<p>The lexical meaning &quot;arrive&quot; is grammatized to a <strong>coverb</strong>:</p>
<p>① until 到那时 (until then);</p>
<p>②implying that the purpose or result of the action is achieved, which is used in your example. It's used as a <strong>predicate complement</strong>. To negate, 不 is put in between the verb and 到。e.g. 看到、看不到、听到、听不到</p>
<p>You can think of the difference of 找 and 找到 as look for vs. find.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-01-21T16:00:47.190Z
I learn by trying to understand grammar as literally as possible.  I interpret 我 找 不 到  as meaning "I, in searching, don't arrive at it."  In idiomatic English, it's simply "I can't find it."    Chinese tends to have verbs and verbal constructions that keep the separate stages of an action distinct, such as an action and its result or goal. In 找 不 到, the action of 找 does take place (i.e., searching takes place), but the result expressed by 到 (arriving at/getting to it) does not take place, and so the negation 不 goes only before the latter character.
Vegawatcher
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-01-21T17:51:13.760Z
Yep. As in classical Chinese we say 寻而不得, it’s two full verbs. But diachronically the colloquial language has lost the conjunction and V+(NEG)+COV construction is used instead. It still has some property of verb, that’s why we call it a coverb. But understanding it literally as "I, in searching, don't arrive at it." doesn’t fit the native intuition, since the main verb is search, and not obtaining it is the complement. Perhaps switching the roles of them in translation is better.
lilysirius
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-01-21T12:23:49.833Z
2022-01-21T12:23:49.833Z
lilysirius
<p>我 找 不 到 了  sounds a bit wrong in some way. We say 我 找 不 到 or我 找 不 到 它了 to mean &quot;I can't find it&quot;. The object can't be omitted in this case.</p>
<p>我 找 不 到 了  could also mean <em>I am lost</em>, <em>I can't be found</em> in some case.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-01-22T14:00:50.800Z
I just searched "https://arxiv.org/abs/1009.2634".  It got 1,000,000 hits, which is less than a widely used phrase would likely get.  More, most of the first several pages were clearly not colloquial and actually looked machine generated rather than written by people.
Colin McLarty
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-01-22T14:36:09.730Z
I heard it many times, but what they really wanted to say was 我没找到了.
Joe at wearyourchinesename.com
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-01-22T05:52:28.850Z
2022-01-22T05:52:28.850Z
dan
<blockquote>
<p>我 找 不 到 了 。</p>
</blockquote>
<p>The structure contained in this sentence is called <strong>potential complement</strong> (可能补语), indicating whether an action is possible or not. 到 indicates that the action <strong>can</strong> achieve its purpose or <strong>can</strong> have a result.</p>
<blockquote>
<p><strong>找得到</strong>: affirmative<br />
<strong>找不到</strong>: negative</p>
</blockquote>
<p>The potential complement cannot be followed by 了, 着, or 过.</p>
<p>The potential complement is not to be confused with the <strong>complement of result</strong> (结果补语):</p>
<blockquote>
<p><strong>找到</strong>: affirmative<br />
<strong>没找到</strong>: negative<br />
<strong>不找到</strong>: negative in conditional sentences</p>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<p><strong>找</strong> is the action<br />
<strong>到</strong> is the result of the action</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Again, here 到 indicates that the action achieves its purpose or has a result.</p>
<p>So, 找不到 and 没找到 have different meanings.</p>
<p>We can say that:</p>
<blockquote>
<p><strong>找不到 = 不能找到</strong></p>
</blockquote>
<p>About the use of the 了 particle, 我没找到了 would be correct.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-01-22T12:47:07.487Z
2022-01-22T13:28:15.850Z
2022-01-22T13:28:15.850Z
Joe at wearyourchinesename.com
<p>Not sure you may always think of 到 as arrive (a word originally meaning 'to the shore'), maybe it is more like 往 or 去.</p>
<p>數字從 1 到 5</p>
<p>找到：find</p>
<p>找到你的护照吗？<br />
Found your passport?</p>
<p>How will you negate this? You can negate find:</p>
<p>还没找到。<br />
Still haven't found it.</p>
<p>Or indicate you looked, so far without success:</p>
<p>还是找不到。<br />
Still haven't found it.</p>
<p>看见： see<br />
看不见： can't see<br />
听懂：(hear and) understand<br />
听不懂：(hear and) not understand</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-01-22T02:56:51.833Z
I don't agree with what you say about its lexical meaning being 往，去. ①An example I think of is 到北京去. In this case 到 still keeps some of its lexical meaning arrive, but being used as a coverb. The main predicate is 去, while 到北京 modifies it. ②If using 到北京 alone, then the speaker is in Beijing, not other place. ③In Handian, there is one entry of meaning 往. 百川东到海. But even in this case, I think it's still arrive. 往，至也。You replace with 至, 百川东至海, there's no difference in meaning and syntactic structure.
lilysirius
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-01-22T02:57:17.913Z
Furthermore, 往 doesn't express the original meaning of rivers REACH the sea, a destination is implied while 往 only specifies the direction.
lilysirius
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-01-22T03:00:12.797Z
In 數字從 1 到 5, 到 is still a coverb, gramaticalized from arrive，can be translated to until.
lilysirius
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-01-22T03:04:37.650Z
"arrive" originally meant "to the shore", I did not mean 往。Maybe that was unclear. For the original meaning of 往, ask the Chinese etymologists here!
Pedroski
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-01-22T03:09:08.817Z
I also don't agree that 'to the shore' is the original meaning. In glyph, 到 is comprised of 至 and 刀, nothing indicating a shore. 到，至也. This is what 说文 documents. Could you please provide a source?
lilysirius
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-01-22T03:10:03.513Z
I made a mistake in the first comment. It should be 到，至也。往，之也。
lilysirius
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-01-22T03:26:12.523Z
The original of 往 is 之 (go to somewhere). 彳is its lexical component. 彳，小步也。象人脛三屬相連也。
lilysirius
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-01-22T00:01:31.150Z
2022-01-22T00:01:31.150Z
Pedroski
<p>The use of the verbal suffix 到 does not necessary lead to the interpretation of &quot;can/could do something&quot; or &quot;manage/managed to do something&quot;. For example:</p>
<ol>
<li>他昨天见到校长。- He came across the principal yesterday.</li>
<li>我收到一条诈骗短信。- I have received a scam message.</li>
<li>
<ul>
<li>你随便抽一张牌吧。- Pick a card, any card.</li>
<li>好的... 我抽到黑桃8，然后呢？- OK. I got a black spade 8, and then?</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ol>
<p>In these examples, the actions are done at random or without intention. We have a kind of interpretation similar to &quot;It so happens that...&quot;.</p>
<p>The idea of &quot;achievement&quot; or &quot;success&quot; appears only when the context involves &quot;an expected result&quot; or &quot;a target&quot;. For example:</p>
<ol>
<li>他昨天终于见到校长了。- He finally managed to see the principal.</li>
<li>我收到你的钱了。- I have already received your amount.</li>
<li>我终于抽到黑桃A了！- I finally managed to draw the black spade A!</li>
</ol>
<p>In these examples, the use of 终于 and the sentence particle 了 indicates that the process is associated with an objective. Since there is an objective, there is a risk of failure, which paradoxically give rise the the idea of success: one can miss or meet the target.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-01-23T04:28:34.380Z
2022-01-23T04:28:34.380Z
KK_Tse
<p>The sentence below is translated as &quot;I can't find it.&quot;</p>
<blockquote>
<p>我 找 不 到 了 。</p>
</blockquote>
<p>But google translates 到 as arrive, and I can't figure out its role in the sentence above.</p>

