到

Phono-semantic compound:

至 (이를 지) — semantic element, meaning “to reach” or “to arrive.”

刀 (칼 도) — phonetic element, providing the sound do and nuance of sharpness or precision.

Originally, 到 depicted the act of arriving exactly at a point or boundary — the sense of “reaching the mark.”

The combination of 至 (arrival) with 刀 (cutting edge) visually and conceptually represents a movement that comes sharply to its destination.

In oracle and bronze inscriptions, the forms of 到 are not attested, as it is a later derived compound from 至 and 刀 that appeared in small seal script (小篆).

By the clerical script (隸書) period, it took the standardized modern form with the semantic top (至) and the phonetic bottom (刀).

도착(到着) — arrival, reaching a place.

도달(到達) — to reach a point or achieve something.

도래(到來) — coming, advent (often figurative: “the coming of an era”).

도성(到成) — completion, accomplishment.

미도(未到) — not yet reached.

The character 到 functions both literally (movement in space) and metaphorically (achievement, fulfillment, arrival of time or event).

It appears in classical, literary, and modern Sino-Korean vocabulary alike.

In early Chinese, 到 denoted physical arrival — “to come to a place” — but soon extended to temporal arrival (“when the time comes”) and mental attainment (“to reach understanding”).

In classical texts:

「至而不至曰不到。」

“To go yet not arrive is called ‘not reaching’.” — Han Feizi (韓非子)

Later, its usage expanded to idiomatic and grammatical roles, such as a complement of result in modern Chinese grammar (e.g. 做到 “to manage to do,” 看不到 “cannot see”).

Cultural & philosophical notes:

到 carries profound symbolic resonance in classical Chinese thought — representing the moment of fulfillment or realization.

In Daoist and Confucian literature, “reaching” (到) often connotes achieving harmony or completion of a journey, whether physical, moral, or spiritual.

「學而不思則罔，思而不學則殆。學至於誠，則道自到。」

“Study without thought is futile; thought without study is perilous. When study reaches sincerity, the Way itself arrives (道自到).” — paraphrased from Analects (論語)

Thus, 到 embodies both arrival and attainment — the moment where action meets realization.

Symbolic interpretation:

到 symbolizes completion through arrival — the endpoint of movement, learning, or intention.

Its upper radical 至 represents the destination, while the lower 刀 marks the decisive moment of contact — as if one’s journey cuts sharply into its goal.

In spiritual or poetic imagery, 到 suggests the meeting of effort and destiny, the fulfillment of the path one has followed.

「行至水窮處，坐看雲起時。」

“When one walks to where the water ends, sit and watch the clouds rise.” — Wang Wei (王維)

The essence of 到 is arrival with awareness — not merely reaching a place, but realizing its meaning.