拿到 (ná dào) — to manage to get; to obtain; to achieve (with a resultative sense of completion)

Definition

拿到 is a resultative verb meaning 'manage to get / obtain' — the 到 stresses that the action of 拿 was completed successfully, so the thing is now in hand.

verb
to manage to getto obtainto achieve (with a resultative sense of completion)

Examples

  • ，拿到。
    Tā jīng guò nǔ lì, zhōng yú ná dào le bó shì xué wèi.
    After hard work, he finally obtained a doctoral degree.
  • 拿到，。
    Wǒ zuó tiān ná dào le lù qǔ tōng zhī shū, fēi cháng kāi xīn.
    I received the admission notice yesterday and was very happy.
  • 拿到。
    Zhè chǎng bǐ sài tā men ná dào le guàn jūn.
    In this competition, they won the championship.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
补充bǔchōngVerb + complement

An action followed by its result or direction.

拿nátake
到dàoarrive

拿 'take' plus 到 'arrive' yields the sense of managing to get.

Characters in this word

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

The shape 拿 pairs 合 with 手, and it is a later alternative form for taking with the hand.

Open 拿 →

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 →

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