Chinese Grammar Bank
HOW TO USE 不到
The word 到 (dào) means “arrive at a place” or more abstractly “to reach something”.
When used as a verb complement, 到 (dào) shows the completion or result of an action.
In the case of 不到 (bú dào), it shows that the result of an action has not been reached or it shows something is less than something.
不到 can be understood as “to not reach” or “less than”.
HOW TO USE 不到 AS A RESULTATIVE COMPLEMENT
A resultative complement is basically attached to a verb to describe the result of having done the verb (action).
Here 不到 shows that the result of the action hasn’t been reached.
PATTERN
Subject + Verb + 不到 (+ noun/noun phrase)
为什么昨天找不到你？
Why couldn’t I find you yesterday?他想不到他们会离婚。
He didn’t expect that they would divorce.View More Phrases
| CHINESE | PINYIN | ENGLISH |
|---|---|---|
| 我看不到你。 | wǒ kàn bú dào nǐ. | I can’t see you. (The action of seeing the person hasn’t been reached) |
| 如果你来晚了，买不到。 | rúguǒ nǐ lái wǎnle, mǎi bú dào. | If you come late, you can’t buy it. |
| 我听不到他说的话。 | wǒ tīng bú dào tā shuō dehuà. | I can’t hear what he is saying. |
HOW TO USE 不到 TO EXPRESS “LESS THAN”
不到 has two structures that can help you express less than.
Structure 1
PATTERN
Subject + 不到 + Number (+ Measure word) + Noun
Here, 不到 (bú dào) shows that the subject has not reached a certain level and is still below or less than the stated number.
这家饭店的菜很好吃，常常不到七点就卖完了。
The dishes in this restaurant are delicious, so it’s often sold out before seven o’clock.View More Phrases
| CHINESE | PINYIN | ENGLISH |
|---|---|---|
| 他们的孩子不到五岁。 | tāmen de háizi bú dào wǔ suì. | Their child is not yet five years old. |
| 在我的国家，不到21岁不能喝酒。 | zài wǒ de guójiā, bú dào 21 suì bùnéng hējiǔ. | In my country, you can’t drink alcohol if you’re below 21. |
| 他睡了不到四个小时，所以他很累。 | tā shuì liǎo bú dào sì gè xiǎoshí, suǒyǐ tā hěn lèi. | He slept less than four hours, so he is tired. |
Structure 2
PATTERN
Subject + 不到 + Time + 就 + Predicate + 了
In this structure, 不到 comes before time to show that something has happened earlier than expected.
| CHINESE | PINYIN | ENGLISH |
|---|---|---|
| 他的病不到一个星期就好了。 | tā de bìng bú dào yīgè xīngqí jiù hǎole. | He recovered from his illness in less than a week. |
| 我们认识不到四个月就结婚了。 | wǒmen rèn shì bú dào sì gè yuè jiù jiéhūnle. | We got married within four months of knowing each other. |
| 老师不到60岁就退休了。 | lǎoshī bú dào 60 suì jiù tuìxiūle | The teacher retired before the age of 60. |
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FAQs
What’s the pinyin for 不到?
The pinyin for 不到 is bú dào.
What does 不到 mean?
不到 (bú dào) can be understood as “to not reach” or “less than”
What are some examples sentences of 不到?
Here are some sample sentences with 不到:
– 我看不到你。wǒ kàn bú dào nǐ. I can’t see you.
– 在我的国家，不到21岁不能喝酒。zài wǒ de guójiā, bú dào 21 suì bùnéng hējiǔ. In my country, you can’t drink alcohol if you’re below 21.
– 老师不到60岁就退休了。lǎoshī bú dào 60 suì jiù tuìxiūle. The teacher retired before the age of 60.
What is the sentence structure for 不到?
The sentence structures for 不到 are:
– Subject + Verb + 不到 (+noun/noun phrase)
– Subject + 不到 + Number (+ Measure word) + Noun
– Subject + 不到 + Time + 就 + Predicate + 了
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