着 (zháo) vs 到 (dào): Resultative complements for 'succeed'
Both 着 (zháo) and 到 (dào) can follow a verb to indicate that an action succeeded, but 着 emphasizes entering a state or being affected (e.g., 睡着 'fall asleep'), while 到 emphasizes reaching a target or goal (e.g., 找到 'find'). Choosing the wrong one often leads to unnatural or ungrammatical sentences.
Both 着 (zháo) and 到 (dào) can serve as resultative complements to indicate that an action was successfully completed. However, they follow different logic: 着 implies that the subject has been affected by or has entered a new state (e.g., 睡着 'fell asleep', 打着 'hit'), while 到 implies that the action has reached a target, such as a location, object, or result (e.g., 找到 'found', 收到 'received'). In some cases only one is correct, and in others they overlap but carry subtle nuance. Mastering the distinction requires knowing which verbs pair with each complement.
When to use each
Use 着 after a verb to mean that the action successfully put the subject into a state or had a direct effect on it. Common verbs include 睡 (sleep → 睡着 'fall asleep'), 碰 (touch → 碰着 'touch'), 打 (hit → 打着 'hit'), 点 (ignite → 点着 'light'), and 烧 (burn → 烧着 'catch fire'). It often indicates an involuntary or natural change of state.
着 in this function is mainly used in northern Mandarin and is less common in formal writing. It can also mean 'touch' or 'contact' with verbs like 够着 (reach).
Use 到 after a verb to mean that the action successfully reached a clear target, including physical objects, locations, or abstract goals. It pairs with verbs like 找 (search → 找到 'find'), 看 (look → 看到 'see'), 听 (listen → 听到 'hear'), 收 (receive → 收到 'receive'), and 买 (buy → 买到 'purchase successfully'). 到 is the default resultative complement for 'obtain' or 'arrive at'.
到 is very productive and can be used with many verbs where 着 would be unnatural. It is standard in both spoken and written Chinese.
At a glance
| 着 | 到 | |
|---|---|---|
| Core meaning | Enter a state / be affected | Reach a target / goal |
| Typical verbs | 睡, 碰, 打, 点, 烧 | 找, 看, 听, 收, 买, 见 |
| Example pair | 睡着 (fall asleep) | 找到 (find) |
| Can it mean 'find'? | 找着 (colloquial, same as 找到) | 找到 (standard) |
| Negation pattern | V + 不着 (e.g., 睡不着) | V + 不到 (e.g., 找不到) |
Examples
- 着昨晚我很快就睡着了。Zuówǎn wǒ hěn kuài jiù shuìzháo le.Last night I fell asleep very quickly.睡着 uses 着 because it's entering the state of sleep.
- 到找了半天，终于找到了钥匙。Zhǎo le bàntiān, zhōngyú zhǎodào le yàoshi.After searching for a long time, finally found the key.找到 uses 到 because it's reaching the target (the key).
- 着小心！别碰着电线。Xiǎoxīn! Bié pèngzháo diànxiàn.Be careful! Don't touch the wire.碰着 indicates being affected by contact (resultative).
- 到你听到了吗？有人敲门。Nǐ tīngdào le ma? Yǒurén qiāomén.Did you hear that? Someone is knocking at the door.听到 uses 到 because sound reaches the ears; 听着 means 'listen (imperfective)', not resultative.
- 着他跳起来，还是没够着。Tā tiào qǐlái, háishì méi gòuzháo.He jumped up but still couldn't reach it.够着 uses 着 for the state of making contact (reaching).
Common mistakes
- Using 到 with state-change verbs: ✗ 睡到 instead of 睡着 to mean 'fall asleep' (睡到 can mean 'sleep until (a time)').
- Using 着 with goal-oriented verbs: ✗ 收着 instead of 收到 to mean 'receive' (收着 means 'keep/put away', not 'receive').
- Confusing the negation: Negation of 找着 is 找不着, while negation of 找到 is 找不到. Mixing them is common.
- Overusing 着 in formal writing: 着 as resultative is colloquial; prefer 到 for 'find' (找着 is acceptable but less formal).
FAQ
- When should I use 着 vs 到 as a resultative complement?
- Use 着 when the verb describes entering a state or being physically affected (e.g., 睡着 'fall asleep', 碰着 'touch'). Use 到 when the verb describes reaching a target or goal (e.g., 找到 'find', 收到 'receive'). If you aren't sure, 到 is safer for most verbs of perceiving or obtaining.
- Can 着 and 到 be used interchangeably?
- Only for a few verbs like 找. For 找, both 找着 and 找到 mean 'find', but 找到 is more standard and formal. With most verbs, only one is correct. For example, 睡着 cannot be replaced with 睡到 in the sense of 'fall asleep', and 收到 cannot be replaced with 收着 for 'receive'.
- Why is '收着' wrong for 'receive'?
- 收着 (shōu zhe) with neutral tone 'zhe' means 'to keep/put away' (durative aspect), not a resultative. The correct resultative complement for receiving something is 收到 (shōu dào), which literally means 'arrive at receiving'. Using 着 would sound like you are keeping something in progress, not that you successfully received it.
- How do I negate these resultatives?
- For 着, use V + 不着 (e.g., 睡不着 'can't fall asleep', 找不着 'can't find'). For 到, use V + 不到 (e.g., 找不到 'can't find', 看不到 'can't see'). Note that 没 + V + 着/到 is also possible in perfective negation (e.g., 没找到 'didn't find').