到场 (dào chǎng) — to be present, to show up, to attend (an event or location)

Definition

到场 emphasizes actually being physically present at a scheduled event (meeting, ceremony, gathering). It focuses on attendance, unlike 出席 which can mean attending in any capacity (including remote).

verb
to be presentto show upto attend (an event or location)
Easily confused

Examples

  • 到场。
    Suǒ yǒu jiā bīn dōu zhǔn shí dào chǎng le.
    All the guests arrived on time.
  • ，。
    Tā jīn tiān méi yǒu dào guò chǎng, kě néng yǒu shì.
    He didn't show up today — maybe he had something to do.
  • ，到场。
    Zhè cì huì yì hěn zhòng yào, nǐ bì xū dào chǎng.
    This meeting is very important; you must be present.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

到dàoarrive
场chǎngplace

到 means arrive, and 场 refers to the place or scene, so it means arriving there.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
至至zhìto arrive
Sound part声符shēngfú
刀
刀dāo到dào
Same sound today

到 combines 至, meaning 'to arrive', with 刀 as the sound part. The 至 part points to the idea of reaching a stopping point.

Open 到 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 場; 场 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
土土tǔearth
Sound part声符shēngfú
昜
昜yáng場chǎng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 場 pairs 土 (earth) with 昜 as a sound part; the simplified 场 is a later abbreviation, so its parts do not have that historical role.

Open 场 →

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