hon3 dou3看到
Jyutpinghon3 dou3
Yalehon dou
Definition
To see; to catch sight of or notice something.
colloquialdaily actions
How it's used
Cantonese speakers almost exclusively use 睇到 instead of 看到 in spoken contexts. 睇 is the standard verb for look or watch, and adding 到 acts as a resultative complement indicating successful perception. It is rarely used in formal writing, where 看到 or 看見 might appear.
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often mistakenly use 看到 because it is the standard Mandarin term, but it sounds unnatural and overly formal in daily Cantonese conversation. Always prefer 睇到 when speaking.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Aspect markersCantonese has no tenses, but it does have aspect markers. Learn how zo2, gwo3, gan2, and hai2 dou6 show completion, experience, and ongoing action.
- In 30 secondsThe whole language at a glance. No tenses, no plurals, six tones, sentence particles. Read this before you dive into any specific topic.
- ParticlesSentence particles add tone, emotion, and nuance. Learn the most common particles in Cantonese and how to use them.
