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听到 (tīng dào) — to hear (resultative verb compound: successfully perceive sound)

Definition

A resultative verb compound meaning 'to hear' (perception completed). The 到 marks the successful completion of the listening: you actually caught the sound. Use it when sound reaches you, as opposed to 听 (to listen) which is the act itself.

verb
to hear (resultative verb compound: successfully perceive sound)

Examples

  • 听到。
    Wǒ tīng dào le nǐ de shēng yīn.
    I heard your voice.
  • 听到。
    Tā tīng dào zhè ge xiāo xi hòu hěn gāo xìng.
    He was very happy after hearing this news.
  • 听到？
    Nǐ tīng dào le ma?
    Did you hear it?

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
补充bǔchōngVerb + complement

An action followed by its result or direction.

听tīnghear
到dàoachieve

听 is to hear and 到 marks that the hearing succeeded.

Characters in this word

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 聽; 听 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 聽 has 耳 (ear) and 口 (mouth), used for listening; the simplified 听 is a later shortened form unrelated to that picture.

Open 听 →

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
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