<p>得 = get</p>
<p>The result complement 到 indicate &quot;successfully&quot;</p>
<p>得到 = get/ obtain (successfully)</p>
<p>得 and 到 in '得到' (v + result complement) are tightly bonded. It is treated as an inseparable compound word at the level of words like 獲得 (obtain) or 得以 (able to)</p>
<p>Simply put:</p>
<p>得到 = 獲得 = get/ obtain</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-10-24T13:45:45.583Z
2021-10-24T13:45:45.583Z
Tang Ho
<p>Possibly off topic, but:</p>
<p>The meaning of <code>他们都想得到比现在更多的东西</code> should be considered in context, and could be very different.</p>
<h3>#1</h3>
<p>尽管他们已经探过整个洞穴，也拿到了不少宝物，但<code>他们/都/想/得到(de2 dao4)/比/现在/更多的/东西</code>。<br />
they all want to get more than what they have now.</p>
<h3>#2</h3>
<p><s>(see edit)</s> 如果他们知道这些情况，<code>他们/都/想得到(xiang3 de5 dao4)/比/现在/更多的/东西</code>，也就不会妄自行动了。<br />
they can all figure out more than what we currently have thought. <a href="https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Potential_complement" rel="nofollow noreferrer">grammar reference</a></p>
<hr />
<h2>Edit</h2>
<s>
the above answer is posted several days ago and I found I made a mistake messing up “的” and “得”, after reviewing my answer.
<p>In the second case, should be “想的到” in stead of “想得到”。 The word starts from “想到” and adding a 的 in the middle indicates the ability of doing something，so “想的到” means being able to figure out.
</s></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-10-27T18:39:02.833Z
Am I correct that the first interpretation takes 到 as the result complement of 得, while the second takes 得到 as the potential compliment of 想?
2ndQuantized
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-10-28T04:23:41.500Z
@2ndQuantized In the first case, `得到` is a whole word `想 want / 得到 to get`. The second case starts from `想到 figure out` and a `的` in the middle indicates the being able to do something, so `想的到` being able to figure out. It is my bad being careless and messed up 得 and 的, I will edit my answer.
imkzh
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-10-29T14:40:39.410Z
You were correct the first time, the potential compliment de is 得 not 的, see https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Potential_complement for example.
2ndQuantized
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-10-26T04:57:23.090Z
2021-10-30T04:13:42.380Z
2021-10-30T04:13:42.380Z
imkzh
<p>The following sentence uses 到 as a result complement but I don't understand why it to has 得 before 到。</p>
<p>他们都想得到比现在更多的东西</p>
<p>Any help identifying the grammar on this one would be greatly appreciated.</p>

<grammar><result-complement>
Result Complement 得到
# Result Complement 得到

(Asked by: username_0 on 2021-10-24)

The following sentence uses 到 as a result complement but I don't understand why it to has 得 before 到。

他们都想得到比现在更多的东西

Any help identifying the grammar on this one would be greatly appreciated.

**Tags:** grammar, result-complement


---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2021-10-24. Score: 2 | Accepted answer

得 = get

The result complement 到 indicate "successfully"

得到 = get/ obtain (successfully)

得 and 到 in '得到' (v + result complement) are tightly bonded. It is treated as an inseparable compound word at the level of words like 獲得 (obtain) or 得以 (able to)

Simply put:

得到 = 獲得 = get/ obtain


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### Answer by username_2 on 2021-10-26. Score: 2

Possibly off topic, but:

The meaning of `他们都想得到比现在更多的东西` should be considered in context, and could be very different.

### #1

尽管他们已经探过整个洞穴，也拿到了不少宝物，但`他们/都/想/得到(de2 dao4)/比/现在/更多的/东西`。  
they all want to get more than what they have now.

### #2

~~(see edit)~~ 如果他们知道这些情况，`他们/都/想得到(xiang3 de5 dao4)/比/现在/更多的/东西`，也就不会妄自行动了。  
they can all figure out more than what we currently have thought. [grammar reference](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Potential_complement)

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## Edit

~~the above answer is posted several days ago and I found I made a mistake messing up “的” and “得”, after reviewing my answer.~~

In the second case, should be “想的到” in stead of “想得到”。 The word starts from “想到” and adding a 的 in the middle indicates the ability of doing something，so “想的到” means being able to figure out.

> **Comments:**
> **username_3**: Am I correct that the first interpretation takes 到 as the result complement of 得, while the second takes 得到 as the potential compliment of 想?  
> **username_2**: @username_3 In the first case, `得到` is a whole word `想 want / 得到 to get`. The second case starts from `想到 figure out` and a `的` in the middle indicates the being able to do something, so `想的到` being able to figure out. It is my bad being careless and messed up 得 and 的, I will edit my answer.  
> **username_3**: You were correct the first time, the potential compliment de is 得 not 的, see https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Potential_complement for example.  

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