38.7 The Verbal Particle 到 dou3 (Arrival)

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In Grammar and Vocabulary 37.9, we learned that the verb 到 dou3 means ‘to arrive’.

We can also use the word 到 dou3 as a verbal particle. We use the verbal particle 到 dou3 with verbs involving movement of a person to indicate that the person has completed the movement and arrived at the location specified in the object.

We can use 到 dou3 with the verbs 去 heoi3 (‘to go’) or 嚟 lai4 (‘to come’).

Subject	Verb	到 dou3	Object (Location)
我	去		二樓	。
ngo5	heoi3		ji6 lau2	.
I	go		second floor
I go to the second floor.
我	去	到	二樓	。
ngo5	heoi3	dou3	ji6 lau2	.
I	go	VP	second floor
I have gone to the second floor.
我	嚟		三樓	。
ngo5	lai4		saam1 lau2	.
I	come		third floor
I come to the third floor.
我	嚟	到	三樓	。
ngo5	lai4	dou3	saam1 lau2	.
I	come	VP	third floor
I have come to the third floor.

We can also use 到 dou3 with a directional verb.

Subject	Verb	到 dou3	Object (Location)
我	上		三樓	。
ngo5	soeng5		saam1 lau2	.
I	go up		third floor
I go up to the third floor.
我	上	到	三樓	。
ngo5	soeng5	dou3	saam1 lau2	.
I	go up	VP	third floor
I have gone up to the third floor.
我	落		地下	。
ngo5	lok6		dei6 haa2	.
I	go down		ground floor
I go down to the ground floor.
我	落	到	地下	。
ngo5	lok6	dou3	dei6 haa2	.
I	go down	VP	ground floor
I have gone down to the ground floor.

If 去 heoi3 or 嚟 lai4 is added after the directional verb to indicate the direction of the movement, we put 到 dou3 between the directional verb and 去 heoi3 or 嚟 lai4.

Subject	Verb	到 dou3	去 / 嚟 heoi3 / lai4 ‘to go / to come’	Object (Location)
我	上		去	三樓	。
ngo5	soeng5		heoi3	saam1 lau2	.
I	go up		go	third floor
I go up to the third floor.
我	上	到	去	三樓	。
ngo5	soeng5	dou3	heoi3	saam1 lau2	.
I	go up	VP	go	third floor
I have gone up to the third floor.
我	落		嚟	地下	。
ngo5	lok6		lai4	dei6 haa2	.
I	come down		come	ground floor
I come down to the ground floor.
我	落	到	嚟	地下	。
ngo5	lok6	dou3	lai4	dei6 haa2	.
I	come down	VP	come	ground floor
I have come down to the ground floor.

We also often use 到 dou3 with the verb 行 haang4 (‘to walk’). If we want to indicate the destination, we can add 去 heoi3 or 嚟 lai4. We put 到 dou3 between 行 haang4 and 去 heoi3 or 嚟 lai4.

Subject	Verb	到 dou3	去 / 嚟 heoi3 / lai4 ‘to go / to come’	Object (Location)
我	行		去	最尾	。
ngo5	haang4		heoi3	zeoi3 mei5	.
I	walk		go	end
I walk [to go] to the end.
我	行	到	去	最尾	。
ngo5	haang4	dou3	heoi3	zeoi3 mei5	.
I	walk	VP	go	end
I have walked [to go] to the end.
我	行		嚟	地下	。
ngo5	haang4		lai4	dei6 haa2	.
I	walk		come	ground floor
I walk [to come] to the ground floor.
我	行	到	嚟	地下	。
ngo5	haang4	dou3	lai4	dei6 haa2	.
I	walk	VP	come	ground floor
I have walked [to come] to the ground floor.