em>dào</em> nǎr?</span> <span class="trans">Where are you going to?</span>
* 我 <em>到</em> 上海 。 <span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em>dào</em> Shànghǎi.</span> <span class="trans">I arrived at Shanghai.</span>
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* 我 <em>到</em> 上海 。 <span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em>dào</em> Shànghǎi.</span> <span class="trans">I am bound for Shanghai.</span>
 
* 他们 已经 <em>到</em> 酒吧 了 。 <span class="pinyin">Tāmen yǐjīng <em>dào</em> jiǔbā le.</span> <span class="trans">They already got to the bar.</span>
 
* 他们 已经 <em>到</em> 酒吧 了 。 <span class="pinyin">Tāmen yǐjīng <em>dào</em> jiǔbā le.</span> <span class="trans">They already got to the bar.</span>
 
* 我 刚 <em>到</em>家 。 <span class="pinyin">Wǒ gāng <em>dào</em>jiā.</span> <span class="trans">I just got home.</span>
 
* 我 刚 <em>到</em>家 。 <span class="pinyin">Wǒ gāng <em>dào</em>jiā.</span> <span class="trans">I just got home.</span>
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== 到,去,走 ==
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== 到, 去, and 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."
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Sometimes it can be hard to figure out exactly which word to use in Chinese to mean "go." 到 (dào) is used when you talk about ''arriving'' at a place, emphasizing the destination. 去 (qù) is used when you are ''going to'' a place. The exact meaning is "to go," and it emphasizes getting somewhere. 走 (zǒu) is used when talking about "leaving." The emphasis is on getting away from a particular place.
  
 
==See also==
 
==See also==

Revision as of 09:32, 12 July 2015

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

Place

Structure

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 am bound for 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?

Place and action

Structure

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, and 走

Sometimes it can be hard to figure out exactly which word to use in Chinese to mean "go." 到 (dào) is used when you talk about arriving at a place, emphasizing the destination. 去 (qù) is used when you are going to a place. The exact meaning is "to go," and it emphasizes getting somewhere. 走 (zǒu) is used when talking about "leaving." The emphasis is on getting away from a particular place.

See also

Sources and further reading

Books