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?
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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Nov 24, 2020 at 4:48
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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 EdmondsonNov 24, 2020 at 5:36
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Could it be a preposition?– Nicola EdmondsonNov 24, 2020 at 5:40
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在 would be the appropriate preposition– 小奥利奥Nov 24, 2020 at 7:29
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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Nov 24, 2020 at 8:04
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3 Answers
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
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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. Nov 25, 2020 at 16:07
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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).
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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. Nov 25, 2020 at 4:37
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@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".– danNov 25, 2020 at 7:00
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Thank you for your answers. Do you think 到 is directional, not resultant? Nov 25, 2020 at 16:21
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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）
