For autodidact students of Mandarin, the verb 得到 (dédào) — "to get, to obtain, to receive" — is a compound verb built from 得 (dé, to obtain) + 到 (dào, to arrive/reach). The compound captures the Chinese understanding of "getting" as a process of reaching toward something until it arrives in your hands. Where English "get" is an all-purpose utility verb with dozens of meanings, Chinese distributes these meanings across several distinct verbs: 得到 (obtain/receive), 变得 (become), 拿到 (get hold of physically), 买到 (manage to buy), 找到 (find/locate).
The character 得 is one of the most important in Chinese — it appears in three distinct roles with three different pronunciations: 得 (dé, to obtain), 得 (de, structural particle after verbs — Lesson 28), and 得 (děi, must/have to). This lesson focuses on the first: 得 as "obtain," and its compound 得到.
Key Takeaways: - 得到 (dédào): to obtain / receive / get — the standard verb for acquisition - 得 (dé): to obtain — shorter, more literary form - 得 (de): structural particle linking verb to complement — 说得好 (speak well) - 得 (děi): must / have to — 我得走了 (I must go) - Verb + 到 as resultative complement: the action succeeds — 买到 (managed to buy), 找到 (managed to find)
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得 is composed of 彳 (chì, the step radical — indicating movement or a path) on the left, and 旦 (dàn, dawn) + 寸 (cùn, inch/measure) on the right. The character suggests measuring one's steps toward something — the process of reaching and obtaining. The step radical 彳 also appears in 很 (hěn, very), 往 (wǎng, toward), 行 (xíng, walk/travel) — all movement-related.
到 (dào) means "to arrive" and was introduced implicitly in earlier lessons as a directional complement. As a standalone verb it means "to reach/arrive": 到了 (arrived). As a complement it marks successful completion: 看到 (saw = looked and reached the target), 听到 (heard = listened and the sound reached), 得到 (obtained = the getting reached completion).
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33.1a 他 he 得到 obtained 了 PERF 一个 one-CL 好 good 机会 opportunity
33.1b (tā) he (dédào) obtained (le) PERF (yī gè) one-CL (hǎo) good (jīhuì) opportunity
33.2a 她 she 终于 finally 得到 received 了 PERF 父母 parents' 的 DE 同意 agreement
33.2b (tā) she (zhōngyú) finally (dédào) received (le) PERF (fùmǔ) parents' (de) DE (tóngyì) agreement
33.3a 你 you 想 want 得到 get 什么 what ？
33.3b (nǐ) you (xiǎng) want (dédào) get (shénme) what?
33.4a 这 this 个 CL 消息 news 我 I 昨天 yesterday 才 only-then 得到 received
33.4b (zhège) this-CL (xiāoxi) news (wǒ) I (zuótiān) yesterday (cái) only-then (dédào) received
33.5a 他 he 得 must 走了 leave-PERF ， , 不然 otherwise 赶 catch 不到 not-reach 火车 train
33.5b (tā) he (děi) must (zǒu le) leave-PERF (bùrán) otherwise (gǎn) catch (bu dào) not-reach (huǒchē) train
33.6a 努力 hardworking 的 DE 人 people 总会 always-will 得到 receive 回报 reward
33.6b (nǔlì) hardworking (de) DE (rén) people (zǒng huì) always-will (dédào) receive (huíbào) reward
33.7a 你 you 觉得 feel 自己 self 得到 obtained 的 DE 够 enough 了 PERF 吗 Q ？
33.7b (nǐ) you (juéde) feel (zìjǐ) self (dédào) obtained (de) DE (gòu) enough (le) PERF (ma) Q?
