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    Chinese Grammar

    Expressing a result or achievement with 到 (dào) after a verb

    Actions & Events
    Result & Consequence

    Structure

    Verb + 到 + Object

    Explanation

    到 (dào) placed after a verb indicates that the action has reached a result or successfully achieved its goal. For example, 看到 means "to see" (succeeded in seeing) and 观察到 means "to observe" (succeeded in observing). This complement usage is extremely common in Mandarin.

    Examples

    • 我终于找到了那家餐厅。

      wǒ zhōngyú zhǎodào le nà jiā cāntīng.

      I finally found that restaurant.

    • 你听到刚才那个奇怪的声音了吗？

      nǐ tīngdào gāngcái nàge qíguài de shēngyīn le ma?

      Did you hear that strange sound just now?

    • 研究人员观察到了一种全新的现象。

      yánjiū rényuán guānchá dào le yī zhǒng quánxīn de xiànxiàng.

      The researchers observed a completely new phenomenon.

    Similar Grammar

    Expressing a result or achievement with 到 (dào) after a verb | Chinese Grammar