<blockquote>
<p>到 <a href="http://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/dictionary/characters/673/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">http://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/dictionary/characters/673/</a></p>
<p><em>[particle] used after a verb to indicate attainment/achievement or potentiality</em></p>
</blockquote>
<p>到 in this sentence indicate <strong>potentiality</strong></p>
<blockquote>
<p>今天的考试<strong>要用</strong>词典，请大家把词典也放在桌子上 - In today's exam, you <strong>have to use</strong> a dictionary, please put your dictionary on the table as well.</p>
<p><em>you have to use a dictionary/ you need to use a dictionary</em></p>
</blockquote>
<p>~</p>
<blockquote>
<p>今天的考试<strong>要用到</strong>词典，请大家把词典也放在桌子上 - In today's exam, you <strong>would have to use</strong> a dictionary, please put your dictionary on the table as well.</p>
<p><em>词典 is a potential item that's chosen to be required</em></p>
<p><em>If the sentence was &quot;今天的考试要用到词典和计算器&quot; then dictionary and calculator are the two potential items that are chosen to be required</em></p>
<p>If the sentence was &quot;今天的考试要用到词典但用不到计算器&quot; then dictionary is a potential item that's chosen to be required, while calculator is a potential item that's not chosen to be required</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Similar example:</p>
<p>鎮壓示威<strong>要用</strong>武力 Repression of demonstrations <strong>requires the use</strong> of force</p>
<p>(武力 is the only solution)</p>
<p>鎮壓示威<strong>要用到</strong>武力 Repression of demonstrations <strong>would requires the use</strong> of force</p>
<p><em>武力 is a potential solution that's chosen to be used</em></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-04-15T05:04:54.013Z
2019-04-15T05:53:26.733Z
2020-06-17T09:50:11.587Z
Tang Ho
<p>You could say 要用词典 and there is nothing wrong with it, and to me it means almost exactly the same, but when you say 用到, the emphasize goes slightly towards 词典. </p>

<p>So the result it tries to indicate is that "a dictionary is used". It's different with other cases such as 想到借口 and 申请到护照 because in latter cases, the result is something that follows the action, but in the case of 用到词典, the result is the action itself.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-04-14T09:25:00.433Z
2019-04-14T09:25:00.433Z
Wang Dingwei
<p>Combination of a verb with 到 generally implies some sort of "finished" state, in an sense it's similar to some sort of perfect tense:</p>

<ul>
<li>我 <strong>走到</strong> 公園 / I <strong>walked</strong> to the park</li>
<li>我 <strong>吃到</strong> 炸雞了 / I <strong>finally ate</strong> that fried chicken</li>
<li>在字典裡 <strong>查到</strong> 這個字了 I <strong>found</strong> this word in a dictionary</li>
</ul>

<p>Without the suffix "到", the verb along could be "unfinished"</p>

<ul>
<li>我 <strong>走去</strong> 公園 / I <strong>walk</strong> to the park</li>
<li>我 <strong>吃</strong> 炸雞了 / I <strong>ate</strong> fried chicken</li>
<li>我在字典裡 <strong>查</strong> 這個字了 I <strong>looked</strong> this word <strong>up</strong> in a dictionary</li>
</ul>

<p>Now back to your example:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>今天的考试要用到词典，请大家把词典也放在桌子上</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Notice that "今天的考试" is not the subject of the verb "用到" -- since the "exam" would not be the user of a dictionary. The user of that dictionary is "大家". Alternatively that sentence can be rephrased to be: </p>

<blockquote>
  <p>今天的考试，大家要用到词典，请把词典也放在桌子上</p>
</blockquote>

<p>I'd translated this to</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>Each one of you will be using a dictionary in the exam today, please also put it on the table.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Now if we remove "到" </p>

<blockquote>
  <p>今天的考试，大家要用词典，请把词典也放在桌子上</p>
</blockquote>

<p>IMHO it can be translated into something like any of these:</p>

<ol>
<li>Everyone intends to use a dictionary...(omit)</li>
<li>Everyone is asked to use a dictionary...(omit)</li>
<li>Everyone must use a dictionary...(omit)</li>
</ol>

<p>In a sense, adding "到" disambiguates from these different contexts -- well, usually appending more modifiers disambiguates better... :)</p>

<p>Now that was a different example then whan you provided, and I admit that it is a bit of a streatch. Let's revisit this one without the "到":</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>今天的考試要用词典</p>
</blockquote>

<p>If I must not insert an auxiliary subject into the sentence for translating, it is almost tempting to come up with something like:</p>

<ol>
<li>The exam today will use a dictionary</li>
<li>Today's exam will use a dictionary</li>
</ol>

<p>(Translating word-by-word. A pretty common thing being done by many English learners)</p>

<p>Overall the call-to-action is not differ and pretty clear -- dictionary on the table! -- but that's because the options are pretty limited.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-04-14T16:43:22.110Z
2019-05-09T07:41:26.927Z
2019-05-09T07:41:26.927Z
gugod
<p>I think I have ever asked this question once but not in a detailed way.</p>