33.8a 我 I 在 at 图书馆 library 找到 found 了 PERF 那 that 本 CL-vol 书 book
33.8b (wǒ) I (zài) at (túshūguǎn) library (zhǎo dào) found (le) PERF (nà) that (běn) CL-vol (shū) book
33.9a 这 this 张 CL 票 ticket 很 very 难 difficult 买到 buy-successfully
33.9b (zhè) this (zhāng) CL (piào) ticket (hěn) very (nán) difficult (mǎi dào) buy-successfully
33.10a 他 he 说得 speaks-DE 很好 very-well ， , 但 but 做 does 得 DE 不够 not-enough
33.10b (tā) he (shuō de) speaks-DE (hěn hǎo) very-well (dàn) but (zuò) does (de) DE (bù gòu) not-enough
33.11a 不 not 付出 give-out ， , 就 then 得 get 不到 not-reach 回报 reward
33.11b (bù) not (fùchū) give-out (jiù) then (dé) get (bu dào) not-reach (huíbào) reward
33.12a 她 she 得到 received 了 PERF 大家 everyone's 的 DE 尊重 respect
33.12b (tā) she (dédào) received (le) PERF (dàjiā) everyone's (de) DE (zūnzhòng) respect
33.13a 我 I 得 must 承认 admit ， , 他 he 说得 speaks-DE 有 have 道理 reason
33.13b (wǒ) I (děi) must (chéngrèn) admit (tā) he (shuō de) speaks-DE (yǒu) have (dàolǐ) reason
33.14a 这 this 份 CL 工作 job 让 let 他 him 得到 obtain 了 PERF 成长 growth
33.14b (zhè) this (fèn) CL (gōngzuò) job (ràng) let (tā) him (dédào) obtain (le) PERF (chéngzhǎng) growth
33.15a 有些 some 东西 things ， , 失去 lose 了 PERF 才 only-then 知道 know 自己 self 曾经 once 得到 had-obtained 过 EXP
33.15b (yǒuxiē) some (dōngxi) things (shīqù) lose (le) PERF (cái) only-then (zhīdào) know (zìjǐ) self (céngjīng) once (dédào) had-obtained (guò) EXP
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33.1 他得到了一个好机会。 "He got a good opportunity."
33.2 她终于得到了父母的同意。 "She finally received her parents' agreement."
33.3 你想得到什么？ "What do you want to get?"
33.4 这个消息我昨天才得到。 "I only received this news yesterday."
33.5 他得走了，不然赶不到火车。 "He must leave — otherwise he won't catch the train."
33.6 努力的人总会得到回报。 "Hardworking people will always be rewarded."
33.7 你觉得自己得到的够了吗？ "Do you feel you have received enough?"
33.8 我在图书馆找到了那本书。 "I found that book at the library."
33.9 这张票很难买到。 "This ticket is very difficult to get."
33.10 他说得很好，但做得不够。 "He speaks very well, but doesn't do enough."
33.11 不付出，就得不到回报。 "Without giving, you cannot receive in return."
33.12 她得到了大家的尊重。 "She received everyone's respect."
33.13 我得承认，他说得有道理。 "I must admit, what he says makes sense."
33.14 这份工作让他得到了成长。 "This job gave him the chance to grow."
33.15 有些东西，失去了才知道自己曾经得到过。 "Some things — you only know you once had them after you've lost them."
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33.1 他得到了一个好机会。 33.2 她终于得到了父母的同意。 33.3 你想得到什么？ 33.4 这个消息我昨天才得到。 33.5 他得走了，不然赶不到火车。 33.6 努力的人总会得到回报。 33.7 你觉得自己得到的够了吗？ 33.8 我在图书馆找到了那本书。 33.9 这张票很难买到。 33.10 他说得很好，但做得不够。 33.11 不付出，就得不到回报。 33.12 她得到了大家的尊重。 33.13 我得承认，他说得有道理。 33.14 这份工作让他得到了成长。 33.15 有些东西，失去了才知道自己曾经得到过。
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These are the grammar rules for 得到 (dédào) — "to get/obtain" — and the three pronunciations of 得:
The three 得:
得 (dé, 2nd tone): to obtain / to gain — a content verb. 得到了机会 (obtained an opportunity).
得 (de, neutral tone): structural particle linking verb to complement — introduced in Lesson 28. 说得好 (speaks well), 做得不够 (does not enough). This is NOT the same word as 得到's 得; it is a grammatical particle, always unstressed.
得 (děi, 3rd tone): must / have to — a modal verb. 我得走了 (I must go), 我得承认 (I must admit). This is colloquial and extremely common in spoken Chinese.
