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料到 (liào dào) — to foresee, to expect

Definition

料到 means 'to foresee / to expect' — like 预料, but in the common [没]∼ pattern: 没料到 = 'didn't expect', often with surprise at the outcome.

verb
to foreseeto expect

Examples

  • 料到。
    Wǒ zǎo jiù liào dào tā huì lái.
    I foresaw a long time ago that he would come.
  • ？
    Shuí liào dào huì xià zhè me dà de yǔ?
    Who could have expected such heavy rain?
  • 料到。
    Tā wán quán méi liào dào jié guǒ zhè me zāo gāo.
    He completely didn't expect the result to be so bad.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
补充bǔchōngVerb + complement

An action followed by its result or direction.

料liàoexpect
到dàoreach

料 means expect, and 到 means reach, together giving foresee.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

料 combines 米 (rice) with 斗 (a dipper), showing rice being measured or gauged.

Open 料 →

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 →
Appears in
Thinking & Cognition

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