<p>Any verb that can be deemed <strong>successful</strong> or takes an <strong>object</strong> can use 到</p>
<p>Let's randomly pick a few unrelated verbs and see which of them can or cannot use 到</p>
<p>碰、看、打、走、學、想、哭、笑</p>
<p>碰到 (O) touch - <em>you can attempt to touch but not actually succeed, 到 indicates it is touched successfully</em></p>
<p>看到 (O) see - <em>you can attempt to see but not actually succeed, 到 indicates it is seen successfully</em></p>
<p>打到 (O) hit - <em>you can attempt to hit but not actually succeed, 到 indicates it is hit successfully</em></p>
<p>走到 (O) walk/ go -  &quot;走到 somewhere&quot;, and this &quot;somewhere&quot; is the object</p>
<p>學到 (O) learn <em>you can attempt to learn but not actually succeed, 到 indicates it is learned successfully</em></p>
<p>想到 (O) think - &quot;想到 something&quot;, and this &quot;something&quot; is the object</p>
<p>哭到 (X) cry - <em>you don't have to try to cry, so it can't be deemed successful, and 哭 doesn't take an object</em></p>
<p>笑到 (X) laugh - <em>you don't have to try to laugh, so it can't be deemed successful, and 笑 doesn't take an object</em></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-10-28T12:40:16.453Z
also: Verb+到+Adj doing something to some extent: 哭到眼肿，笑到窒息
imkzh
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-10-28T09:36:56.920Z
2021-10-28T09:45:53.347Z
2021-10-28T09:45:53.347Z
Tang Ho
<p>The interpretation of &quot;success&quot; happens only when the process is associated with a target in the first place. For example:</p>
<ul>
<li>他去了校长办公室三次，昨天终于见到校长。</li>
<li>今天我很早就去市场，所以买到新鲜的鲫鱼。</li>
<li>我找到钥匙了，原来在抽屉里。</li>
</ul>
<p>When we delimit a target P, we also envisage the non P (out of the target). The idea of success comes from hitting P and not non P.</p>
<p>If the process is not associated with a predefined target, we don't have the interpretation of &quot;success&quot;. Instead, we have a kind of &quot;it so happened that...&quot;. For example:</p>
<ul>
<li>我昨天去商场买东西，看到我们的校长。</li>
<li>她真幸运，在沙滩散步时找到一只漂亮的贝壳。</li>
</ul>
<p>In the classic situation of &quot;Pick a card, any card&quot;, one uses 到 with any card he just happens to have picked:</p>
<ul>
<li>我抽到黑桃2。</li>
<li>我抽到红心A。</li>
<li>我抽到... etc.</li>
</ul>
<p>It is like calling what you have hit the target only after shooting.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-03-27T20:01:57.167Z
Sorry to differ. I think "v+ 到" in all example sentences simply implies the actions are complete. The sense of "successfully happens" is indicated by the modifiers  "终于", "所以", and 原来.
r13
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-03-27T18:51:02.520Z
2022-03-27T18:51:02.520Z
KK_Tse
<p>I see  到 used with some verbs describing a result, I am wondering if there are a specific number of verbs in the structure V+(de)dao到. Is there an exhaustive number of verbs that can be used with V+ 到? Or is it just a limited number of verbs and if yes, where can I find them?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-03-27T20:07:31.187Z
You need to provide a few examples for "v + 到" describing a result to differentiate the usual case that it means the action described by the verb is/has completed.
r13
<grammar><verbs>
How many verbs can be used with 到?
# How many verbs can be used with 到?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2021-10-28)

I see 到 used with some verbs describing a result, I am wondering if there are a specific number of verbs in the structure V+(de)dao到. Is there an exhaustive number of verbs that can be used with V+ 到? Or is it just a limited number of verbs and if yes, where can I find them?

**Tags:** grammar, verbs

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: You need to provide a few examples for "v + 到" describing a result to differentiate the usual case that it means the action described by the verb is/has completed.  

---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2021-10-28. Score: 2

Any verb that can be deemed **successful** or takes an **object** can use 到

Let's randomly pick a few unrelated verbs and see which of them can or cannot use 到

碰、看、打、走、學、想、哭、笑

碰到 (O) touch - *you can attempt to touch but not actually succeed, 到 indicates it is touched successfully*

看到 (O) see - *you can attempt to see but not actually succeed, 到 indicates it is seen successfully*

打到 (O) hit - *you can attempt to hit but not actually succeed, 到 indicates it is hit successfully*

走到 (O) walk/ go - "走到 somewhere", and this "somewhere" is the object

學到 (O) learn *you can attempt to learn but not actually succeed, 到 indicates it is learned successfully*

想到 (O) think - "想到 something", and this "something" is the object

哭到 (X) cry - *you don't have to try to cry, so it can't be deemed successful, and 哭 doesn't take an object*

笑到 (X) laugh - *you don't have to try to laugh, so it can't be deemed successful, and 笑 doesn't take an object*

> **Comments:**
> **username_3**: also: Verb+到+Adj doing something to some extent: 哭到眼肿，笑到窒息  

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### Answer by username_4 on 2022-03-27. Score: 1

The interpretation of "success" happens only when the process is associated with a target in the first place. For example:

* 他去了校长办公室三次，昨天终于见到校长。
* 今天我很早就去市场，所以买到新鲜的鲫鱼。
* 我找到钥匙了，原来在抽屉里。

When we delimit a target P, we also envisage the non P (out of the target). The idea of success comes from hitting P and not non P.

If the process is not associated with a predefined target, we don't have the interpretation of "success". Instead, we have a kind of "it so happened that...". For example:

* 我昨天去商场买东西，看到我们的校长。
* 她真幸运，在沙滩散步时找到一只漂亮的贝壳。

In the classic situation of "Pick a card, any card", one uses 到 with any card he just happens to have picked:

* 我抽到黑桃2。
* 我抽到红心A。
* 我抽到... etc.

It is like calling what you have hit the target only after shooting.

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Sorry to differ. I think "v+ 到" in all example sentences simply implies the actions are complete. The sense of "successfully happens" is indicated by the modifiers  "终于", "所以", and 原来.  

---

