Result and Degree with 著 and 到

01

著 — Reaching the Target

著 (doˊtó) after a verb says the action succeeded in reaching its object. On its own the verb describes the effort; with 著 (doˊtó) it describes the outcome.

• 你兜下一課會學著當多新單詞。

  ngi deuˋ ha+ rhid koˇ voi+ hogˋ doˊ dongˋ doˋ sinˋ danˋ ciingì têu hå yit kho vo̊i ho̍k tó tông tô sîn tân tshṳ̀

  In the next lesson you'll learn a lot of new words.

• 佢兜無看著，毋過佢兜聽著了。

  gi deuˋ mo konˇ doˊ m goˇ gi deuˋ tangˇ doˊ leˋkì têu mò khon tó m̀ ko kì têu thang tó lê

  They didn't see it, but they heard it.

02

The Negative Slots Inside

To say the result was NOT reached, 毋 (mm̀) goes between the verb and the complement rather than in front of the whole. This gives the ordinary way of saying can't see and can't find — the looking happens, the finding does not.

• 𠊎看毋著你。

  ngai konˇ m doˊ ngingài khon m̀ tó ngì

  I can't see you.

• 𠊎尋毋著𠊎个目鏡。

  ngai cim m doˊ ngai gaiˇ mug giangˇngài tshìm m̀ tó ngài kai muk kiang

  I can't find my glasses.

03

到 — How Far It Goes

到 (doˇto) after a verb marks the extent or the degree the action reaches, and is followed by a description of that degree. This is how Hakka says that something is done well, badly or a lot: the adjective describes the action rather than the doer.

• 𠊎試著你講到當好。

  ngai chiˇ doˊ ngi gongˊ doˇ dongˋ hoˊngài chhi tó ngì kóng to tông hó

  I think you speak really well.

• 佢彈到當好。

  gi tan doˇ dongˋ hoˊkì thàn to tông hó

  He plays really well.

• 河壩水七月變到當燒暖。

  ho baˇ shuiˊ cid ngiedˋ bienˇ doˇ dongˋ shauˋ nonˋhò pa shúi tshit ngie̍t pien to tông shâu nôn

  In July the river water turns really warm.

04

Asking About the Degree

A question about how something turned out uses the same frame, with a question word standing where the description would go.

• 你在法國个假期過到仰般形？

  ngi diˇ fab gued gaiˇ gaˊ ki goˇ doˇ ngiongˊ banˋ hinngì ti fap koet kai ká khì ko to ngióng pân hìn

  How did your holiday in France go?

• 金夫人你好，你戴院个時節情況仰般？

  gimˋ fuˋ ngin ngi hoˊ ngi daiˇ rhanˇ gaiˇ shi zied cin kongˊ ngiongˊ banˋkîm fû ngìn ngì hó ngì tai yan kai shì tsiet tshìn khóng ngióng pân

  Hello Mrs. Kim, how are you getting on in hospital?

05

Two Different Jobs

著 (doˊtó) reports that the action hit its mark; 到 (doˇto) reports how far it went. A full-toned 著 (chogˋchho̍k) is a different word altogether, meaning correct. A verb can take either, and the choice is a matter of what is being said about the action rather than of which verb is used.