Context always distinguishes which 得 is intended. In speech, the tone is the signal; in writing, the grammatical position makes it clear.
Verb + 到 as resultative complement — "successfully V-ed":
到 after a verb marks that the action reached its goal — it succeeded:
- 找到 (zhǎo dào): found = searched and located - 买到 (mǎi dào): managed to buy = tried to buy and succeeded - 看到 (kàn dào): saw = looked and the target was visible - 听到 (tīng dào): heard = listened and the sound reached - 赶到 (gǎn dào): arrived in time = hurried and made it - 得到 (dé dào): obtained = sought and received
The negative form uses 不 between verb and 到: 买不到 (cannot buy / unable to get), 找不到 (cannot find), 得不到 (cannot obtain). This potential complement structure (V + 得/不 + 到) is one of Chinese grammar's most productive patterns.
得到的 — nominalised with 的:
得到的够了吗 (Is what you've obtained enough?) — 得到的 nominalises the verb: "that which was obtained." This follows the pattern from Lesson 28: verb phrase + 的 = noun clause.
失去了才知道曾经得到过 (33.15):
失去 (lose) + 了 (PERF) + 才 (only then) + 知道 (know) + 曾经 (once) + 得到 (obtained) + 过 (experiential). The structure layers temporal markers: something was obtained (得到过, experiential past), was then lost (失去了, completed), and only then was recognised (才知道). The 才 insists that the knowledge could not have come earlier — loss was the necessary condition for understanding.
Common Mistakes: - Confusing 得 (dé, obtain) with 得 (de, particle) — tone and position differ entirely - Using 得到 for physical taking: "Get me that book" = 帮我拿那本书 (help me take that book), NOT *帮我得到那本书 - Translating English "get" as always 得到 — Chinese distributes this across many verbs depending on the specific action
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得到 and its opposite 失去 (shīqù, to lose) form one of the most important conceptual pairs in Chinese moral and philosophical discourse. The phrase 得失 (dé shī, gain and loss) is a fundamental ethical category — Confucian, Buddhist, and Daoist thinkers all address the relationship between what we obtain and what we relinquish. 不以物喜，不以己悲 (Do not rejoice over gains, do not grieve over losses) — from Fan Zhongyan's 《岳阳楼记》 — expresses the ideal of equanimity toward 得失.
得 in classical Chinese means both "to obtain" and "to be able" — the connection between having something and being capable of something is built into the character. 得道 (dé dào, to obtain the Way) is the ultimate spiritual achievement in Daoist philosophy: to gain the Tao is to gain the ability to live in harmony with reality. The step radical in 得 — walking toward something — captures this spiritual journey.
In everyday Chinese, 得到 is the standard response when asked what someone gained from an experience: 你从这次经历中得到了什么？(What did you gain from this experience?). The question is a staple of Chinese education, journalism, and personal reflection.
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《道德经》第八十一章 — Tao Te Ching, Chapter 81, Laozi, c. 4th century BCE
The closing chapter of the Tao Te Ching addresses giving and gaining — and asserts that giving is the truest form of getting.
圣人不积，既以为人己愈有，既以与人己愈多。
F-A: Interlinear Construed Text
圣人 (shèngrén) sage 不 (bù) not 积 (jī) hoard ，
既 (jì) having 以 (yǐ) used-to 为 (wèi) serve 人 (rén) others 己 (jǐ) self 愈 (yù) even-more 有 (yǒu) has ，
既 (jì) having 以 (yǐ) used-to 与 (yǔ) give 人 (rén) others 己 (jǐ) self 愈 (yù) even-more 多 (duō) abundant
F-B: Authentic Text with Translation
圣人不积，既以为人己愈有，既以与人己愈多。
"The sage does not hoard. The more he uses for others, the more he has. The more he gives to others, the more abundant he becomes."
F-C: Authentic Text Only
圣人不积，既以为人己愈有，既以与人己愈多。
F-D: Grammar and Vocabulary Notes
不积 (bù jī): "does not hoard/accumulate." 积 means to pile up, store, accumulate — the sage's relationship to 得到 (obtaining) is fundamentally different: he does not hold on to what he gets.