<vocabulary>
What does 到 mean in the sentence "我找不到了"?
# What does 到 mean in the sentence "我找不到了"?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2022-01-21)

The sentence below is translated as "I can't find it."

> 我 找 不 到 了 。

But google translates 到 as arrive, and I can't figure out its role in the sentence above.

**Tags:** vocabulary


---

## 5 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2022-01-21. Score: 2 | Accepted answer

The lexical meaning "arrive" is grammatized to a **coverb**:

① until 到那时 (until then);

②implying that the purpose or result of the action is achieved, which is used in your example. It's used as a **predicate complement**. To negate, 不 is put in between the verb and 到。e.g. 看到、看不到、听到、听不到

You can think of the difference of 找 and 找到 as look for vs. find.

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: I learn by trying to understand grammar as literally as possible.  I interpret 我 找 不 到  as meaning "I, in searching, don't arrive at it."  In idiomatic English, it's simply "I can't find it."    Chinese tends to have verbs and verbal constructions that keep the separate stages of an action distinct, such as an action and its result or goal. In 找 不 到, the action of 找 does take place (i.e., searching takes place), but the result expressed by 到 (arriving at/getting to it) does not take place, and so the negation 不 goes only before the latter character.  
> **username_1**: Yep. As in classical Chinese we say 寻而不得, it’s two full verbs. But diachronically the colloquial language has lost the conjunction and V+(NEG)+COV construction is used instead. It still has some property of verb, that’s why we call it a coverb. But understanding it literally as "I, in searching, don't arrive at it." doesn’t fit the native intuition, since the main verb is search, and not obtaining it is the complement. Perhaps switching the roles of them in translation is better.  

