到 meaning and stroke order
To reach; to arrive; to leave for; to go to; to (a place); until (a time); up to (a point)
How to write 到, stroke by stroke
8 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
Meaning of 到
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to reach; to arrive
- to leave for; to go to
- to (a place); until (a time); up to (a point)
- (verb complement indicating arriving at a place or reaching a point)
- considerate; thoughtful; thorough
How 到 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Arrive.
至 gives the meaning and 刂 hints at the sound.
Radical: 刂 (knife), shared by 71 characters on this site.
How to remember 到
到 is built from 至 (zhì), which means to arrive or reach, plus the knife radical 刂 on the right, which gives the sound. Picture yourself arriving 至 at a place and the 刂 marking the spot where you stop.
到 works as a main verb meaning to arrive or go to, as a preposition meaning to or until, and very often as a complement after another verb to show the action succeeded, as in 看到 (kàndào) and 找到 (zhǎodào). Example: 我到家了。(Wǒ dào jiā le.) I have arrived home.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 到 (dào) with 道 (dào), which means road or way and appears in 知道 (zhīdào). They also write 致 (zhì) by mistake, which shares the 至 part but has 攵 on the right instead of 刂.
Common words with 到
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 看到 | kàndào | to see | HSK 1 |
| 找到 | zhǎodào | to find | HSK 1 |
| 得到 | dédào | to get; to obtain; to receive | HSK 1 |
| 听到 | tīngdào | to hear | HSK 1 |
| 回到 | huídào | to return to | HSK 1 |
| 来到 | láidào | to arrive; to come | HSK 1 |
| 见到 | jiàndào | to see | HSK 2 |
| 做到 | zuòdào | to accomplish; to achieve | HSK 2 |
| 感到 | gǎndào | to feel; to sense; to perceive | HSK 2 |
| 收到 | shōudào | to receive | HSK 2 |
| 拿到 | nádào | to get; to obtain | HSK 2 |
| 想到 | xiǎngdào | to think of; to call to mind | HSK 2 |
| 到处 | dàochù | everywhere | HSK 2 |
| 受到 | shòudào | to receive (praise, an education, punishment etc); to be ...ed (praised, educated, punishe | HSK 2 |
到 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 到
Learning 到 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 到
How many strokes are in 到?
到 is written with 8 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 到 mean?
到 (dào) means to reach; to arrive; to leave for; to go to; to (a place); until (a time); up to (a point). A common word with it is 看到 (kàndào), meaning "to see".
How do you pronounce 到?
到 is pronounced dào, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 到?
The radical of 到 is 刂, which carries the idea of "knife". Dictionaries list 到 under this radical.
Is 到 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 到 is part of the HSK 1 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 1.
What is the difference between 看 and 看到?
看 (kàn) just means to look, while 看到 (kàndào) means you actually saw something. The 到 shows the action reached its result, so 我看了，没看到 means I looked but did not see it.
How do I say from one time or place to another with 到?
Use the pattern 从 A 到 B. For example, 从八点到十点 (cóng bā diǎn dào shí diǎn) means from eight to ten o'clock, and 从北京到上海 means from Beijing to Shanghai.