得到
dédào
The English phrase "get" can be translated into Chinese in several ways, most commonly as 得到 (dédào). Wiktionary also lists 获得 (huòdé) and 取 (qǔ).
Meaning: to obtain (verb)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 得到 | dédào |
| 获得 | huòdé |
| 取 | qǔ |
| 拿 | ná |
Which one should you use?
The choice of word depends on the nature of what is being obtained. 获得 is used for more abstract or significant achievements, such as gaining knowledge or winning an award. 得到 is a common, neutral way to say one has received or obtained something, whether physical or abstract. In daily spoken Chinese, 拿 is the most common way to express 'getting' a physical object that is nearby.
How do you pronounce it?
dédào
Did you know?
- The character 取 is an ancient ideogram composed of an 'ear' and a 'hand'. It likely depicted the ritual of taking the ear of a hunted animal or enemy to prove a successful kill.
- While 得到 means 'to get', it is often used in a passive sense to describe receiving love or support, which would be phrased differently in English.
- Using the word 取 can sound much more formal or even poetic than the daily spoken 拿, often appearing in classical texts or formal instructions.
Examples in context
- 再拿把椅子！Get another chair!This sentence shows how to use 拿 to request a physical object.Tatoeba #9054579 by xjjAstrus, translation #14029044 by LeviHighway
- 去拿你的护照。Go get your passport.This sentence shows how to use 拿 when retrieving a document.Tatoeba #8621494 by slo_oth, translation #3411023 by CK
- 去拿一下报纸。Get me the newspaper.This sentence shows how to use 拿 for getting a newspaper.Tatoeba #8938660 by crescat, translation #269445 by CK
- 我得到了一份新工作。I got a new job.
- 他获得了这个奖项。He obtained this award.
- 我终于拿到了我的学位证书。I finally got my degree certificate.
- 我昨天拿到了我最喜欢的歌手的签名照片。Yesterday I got my favorite singer's autographed photo.
- 我们终于赢得了比赛冠军。We finally won the championship.
- 我得到了两本好书。I got two good books.
- 76 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about a job application.
- 佳怡 Jiayi伟，你收到公司的消息了吗？Wěi, nǐ shōudào gōngsī de xiāoxī le ma?Wei, did you receive the message from the company?
- 伟 Wei收到了，我得到了那份工作！Shōudào le, wǒ dédàole nà fèn gōngzuò!I did, I got that job!
- 佳怡 Jiayi太棒了！恭喜你！Tài bàng le! Gōngxǐ nǐ!That's great! Congratulations!
- 伟 Wei谢谢佳怡，我也很开心。Xièxie Jiāyí, wǒ yě hěn kāixīn.Thanks Jiayi, I am very happy too.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “get” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 取, 拿, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
