<p>到 in [V + 到] can be a result complement</p>
<blockquote>
<p>From <a href="https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/result_complement" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/result_complement</a></p>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<p>Forming the result complement</p>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<p>Result complements form verbal compounds that behave exactly the same as normal verbs. The compound is formed by a verb plus another verb or an adjective:
Result complement examples</p>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<p>Verb:听</p>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<p>result complement:听到</p>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<p>(听 alone means 'to listen', but 听到 means 'to hear'.</p>
</blockquote>
<p><strong>Edit:</strong></p>
<p>However, since it is followed by a location/ destination, the 到 in 躲到 is different from the 到 in 听到--  it is not a result compliment but the preposition 'to/ into'</p>
<p>Example:</p>
<p>'躲' = to hide. e.g. 快躲 (hurry and hide)</p>
<p>'躲到 + location' = hide into location/  destination. e.g. 躲到小红帽奶奶家(里) (hide into Little Red Riding Hood's grandma's home)</p>
<p><strong>Summary:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li><p>到 here means 'into' because 小红帽奶奶家 is a location/ destination <strong>to hide into</strong>. If it was 躲到美国 then 到 would mean 'to' because 美国 is a location/ destination <strong>to get to</strong></p>
</li>
<li><p>到 in 听到谣言 is a result complement that indicates the verb is completed  because 谣言 is an object to be heard</p>
</li>
<li><p>在 in 躲在小红帽奶奶家 (hide at Little Red Riding Hood's grandma's home) means 'at' which is also a preposition because 小红帽奶奶家 is a location <strong>to hide at</strong></p>
</li>
</ul>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-11-25T16:07:15.450Z
So, can you say ”大大决定先躲’在’奶奶家” to suggest he tried to hide at 奶奶家？and use 躲到 to emphasis he must be hidden or achieved the result of hiding? Can this be reflected in English translation? 见=See, 见到=saw 躲=hide, 躲到=hid? If I translate it as ”Dada decided to first hide at grandma’s house” the result of being hidden isn’t reflected.
Nicola Edmondson
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-11-25T17:18:20.470Z
@Nicola Edmondson I made a mistake, please see my edition
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-11-25T18:04:03.777Z
Thank you for taking the time to do that.
Nicola Edmondson
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-11-24T07:56:07.487Z
2020-11-25T19:01:11.730Z
2020-11-25T19:01:11.730Z
Tang Ho
<blockquote>
<p>他决定先躲到奶奶家</p>
</blockquote>
<p>In this sentence, 到奶奶家 is a <em><strong>verbal phrase</strong></em> which works as a <em><strong>complement for another verb 躲</strong></em>.  到 itself is a <em><strong>verb</strong></em>, meaning <em><strong>get to</strong></em> or <em><strong>reach</strong></em>.</p>
<p>The logic is like this 他决定先躲(He decided to hide) -&gt; 躲到哪里?(where to hide?) -&gt; 到奶奶家(into grandma' home).</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-11-25T04:37:44.677Z
So, can you say ”大大决定先躲’在’奶奶家” to suggest he tried to hide at 奶奶家？and use 躲到 to emphasis he must be hidden or achieved the result of hiding?

Can this be reflected in English translation?
见=See, 见到=saw
躲=hide, 躲到=hid?
If I translate it as ”Dada decided to first hide at grandma’s house” the result of being hidden isn’t reflected.
Nicola Edmondson
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-11-25T07:00:14.807Z
@NicolaEdmondson You can use "into" for interpretation. E. g. "He decided to hide into grandma's home". And yes, 躲在 can be "hide at".
dan
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-11-25T16:21:45.960Z
Thank you for your answers. Do you think 到 is directional, not resultant?
Nicola Edmondson
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-11-25T23:38:00.607Z
@NicolaEdmondson Yes, I think so.
dan
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-11-25T02:33:05.383Z
2020-11-25T04:01:25.877Z
2020-11-25T04:01:25.877Z
dan
<p>Hard to say what has already happened, who is relating the story. A bit more context would help ...</p>
<p>他决定先躲到奶奶家</p>
<p>All that happened was a decision on the part of 他:</p>
<p>他决定<br />
He decide(d)</p>
<p>先<br />
first</p>
<p>躲到奶奶家<br />
hide in Granny's house</p>
<p>This 到 is like in, and so like to:</p>
<p>I am in the room. (present location: in the room)<br />
Go in the room. (present location: outside the room）</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-11-24T12:30:54.543Z
2020-11-24T12:30:54.543Z
Pedroski
<p>他决定先躲到奶奶家...
What is the function of 到 here? Does it indicate successful completion, direction, or something else?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-11-24T04:48:59.647Z
context? if I had to guess I'd have to say "successful completion". Logically, 躲 conveys the meaning "to hide" while 躲到 implies "to become hidden". the nuance is this, you can "hide behind a couch" and not actually be hidden all too well, while saying "become hidden behind a couch" isn't really open to interpretation
小奥利奥
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-11-24T05:36:47.437Z
It is from a simple story. 最后大大决定先躲到小红帽奶奶家，就在小紅帽靠近棉被時，大大掀開棉被，張開大嘴巴，露出大尖牙，可是它却吓了一大跳。But I wanted to understand what 到 means here.
Nicola Edmondson
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-11-24T05:40:15.710Z
Could it be a preposition?
Nicola Edmondson
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-11-24T07:29:15.497Z
在 would be the appropriate preposition
小奥利奥
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-11-24T08:04:21.403Z
sorry, I'm just now realizing the crux of the issue is that it isn't clear where 奶奶家 falls in the sentence
小奥利奥
<grammar>
What does the verb + 到 structure mean here?
# What does the verb + 到 structure mean here?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-11-24)

