About
The character 到, meaning to arrive or reach, is etymologically composed of the semantic element 至, which conveys the idea of arrival or extremity, combined with the component 刀, historically functioning as a phonetic indicator to suggest pronunciation. This structural composition has persisted through time, with 至 anchoring the core notion of attainment while 刀's role as a sound marker has gradually shifted due to linguistic changes. Originally denoting physical arrival at a destination, the character's semantic scope expanded to encompass abstract achievements and the concept of completion, which led to its grammatical adoption as a verb complement that indicates the successful outcome of an action. The character's form has remained consistent, yet its application has broadened from purely spatial contexts to include temporal and figurative dimensions of reaching a point or state.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
我看到你了。
他到了学校。
我们晚上到。
请你到这里来。
他没收到信。
你什么时候到上海？
等到下雨的时候，我们就不出去了。
尽管遇到了很多困难，他还是坚持到了最后。