到

To/until (Endpoint)

Level 1Sounds Like dou3

In Cantonese, 到 (dou3) is attached directly after a verb to show how far or until when an activity continues. It marks both temporal limits ('until 10 o'clock') and spatial destinations ('walk to the station').

How It Works

The particle 到 (dou3) serves as a directional or temporal complement showing where or when an action reaches its boundary.

1. Basic Structure
To express doing an action until a certain time or as far as a certain place, place 到 (dou3) after the action verb:

  • Time limit: 等到十點 (dang2 dou3 sap6 dim2) – 'wait until 10 o'clock'
  • Spatial limit: 行到車站 (haang4 dou3 ce1 zaam6) – 'walk to the station'

2. Expressing 'From... To...'
It frequently forms a frame with 由 (jau4, 'from') to mark both start and end points:

  • 由屋企行到車站 (jau4 uk1 kei2 haang4 dou3 ce1 zaam6) – 'walk from home to the station'

3. Crucial Tone Distinction
Pay close attention to pronunciation! When 到 marks reaching an endpoint ('until / to'), it is always Tone 3 (dou3).
Do not confuse it with 到 / 倒 in Tone 2 (dou2), which is an achievement suffix meaning 'managed to do' (e.g., 睇到 tai2 dou2, 'managed to see').

Examples (4)

  1. 我等到十點，佢都未嚟。

    I waited until ten o'clock, but he still hadn't come.

    Word by Word: I wait until ten o'clock, he also not-yet come.

    等到 (dang2 dou3) means 'waited until'. Notice 到 (dou3) attaches directly to the verb 等 (dang2, wait) before the time phrase 十點 (sap6 dim2).

  2. 我哋由屋企行到車站要十五分鐘。

    It takes us fifteen minutes to walk from home to the station.

    Word by Word: We from home walk to station need fifteen minute.

    This combines 由 (jau4, from) and 到 (dou3, to) around the motion verb 行 (haang4, walk).

  3. 佢要做嘢做到聽日朝早。

    He has to work until tomorrow morning.

    Word by Word: He need do work do until tomorrow morning.

    做到 (zou6 dou3) indicates performing the work continuously up to the specified time endpoint 聽日朝早 (ting1 jat6 ziu1 zou2).

  4. 呢班車會揸到中環。

    This bus will drive all the way to Central.

    Word by Word: This CL bus will drive to Central.

    揸到 (zaa1 dou3) marks the geographic boundary or destination reached by driving.

Common Mistakes

  • Using Tone 2 (dou2) instead of Tone 3 (dou3) for endpoints

    我等到(dou2)三點。
    我等到(dou3)三點。

    When marking 'until' or 'to a place', 到 must be pronounced in Tone 3 (dou3). Tone 2 (dou2) is reserved for successful achievement ('managed to V').

  • Leaving out 等 when you want to say 'wait until'.

    Different Meaning我到十點先食飯。
    我等到十點先食飯。

    我到十點先食飯 is natural: it means 'I don't eat until ten' or 'I only eat when ten comes'. Add a verb such as 等 (dang2) to say you wait until then: 我等到十點先食飯.

How It Connects

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到Level 1To/until (Endpoint)

Learn This First

To understand '到' as an endpoint marker, learners should first be comfortable with basic Cantonese word order and how locations are generally expressed using '喺'. This pattern extends those concepts to indicate movement towards a specific goal or time.

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