他决定先躲到奶奶家...
What is the function of 到 here? Does it indicate successful completion, direction, or something else?

**Tags:** grammar
> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: context? if I had to guess I'd have to say "successful completion". Logically, 躲 conveys the meaning "to hide" while 躲到 implies "to become hidden". the nuance is this, you can "hide behind a couch" and not actually be hidden all too well, while saying "become hidden behind a couch" isn't really open to interpretation  
> **username_0**: It is from a simple story. 最后大大决定先躲到小红帽奶奶家，就在小紅帽靠近棉被時，大大掀開棉被，張開大嘴巴，露出大尖牙，可是它却吓了一大跳。But I wanted to understand what 到 means here.  
> **username_0**: Could it be a preposition?  
> **username_1**: 在 would be the appropriate preposition  
> **username_1**: sorry, I'm just now realizing the crux of the issue is that it isn't clear where 奶奶家 falls in the sentence  

---

## 3 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2020-11-24. Score: 3

到 in [V + 到] can be a result complement

> From <https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/result_complement>

> Forming the result complement

> Result complements form verbal compounds that behave exactly the same as normal verbs. The compound is formed by a verb plus another verb or an adjective:
> Result complement examples

> Verb:听

> result complement:听到

> (听 alone means 'to listen', but 听到 means 'to hear'.

**Edit:**

However, since it is followed by a location/ destination, the 到 in 躲到 is different from the 到 in 听到-- it is not a result compliment but the preposition 'to/ into'

Example:

'躲' = to hide. e.g. 快躲 (hurry and hide)

'躲到 + location' = hide into location/ destination. e.g. 躲到小红帽奶奶家(里) (hide into Little Red Riding Hood's grandma's home)

**Summary:**

* 到 here means 'into' because 小红帽奶奶家 is a location/ destination **to hide into**. If it was 躲到美国 then 到 would mean 'to' because 美国 is a location/ destination **to get to**
* 到 in 听到谣言 is a result complement that indicates the verb is completed because 谣言 is an object to be heard
* 在 in 躲在小红帽奶奶家 (hide at Little Red Riding Hood's grandma's home) means 'at' which is also a preposition because 小红帽奶奶家 is a location **to hide at**

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: So, can you say ”大大决定先躲’在’奶奶家” to suggest he tried to hide at 奶奶家？and use 躲到 to emphasis he must be hidden or achieved the result of hiding? Can this be reflected in English translation? 见=See, 见到=saw 躲=hide, 躲到=hid? If I translate it as ”Dada decided to first hide at grandma’s house” the result of being hidden isn’t reflected.  
> **username_2**: @Nicola Edmondson I made a mistake, please see my edition  
> **username_0**: Thank you for taking the time to do that.  

---

### Answer by username_3 on 2020-11-25. Score: 1

> 他决定先躲到奶奶家

In this sentence, 到奶奶家 is a ***verbal phrase*** which works as a ***complement for another verb 躲***. 到 itself is a ***verb***, meaning ***get to*** or ***reach***.

The logic is like this 他决定先躲(He decided to hide) -> 躲到哪里?(where to hide?) -> 到奶奶家(into grandma' home).

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: So, can you say ”大大决定先躲’在’奶奶家” to suggest he tried to hide at 奶奶家？and use 躲到 to emphasis he must be hidden or achieved the result of hiding?  Can this be reflected in English translation? 见=See, 见到=saw 躲=hide, 躲到=hid? If I translate it as ”Dada decided to first hide at grandma’s house” the result of being hidden isn’t reflected.  
> **username_3**: @NicolaEdmondson You can use "into" for interpretation. E. g. "He decided to hide into grandma's home". And yes, 躲在 can be "hide at".  
> **username_0**: Thank you for your answers. Do you think 到 is directional, not resultant?  
> **username_3**: @NicolaEdmondson Yes, I think so.  

---

### Answer by username_4 on 2020-11-24. Score: 0

Hard to say what has already happened, who is relating the story. A bit more context would help ...

他决定先躲到奶奶家

All that happened was a decision on the part of 他:

他决定  
He decide(d)

先  
first

躲到奶奶家  
hide in Granny's house

This 到 is like in, and so like to:

I am in the room. (present location: in the room)  
Go in the room. (present location: outside the room）


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