既以为人己愈有 (jì yǐ wèi rén jǐ yù yǒu): 既 (having already) + 以 (used) + 为人 (served others) + 己 (self) + 愈 (even more) + 有 (has). The more the sage serves others, the more he himself possesses. The logic reverses the ordinary understanding of 得到: giving IS getting.
与 (yǔ): "to give" — classical Chinese for 给 (gěi). 既以与人己愈多: the more he gives to others, the more abundant he himself becomes. This paradox — that giving increases the giver — is the Tao Te Ching's final teaching.
F-E: Literary Commentary
Laozi closes his entire work with a statement about 得到 and its reversal. The sage 得到 (obtains) more by giving away; he becomes abundant through generosity. The lesson word 得到 is the ordinary human verb of acquisition — I got, I obtained, I received. The Tao Te Ching's closing move is to say: you have misunderstood 得到 entirely. The truest getting is giving. The deepest obtaining is releasing. Every time a learner uses 得到, they carry this paradox in the character's radical: the step radical 彳 walking toward something — but the Tao says the destination is reached by walking away from accumulation.
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A retiring teacher reflects on forty years of teaching — what he gave, what he received, and what 得到 truly means when measured across a life. 得到 appears in all its forms: as main verb, in potential complement (得到/得不到), and in the philosophical question that frames the whole piece.
33.16a 张 Zhang 老师 teacher 退休 retired 那天 that-day ， , 有人 someone 问 asked 他 him ： : "四十年 forty-years ， , 你 you 得到 obtained 了 PERF 什么 what ？"**
33.16b (Zhāng) Zhang (lǎoshī) teacher (tuìxiū) retired (nà tiān) that-day (yǒu rén) someone (wèn) asked (tā) him (sìshí nián) forty-years (nǐ) you (dédào) obtained (le) PERF (shénme) what?
33.17a 他 he 想了 thought-PERF 很久 very-long ， , 没有 not-have 马上 immediately 回答 answer
33.17b (tā) he (xiǎng le) thought-PERF (hěn jiǔ) very-long (méiyǒu) not-have (mǎshàng) immediately (huídá) answer
33.18a 年轻 young 时候 time ， , 他 he 觉得 felt 自己 self 什么 anything 都 all 没 not-PAST 得到 obtained
33.18b (niánqīng) young (shíhou) time (tā) he (juéde) felt (zìjǐ) self (shénme) anything (dōu) all (méi) not-PAST (dédào) obtained
33.19a 工资 salary 不 not 高 high ， , 房子 house 买 buy 不到 not-reach ， , 别人 others 升职 promoted 了 PERF 他 he 没有 not-have
33.19b (gōngzī) salary (bù) not (gāo) high (fángzi) house (mǎi) buy (bu dào) not-reach (biérén) others (shēngzhí) promoted (le) PERF (tā) he (méiyǒu) not-have
33.20a 但是 but 每天 every-day 走进 walked-into 教室 classroom ， , 看到 saw 那些 those 眼睛 eyes ， , 他 he 就 then 什么 anything 都 all 忘了 forgot
33.20b (dànshì) but (měitiān) every-day (zǒu jìn) walked-into (jiàoshì) classroom (kàn dào) saw (nà xiē) those (yǎnjīng) eyes (tā) he (jiù) then (shénme) anything (dōu) all (wàng le) forgot
33.21a 三十年 thirty-years 后 after ， , 一个 one-CL 学生 student 给 to 他 him 写信 wrote-letter ： : "张 Zhang 老师 teacher ， , 我 I 从 from 您 you-HON 那里 there 得到 obtained 的 DE ， , 比 than 任何人 anyone 都 all 多 more 。"
