到达

The Chinese word 到达 (dàodá) means "to arrive" or "to reach". It is composed of two characters: 到 (dào), which means "to arrive" or "to reach", and 达 (dá), which means "to arrive" or "to reach". The character 到 is a pictograph of a person standing on a platform, while the character 达 is a pictograph of a person standing on a mountaintop. Together, the two characters mean "to arrive at the top of a mountain", which is a metaphor for reaching one's goal.The word 到达 is first attested in the oracle bone script of the Shang dynasty (c. 1600–1046 BC). It was originally used as a verb meaning "to arrive" or "to reach", but it has since been extended to mean "to achieve" or "to attain". The word 到达 is also used in a number of idioms and proverbs, such as 一步登天 (yībù dēngtiān), which means "to reach the top in one step", and 水到渠成 (shuǐ dào qúchéng), which means "water flows naturally to the lowest point".The word 到达 is a common word in modern Chinese, and it is used in a variety of contexts. It is a useful word to know for HSK learners, as it can be used to express a variety of ideas related to arrival, achievement, and attainment.