喜樂美語

Picture an arrow pointing FROM where you are TOWARD a goal — a place, a moment, a person, a result. 'to' marks that target end of the movement.

可以想成一支箭，從你現在的位置指向一個目標——一個地方、一個時間點、一個對象、一個結果。to 標的就是這段移動「朝向」的那一端，所以無論是走「到」某處、給「到」某人、變「到」某個狀態，都是同一支箭指著終點。

From the word’s history

Old English 'to' meant 'in the direction of, as far as (a place/state/goal)', from PIE *do- 'to, toward'. The infinitive marker (to + verb) grew in Middle English out of that same directional/dative 'to' — pointing toward an action as a goal — and weakened into a pure grammatical sign.

古英語的 to 本義是「朝某地／某狀態／某目標的方向、直到」，源自原始印歐語 *do-「向、朝」。不定詞標記（to + 動詞）在中古英語時期由這個表方向的 to 演變而來——把動作當成要「朝向」的目標——後來虛化成純粹的語法記號。所以「方向／終點」這個畫面，正是貫穿介系詞 to 與不定詞 to 的同一條根。

etymonline.com/word/to (Online Etymology Dictionary)

登入就可以看每一支怎麼連回核心畫面。

容易混在一起的字在訂閱裡。容易混在一起的字需要訂閱帳號。

意思相近

towardin order toshuttowardscloseduntil

用法接近

orfortowardabout

意思相反

from

原始詞典資料33 筆記錄

以下是外部詞典記錄的用法，摘錄並精簡格式，我們還沒有寫成教學內容。上面的說明才是我們自己寫的；有些用法可能上面已經講過了。

TOverb

  • 1

    to organize a tournament, to be a TO

    • TOing

Toname/təʊ/

  • 1

    A surname.

toparticle詞源 1/tuː/

  • 1

    A particle used for marking the following verb as an infinitive.

    • I want to leave.
    • He asked me what to do.
  • 2

    As above, with the verb implied.

    • "Did you visit the museum?" "I wanted to, but it was closed."
    • If he hasn't read it yet, he ought to.
  • 3

    Used to indicate an obligation on the part of, or a directive given to, the subject.

    • You are to go to the store and buy a bottle of milk.

toconj詞源 1/tuː/

  • 1

    In order to.

    • I went to the shops to buy some bread.

toprep詞源 1/tuː/

  • 1

    In the direction of; towards.

    • She looked to the heavens.
  • 2

    Indicating destination or final position: In the direction of, so as to arrive at or reach.

    • We are walking to the shop.
    • The water came right to the top of this wall.
  • 3

    Used to indicate the target or recipient of an action.

    • I gave the book to him.
    • I spoke to him earlier.
  • 4

    So as to contact, press against, impact, etc.

    • I fixed the notice to the wall.
    • Put your shoulder to the door.
  • 5

    So as to become or reach: indicating a terminal state resulting from an action.

    • His face was beaten to a pulp.
    • I sang my baby to sleep.
  • 6

    So as to bring about or elicit (an effect or outcome).

    • He made several bad-taste jokes to groans from the audience.
    • I tried complaining, but it was to no effect.
  • 7

    Used after an adjective to indicate its application.

    • similar to ..., relevant to ..., pertinent to ..., I was nice to him, he was cruel to her, I am used to walking.
  • 8

    Indicating a degree or level reached.

    • It was to a large extent true.
    • We manufacture these parts to a very high tolerance.
另外 10 個記錄的用法
  • 9

    Used to describe what something consists of or contains.

    • Anyone could do this job; there's nothing to it.
    • There's a lot of sense to what he says.
  • 10

    Denotes the end of a range.

    • It takes 2 to 4 weeks to process typical applications.
  • 11

    obsoleteAs a.

    • With God to friend (with God as a friend); with The Devil to fiend (with the Devil as a foe); lambs slaughtered to lake (lambs slaughtered as a sacrifice); took her to wife (took her as a wife); was sold to slave (was sold as a slave).
  • 12

    Used to indicate a ratio or comparison; compared to, as against.

    • one to one = 1:1
    • ten to one = 10:1.
  • 13

    arithmeticUsed to indicate that the preceding term is to be raised to the power of the following value; indicates exponentiation.

    • Three squared or three to the second power is nine.
    • Three to the power of two is nine.
  • 14

    timePreceding (the stated hour).

    • What's the time? – It's quarter to four in the afternoon (or 3:45 pm).
  • 15

    informaltimePreceding (the stated hour).

    • It’s quarter to (3:45, or 4:45, or whatever time ending in 45 would make the most sense)
  • 16

    According to.

    • Our holiday did not go to plan.
  • 17

    At.

    • Stay where you're to and I'll come find you, b'y.
    • Where are you to?
  • 18

    Used more-or-less idiomatically with various verbs: keep to the left, agree to the proposal, attend to the matter, etc. See the individual entries.

toadv詞源 1/tuː/

  • 1

    regionalToward a closed, touching, or engaging position.

    • Please push the door to.
    • He went in his room, pushed the door to, without fastening the latch.
  • 2

    nauticaltransportInto the wind.

toparticle詞源 2/t̪oː/

  • 1

    A filler word common amongst urban Indians.

    • I am to so bored right now.

這個拼法也被記錄為下列字的變化形：

摘錄自 英文維基詞典 English Wiktionary，已精簡格式；依 CC BY-SA 4.0 授權使用，改動後的內容同樣以此授權提供。