33.21b (sānshí nián hòu) thirty-years-after (yīgè) one-CL (xuésheng) student (gěi) to (tā) him (xiě xìn) wrote-letter (Zhāng lǎoshī) Zhang-teacher (wǒ) I (cóng) from (nín) you-HON (nàlǐ) there (dédào) obtained (de) DE (bǐ) than (rènhérén) anyone (dōu) all (duō) more
33.22a 他 he 才 only-then 明白 understood ： : 得到 obtaining 不一定 not-necessarily 是 is 拿 taking 在 in 手里 hand-inside 的 DE 东西 things
33.22b (tā) he (cái) only-then (míngbai) understood (dédào) obtaining (bù yīdìng) not-necessarily (shì) is (ná) taking (zài) in (shǒu lǐ) hand-inside (de) DE (dōngxi) things
33.23a 他 he 得到 obtained 过 EXP 无数次 countless-times 感谢 thanks ， , 也 also 得到 received 过 EXP 不少 not-few 误解 misunderstandings
33.23b (tā) he (dédào guò) obtained-EXP (wúshù cì) countless-times (gǎnxiè) thanks (yě) also (dédào guò) received-EXP (bù shǎo) not-few (wùjiě) misunderstandings
33.24a 有些 some 年 years ， , 他 he 觉得 felt 自己 self 付出 given-out 得 DE 太多 too-much ， , 得到 received 得 DE 太少 too-little
33.24b (yǒuxiē) some (nián) years (tā) he (juéde) felt (zìjǐ) self (fùchū) given-out (de) DE (tài duō) too-much (dédào) received (de) DE (tài shǎo) too-little
33.25a 但 but 退休 retirement 那天 that-day ， , 站 standing 在 at 空 empty 教室 classroom 里 inside ， , 他 he 突然 suddenly 觉得 felt 自己 self 很 very 富有 wealthy
33.25b (dàn) but (tuìxiū) retirement (nà tiān) that-day (zhàn) standing (zài) at (kōng) empty (jiàoshì) classroom (lǐ) inside (tā) he (tūrán) suddenly (juéde) felt (zìjǐ) self (hěn) very (fùyǒu) wealthy
33.26a 那些 those 学生 students ， , 就是 exactly-are 他 he 得到 obtained 的 DE 一切 everything
33.26b (nà xiē) those (xuésheng) students (jiùshì) exactly-are (tā) he (dédào) obtained (de) DE (yīqiè) everything
33.27a 他 he 对 to 那个 that-CL 问 asking 他 him 的 DE 人 person 说 said ： : "我 I 得到 obtained 了 PERF 最 most 珍贵 precious 的 DE 东西 thing 。"
33.27b (tā) he (duì) to (nàge) that-CL (wèn) asking (tā) him (de) DE (rén) person (shuō) said (wǒ) I (dédào) obtained (le) PERF (zuì) most (zhēnguì) precious (de) DE (dōngxi) thing
33.28a "什么 what ？"**
33.28b (shénme) what?
33.29a "被 PASS 需要 needed 的 DE 感觉 feeling 。"
33.29b (bèi) PASS (xūyào) needed (de) DE (gǎnjué) feeling
33.30a 得到 obtaining ， , 有时候 sometimes 不是 not-is 拿 taking ， , 而是 but-rather 给 giving
33.30b (dédào) obtaining (yǒu shíhou) sometimes (bùshì) not-is (ná) taking (érshì) but-rather (gěi) giving
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33.16 张老师退休那天，有人问他："四十年，你得到了什么？" "On the day Teacher Zhang retired, someone asked him: 'Forty years — what did you get?'"
33.17 他想了很久，没有马上回答。 "He thought for a long time and didn't answer immediately."
33.18 年轻时候，他觉得自己什么都没得到。 "When he was young, he felt he hadn't obtained anything."
33.19 工资不高，房子买不到，别人升职了他没有。 "Salary wasn't high, couldn't afford a house, others got promoted and he didn't."
33.20 但是每天走进教室，看到那些眼睛，他就什么都忘了。 "But every day when he walked into the classroom and saw those eyes, he forgot everything."
33.21 三十年后，一个学生给他写信："张老师，我从您那里得到的，比任何人都多。" "Thirty years later, a student wrote to him: 'Teacher Zhang, what I obtained from you is more than from anyone else.'"
33.22 他才明白：得到不一定是拿在手里的东西。 "Only then did he understand: obtaining is not necessarily something held in the hand."
