到了
dào le
The English phrase "arrived" is translated into Chinese as 到了 (dào le).
到了 is used to indicate that someone or something has reached a destination. This applies to both people arriving at a location and inanimate objects, such as trains or packages.
Which one should you use?
While 到了 is the standard way to express that someone or something has arrived, 抵达 is a more formal or official alternative. Additionally, 已经到达 can be used to specifically mean "have already arrived."
How does it change in a sentence?
In the phrase 到了, the particle 了 functions as a perfective aspect marker, which indicates that the arrival is a completed event.
How do you pronounce it?
dào le
Did you know?
- In Chinese, 到了 can be used as a request for the driver to stop the car or bus, essentially meaning 'this is my stop'.
- In some dialects, people might say 到了 to indicate they have reached a certain level of maturity or a specific age in life.
- The word 到 is a member of a class of 'directional complements' that can be added to almost any verb of motion to indicate the destination was reached.
Examples in context
- 我在兩週前到了。I arrived two weeks ago.This sentence is useful for expressing when you arrived in the past.Tatoeba #2638703 by cienias, translation #2169044 by CK
- 汤姆在我走后到了。Tom arrived after I left.This sentence shows the arrival of a person after another person's departure.Tatoeba #5694450 by verdastelo9604, translation #5597136 by CK
- 列車晚到了十分鐘。The train arrived ten minutes behind time.This sentence demonstrates the arrival of a vehicle and its delay.Tatoeba #6128500 by verdastelo9604, translation #326231 by CK
- 到达目的地了Arrived at the destination
- 成功抵达了Successfully arrived
- 到达了终点Arrived at the final point
- 好久不见，我终于到了Long time no see, I finally arrived!
- 我到啦！I've arrived!
- 来啦，你在哪里？I'm here, where are you?
- 43 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A man calls his girlfriend to let her know he is at the station.
- 梓涵 Zihan伟，你到了吗？Wěi, nǐ dào le ma?Wei, have you arrived?
- 伟 Wei我刚到车站。Wǒ gāng dào chēzhàn.I just arrived at the station.
- 梓涵 Zihan太好了，我马上就到。Tài hǎo le, wǒ mǎshàng jiù dào.Great, I will arrive very soon.
- 伟 Wei好的，我在门口等你。Hǎo de, wǒ zài ménkǒu děng nǐ.Okay, I am waiting for you at the entrance.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