<p>Sentence :</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>今天的考试要((用到))词典，请大家把词典也放在桌子上</p>
</blockquote>

<p>I wonder why they put 到 after 用... I know 到 is used as a result complement BUTTT what kind of result does it try to indicate here?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-04-14T10:34:02.420Z
why conclude (suggest) it is necessary?
user6065
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-04-14T10:41:27.750Z
@user6065 because a native speaker said it'd sound more natural if you add 到 (?) that's why I think it's necessary
Agnes
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-04-15T05:40:15.433Z
I don't feel much difference between the two in the example.
fefe
<grammar>
Why is 到 necessary here?
# Why is 到 necessary here?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2019-04-14)

I think I have ever asked this question once but not in a detailed way.

Sentence :

> 今天的考试要((用到))词典，请大家把词典也放在桌子上

I wonder why they put 到 after 用... I know 到 is used as a result complement BUTTT what kind of result does it try to indicate here?

**Tags:** grammar

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: why conclude (suggest) it is necessary?  
> **username_0**: @username_1 because a native speaker said it'd sound more natural if you add 到 (?) that's why I think it's necessary  
> **username_2**: I don't feel much difference between the two in the example.  

---

## 3 answers

### Answer by username_5 on 2019-04-14. Score: 8 | Accepted answer

Combination of a verb with 到 generally implies some sort of "finished" state, in an sense it's similar to some sort of perfect tense:

* 我 **走到** 公園 / I **walked** to the park
* 我 **吃到** 炸雞了 / I **finally ate** that fried chicken
* 在字典裡 **查到** 這個字了 I **found** this word in a dictionary

Without the suffix "到", the verb along could be "unfinished"

* 我 **走去** 公園 / I **walk** to the park
* 我 **吃** 炸雞了 / I **ate** fried chicken
* 我在字典裡 **查** 這個字了 I **looked** this word **up** in a dictionary

Now back to your example:

> 今天的考试要用到词典，请大家把词典也放在桌子上

Notice that "今天的考试" is not the subject of the verb "用到" -- since the "exam" would not be the user of a dictionary. The user of that dictionary is "大家". Alternatively that sentence can be rephrased to be:

> 今天的考试，大家要用到词典，请把词典也放在桌子上

I'd translated this to

> Each one of you will be using a dictionary in the exam today, please also put it on the table.

Now if we remove "到"

> 今天的考试，大家要用词典，请把词典也放在桌子上

IMHO it can be translated into something like any of these:

1. Everyone intends to use a dictionary...(omit)
2. Everyone is asked to use a dictionary...(omit)
3. Everyone must use a dictionary...(omit)

In a sense, adding "到" disambiguates from these different contexts -- well, usually appending more modifiers disambiguates better... :)

Now that was a different example then whan you provided, and I admit that it is a bit of a streatch. Let's revisit this one without the "到":

> 今天的考試要用词典

If I must not insert an auxiliary subject into the sentence for translating, it is almost tempting to come up with something like:

1. The exam today will use a dictionary
2. Today's exam will use a dictionary

(Translating word-by-word. A pretty common thing being done by many English learners)

Overall the call-to-action is not differ and pretty clear -- dictionary on the table! -- but that's because the options are pretty limited.


---

### Answer by username_3 on 2019-04-15. Score: 5

> 到 <http://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/dictionary/characters/673/>
>
> *[particle] used after a verb to indicate attainment/achievement or potentiality*

到 in this sentence indicate **potentiality**

> 今天的考试**要用**词典，请大家把词典也放在桌子上 - In today's exam, you **have to use** a dictionary, please put your dictionary on the table as well.
>
> *you have to use a dictionary/ you need to use a dictionary*

~

> 今天的考试**要用到**词典，请大家把词典也放在桌子上 - In today's exam, you **would have to use** a dictionary, please put your dictionary on the table as well.
>
> *词典 is a potential item that's chosen to be required*
>
> *If the sentence was "今天的考试要用到词典和计算器" then dictionary and calculator are the two potential items that are chosen to be required*
>
> If the sentence was "今天的考试要用到词典但用不到计算器" then dictionary is a potential item that's chosen to be required, while calculator is a potential item that's not chosen to be required

Similar example:

鎮壓示威**要用**武力 Repression of demonstrations **requires the use** of force

(武力 is the only solution)

鎮壓示威**要用到**武力 Repression of demonstrations **would requires the use** of force

*武力 is a potential solution that's chosen to be used*


---

### Answer by username_4 on 2019-04-14. Score: 4

You could say 要用词典 and there is nothing wrong with it, and to me it means almost exactly the same, but when you say 用到, the emphasize goes slightly towards 词典.

So the result it tries to indicate is that "a dictionary is used". It's different with other cases such as 想到借口 and 申请到护照 because in latter cases, the result is something that follows the action, but in the case of 用到词典, the result is the action itself.


---

