Verb + 到 dào: Up To

Put 到 dào right after a verb to show how far an action goes: up to a certain time, all the way to a place, or up to a certain point. “Sleep until noon,” “walk to the station,” “read up to page 50.”

一 Up to a Time

Verb + 到 + Time

The action keeps going until a certain time.

我wǒ昨天zuótiān工作gōngzuò到dào晚上wǎnshàng十shí点diǎn

I worked until 10 p.m. yesterday.

他tā每měi个ge周末zhōumò都dōu睡shuì到dào中午zhōngwǔ

He sleeps until noon every weekend.

你nǐ要yào在zài台湾Táiwān住zhù到dào什么shénme时候shíhou？

How long are you going to stay in Taiwan?

Literally: “stay until when?”

百货公司bǎihuò gōngsī开kāi到dào晚上wǎnshàng十shí点diǎn

The department store is open until 10 p.m.

Verb + Object + Verb + 到 + Time

If the verb has an object, say the verb again before 到 dào.

他tā打游戏dǎ yóuxì打dǎ到dào天亮tiānliàng

He played video games until the sun came up.

Taiwan says 打電動 dǎ diàndòng for video games; mainland China says 打游戏 dǎ yóuxì.

我wǒ昨天zuótiān看kàn书shū看kàn到dào半夜bànyè两liǎng点diǎn

I read until 2 a.m. last night.

Breakfast shopsWant a traditional Taiwanese breakfast? Get there early! Most 早餐店 zǎocāndiàn open before sunrise, but 只开到中午 zhǐ kāi dào zhōngwǔ. By the afternoon, the shutters are down. 🥪☕

二 All the Way to a Place

Verb + 到 + Place

The action carries someone or something all the way to a place.

我们wǒmen走zǒu到dào地铁站dìtiě zhàn吧ba

Let’s walk to the MRT station.

请qǐng你nǐ把bǎ车chē开kāi到dào门口ménkǒu

Please drive the car up to the door.

我wǒ一路yílù跑pǎo到dào学校xuéxiào，还是háishì迟到chídào了le

I ran all the way to school, but I was still late.

三 Up to a Point

Verb + 到 + Point / Amount

The action has reached a certain point: a page, a lesson, a number.

这zhè本běn书shū我wǒ看kàn到dào第dì五十wǔshí页yè了le

I’m up to page 50 in this book.

你的nǐde中文Zhōngwén学xué到dào哪里nǎli了le？

How far have you gotten in your Chinese?

他tā喝hē到dào第dì三sān杯bēi就jiù醉zuì了le

He was drunk by the third glass.

Two kinds of 到Careful! 看到 kàndào can also be a result: “manage to see,” “find.” Compare 我看到他了 (“I saw him”) with 我看到第五十页了 (“I read up to page 50”). What comes after 到 dào tells you which one it is.

四 Common Mistakes

❌ 我wǒ工作gōngzuò晚上wǎnshàng十shí點diǎn点diǎn到dào

✅ 我wǒ工作gōngzuò到dào晚上wǎnshàng十shí點diǎn点diǎn

到 dào comes right after the verb, and the end point comes after 到 dào.

❌ 我wǒ看kàn到dào書shū书shū兩liǎng两liǎng點diǎn点diǎn

✅ 我wǒ看kàn書shū书shū看kàn到dào兩liǎng两liǎng點diǎn点diǎn

With an object, say the verb twice: verb + object, then verb + 到 dào + time.

❌ 我們wǒmen我们wǒmen到dào走zǒu捷運站jiéyùn zhàn地铁站dìtiě zhàn

✅ 我們wǒmen我们wǒmen走zǒu到dào捷運站jiéyùn zhàn地铁站dìtiě zhàn

The verb comes first, then 到 dào + place.

五 Practice

Tap the words below in the right order to build the sentence, then check your answer. If it’s wrong, you can try again as many times as you like, or hit “Show answer” if you get stuck. Careful: some tiles are traps and are not needed!

Question 1 of 10

“I slept until 11 today.”