33.23 他得到过无数次感谢，也得到过不少误解。 "He had received countless thanks, and also received more than a few misunderstandings."
33.24 有些年，他觉得自己付出得太多，得到得太少。 "In some years, he felt he had given too much and received too little."
33.25 但退休那天，站在空教室里，他突然觉得自己很富有。 "But on retirement day, standing in the empty classroom, he suddenly felt very wealthy."
33.26 那些学生，就是他得到的一切。 "Those students were everything he had obtained."
33.27 他对那个问他的人说："我得到了最珍贵的东西。" "He said to the person who asked him: 'I obtained the most precious thing.'"
33.28 "什么？" "'What?'"
33.29 "被需要的感觉。" "'The feeling of being needed.'"
33.30 得到，有时候不是拿，而是给。 "Obtaining, sometimes, is not taking — it is giving."
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33.16 张老师退休那天，有人问他："四十年，你得到了什么？" 33.17 他想了很久，没有马上回答。 33.18 年轻时候，他觉得自己什么都没得到。 33.19 工资不高，房子买不到，别人升职了他没有。 33.20 但是每天走进教室，看到那些眼睛，他就什么都忘了。 33.21 三十年后，一个学生给他写信："张老师，我从您那里得到的，比任何人都多。" 33.22 他才明白：得到不一定是拿在手里的东西。 33.23 他得到过无数次感谢，也得到过不少误解。 33.24 有些年，他觉得自己付出得太多，得到得太少。 33.25 但退休那天，站在空教室里，他突然觉得自己很富有。 33.26 那些学生，就是他得到的一切。 33.27 他对那个问他的人说："我得到了最珍贵的东西。" 33.28 "什么？" 33.29 "被需要的感觉。" 33.30 得到，有时候不是拿，而是给。
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不是…而是… (bùshì…érshì…): "not X but rather Y" — a correction structure that replaces one interpretation with another. 得到不是拿，而是给 (Obtaining is not taking, but rather giving). 不是 negates the first option; 而是 introduces the correction. Distinct from 但是 (which contrasts) — 而是 replaces.
被需要的感觉 (bèi xūyào de gǎnjué): "the feeling of being needed" — this combines the passive 被 (Lesson 32) with the nominaliser 的 (Lesson 28). 被需要 = being needed (passive); 被需要的 = that which is being-needed (nominalised passive); 被需要的感觉 = the feeling of being needed. Three grammar points from three different lessons working together in one phrase.
付出得太多，得到得太少 (fùchū de tài duō, dédào de tài shǎo): Two parallel verb + 得 + complement structures. 付出 (give out) + 得 (complement marker) + 太多 (too much); 得到 (obtain) + 得 + 太少 (too little). Note: the 得 in 付出得 and 得到得 is the neutral-tone particle (de), not the verb 得 (dé, obtain) — even though 得到得 contains both in sequence. Context and tone distinguish them.
从您那里得到的 (cóng nín nàlǐ dédào de): "what I obtained from you" — a complex noun phrase built from 从 (from, Lesson 29) + 您 (you-HON) + 那里 (there) + 得到 (obtained) + 的 (nominaliser). The entire phrase functions as the subject: "[What I obtained from you] is more than from anyone else."
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得到 (dédào) — IPA: /tɤ˧˥.taʊ̯˥˩/
得 (dé): second tone — unaspirated dental stop [t] (NOT voiced like English "d"), followed by the mid-central vowel [ɤ] (similar to the vowel in 了 le but with tone), rising from mid to high.
到 (dào): fourth tone — same initial [t], followed by the diphthong [aʊ̯], falling sharply.
The three pronunciations of 得: - 得到 (dé dào): second tone — "obtained" — used as a content verb - 说得好 (shuō de hǎo): neutral tone — structural particle — always unstressed, sounds like [tə] - 我得走 (wǒ děi zǒu): third tone — "must" — the tone dips low and rises
In rapid speech, 得到 sometimes contracts slightly — the second tone on 得 may not rise fully before the falling fourth tone on 到. This is natural connected-speech tone reduction.
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