---

### Answer by username_3 on 2022-01-22. Score: 2

我 找 不 到 了 sounds a bit wrong in some way. We say 我 找 不 到 or我 找 不 到 它了 to mean "I can't find it". The object can't be omitted in this case.

我 找 不 到 了 could also mean *I am lost*, *I can't be found* in some case.

> **Comments:**
> **username_4**: I just searched "https://arxiv.org/abs/1009.2634".  It got 1,000,000 hits, which is less than a widely used phrase would likely get.  More, most of the first several pages were clearly not colloquial and actually looked machine generated rather than written by people.  
> **username_5**: I heard it many times, but what they really wanted to say was 我没找到了.  

---

### Answer by username_5 on 2022-01-22. Score: 2

> 我 找 不 到 了 。

The structure contained in this sentence is called **potential complement** (可能补语), indicating whether an action is possible or not. 到 indicates that the action **can** achieve its purpose or **can** have a result.

> **找得到**: affirmative  
> **找不到**: negative

The potential complement cannot be followed by 了, 着, or 过.

The potential complement is not to be confused with the **complement of result** (结果补语):

> **找到**: affirmative  
> **没找到**: negative  
> **不找到**: negative in conditional sentences

> **找** is the action  
> **到** is the result of the action

Again, here 到 indicates that the action achieves its purpose or has a result.

So, 找不到 and 没找到 have different meanings.

We can say that:

> **找不到 = 不能找到**

About the use of the 了 particle, 我没找到了 would be correct.


---

### Answer by username_6 on 2022-01-22. Score: 0

Not sure you may always think of 到 as arrive (a word originally meaning 'to the shore'), maybe it is more like 往 or 去.

數字從 1 到 5

找到：find

找到你的护照吗？  
Found your passport?

How will you negate this? You can negate find:

还没找到。  
Still haven't found it.

Or indicate you looked, so far without success:

还是找不到。  
Still haven't found it.

看见： see  
看不见： can't see  
听懂：(hear and) understand  
听不懂：(hear and) not understand

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: I don't agree with what you say about its lexical meaning being 往，去. ①An example I think of is 到北京去. In this case 到 still keeps some of its lexical meaning arrive, but being used as a coverb. The main predicate is 去, while 到北京 modifies it. ②If using 到北京 alone, then the speaker is in Beijing, not other place. ③In Handian, there is one entry of meaning 往. 百川东到海. But even in this case, I think it's still arrive. 往，至也。You replace with 至, 百川东至海, there's no difference in meaning and syntactic structure.  
> **username_1**: Furthermore, 往 doesn't express the original meaning of rivers REACH the sea, a destination is implied while 往 only specifies the direction.  
> **username_1**: In 數字從 1 到 5, 到 is still a coverb, gramaticalized from arrive，can be translated to until.  
> **username_6**: "arrive" originally meant "to the shore", I did not mean 往。Maybe that was unclear. For the original meaning of 往, ask the Chinese etymologists here!  
> **username_1**: I also don't agree that 'to the shore' is the original meaning. In glyph, 到 is comprised of 至 and 刀, nothing indicating a shore. 到，至也. This is what 说文 documents. Could you please provide a source?  
> **username_1**: I made a mistake in the first comment. It should be 到，至也。往，之也。  
> **username_1**: The original of 往 is 之 (go to somewhere). 彳is its lexical component. 彳，小步也。象人脛三屬相連也。  

---

### Answer by username_7 on 2022-01-23. Score: 0

The use of the verbal suffix 到 does not necessary lead to the interpretation of "can/could do something" or "manage/managed to do something". For example:

1. 他昨天见到校长。- He came across the principal yesterday.
2. 我收到一条诈骗短信。- I have received a scam message.
3. * 你随便抽一张牌吧。- Pick a card, any card.
   * 好的... 我抽到黑桃8，然后呢？- OK. I got a black spade 8, and then?

In these examples, the actions are done at random or without intention. We have a kind of interpretation similar to "It so happens that...".

The idea of "achievement" or "success" appears only when the context involves "an expected result" or "a target". For example:

1. 他昨天终于见到校长了。- He finally managed to see the principal.
2. 我收到你的钱了。- I have already received your amount.
3. 我终于抽到黑桃A了！- I finally managed to draw the black spade A!

In these examples, the use of 终于 and the sentence particle 了 indicates that the process is associated with an objective. Since there is an objective, there is a risk of failure, which paradoxically give rise the the idea of success: one can miss or meet the target.


---

