to

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See also Appendix:Variations of "to", and Appendix:ISO 639-1 language codes

Contents

English [edit]

Etymology [edit]

From Middle English to (“to”), from Old English tō (“to”), from Proto-Germanic *tō, *ta (“to”), from Proto-Indo-European *de, *do (“to”). Cognate with Low German to (“to”), Dutch toe (“to”), German zu (“to”), West Frisian ta (“to”). Non-Germanic cognates include Albanian te (“to, at”), tu (“while, for, to”).

Pronunciation [edit]

Stressed

Unstressed

Particle [edit]

to

  1. A particle used for marking the following verb as an infinitive.
    I want to leave.
    He asked me what to do.
    I don’t know how to say it.
    I have places to go and people to see.
  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.

Derived terms [edit]

Translations [edit]

infinitive-marker

Preposition [edit]

to

  1. Indicating destination: In the direction of, and arriving at.
    We are walking to the shop.
  2. Used to indicate purpose.
    He devoted himself to education.
    They drank to his health.
  3. Indicating a necessity.
    That is something to do.
  4. Used to indicate result of action.
    His face was beaten to a pulp.
  5. 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.
  6. (arithmetic) Used to indicate ratios; in informal use the ratios are not reduced to smallest terms.
    one to one = 1:1
    ten to one = 10:1.
    • 2012 April 22, Sam Sheringham, “Liverpool 0-1 West Brom”, BBC Sport:
      In total, the Reds had 28 shots to their opponent's nine, and 15 corners to the Baggies' three.
  7. (arithmetic) Used 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.
    Three to the second is nine.
  8. Used to indicate the indirect object.
    I gave the book to him.
  9. (time) Preceding.
    ten to ten = 9:50; We're going to leave at ten to (the hour).
  10. (Canada, UK, Newfoundland, West Midlands) at
    Stay where you're to and I'll come find you, b'y.

Translations [edit]

in the direction of, and arriving at
used after certain adjectives to indicate a relationship
indicating a necessity
used to indicate ratios
used to indicated exponentiation
used to indicate the indirect object
time: preceding

See also [edit]

Adverb [edit]

to (not comparable)

  1. Toward a closed, touching or engaging position.
    Please would you push the door to.
  2. (nautical) Into the wind.
  3. Common misspelling of too.

Synonyms [edit]

  • (toward a closed, touching or engaging position): closed, shut

Antonyms [edit]

  • (toward a closed, touching or engaging position): open, ajar

Translations [edit]

Translations

See also [edit]

References [edit]

  • Andrea Tyler and Vyvyan Evans, "Spatial particles of orientation", in The Semantics of English Prepositions: Spatial Scenes, Embodied Meaning and Cognition, Cambridge University Press, 2003, 0-521-81430 8

Statistics [edit]

Anagrams [edit]

Asturian [edit]

Adjective [edit]

to

  1. your

Czech [edit]

Pronunciation [edit]

Pronoun [edit]

to n

  1. it, that

Dalmatian [edit]

Etymology [edit]

From Latin tuus. Compare Italian tuo, Romanian tău, Friulian to, French ton, Spanish tu.

Pronoun [edit]

to m (feminine toa)

  1. your; second-person masculine singular possessive pronoun

See also [edit]

Danish [edit]

Etymology 1 [edit]

From Old Norse tveir, from Proto-Germanic *twai, from Proto-Indo-European *dwóh₁ (“two”).

Pronunciation [edit]

  • IPA: /toː/, [tˢoːˀ]

Numeral [edit]

to

  1. (cardinal) two

Etymology 2 [edit]

From Old Norse þvá (“wash”), from Proto-Germanic *þwahaną.

Pronunciation [edit]

  • IPA: /toː/, [tˢoːˀ]

Verb [edit]

to (imperative to, infinitive at to, present tense tor, past tense toede, past participle har toet)

  1. (dated) wash

Esperanto [edit]

Noun [edit]

to (plural to-oj, accusative singular to-on, accusative plural to-ojn)

  1. The name of the Latin script letter T/t.

See also [edit]

Ewe [edit]

Noun [edit]

to

  1. antelope
  2. (anatomy) ear
  3. father-in-law
  4. mortar
  5. mountain

Verb [edit]

to

  1. to crush
  2. to pound

Finnish [edit]

Etymology [edit]

Abbreviation of torstai ("Thursday").

Pronunciation [edit]

Abbreviation [edit]

to

  1. Thu (abbreviation of Thursday)

Ido [edit]

Pronoun [edit]

to

  1. (demonstrative) this (thing)

Japanese [edit]

Romanization [edit]

to

  1. See と
  2. See ト

Lojban [edit]

Cmavo [edit]

to

  1. Marks the start of a parenthetical clause or phrase.

Usage notes [edit]

  • The elidable terminator for a phrase begun with to is toi.

Related terms [edit]

Louisiana Creole French [edit]

Etymology [edit]

From French tu (“you”).

Pronoun [edit]

to

  1. you (singular), thou
    To té paʼlé gra. / To te pale gra.
    You spoke with an accent. (literally: "You had spoken thick.")

Lower Sorbian [edit]

Pronunciation [edit]

Pronoun [edit]

to

  1. this

Mauritian Creole [edit]

Etymology [edit]

From French tu

Pronoun [edit]

to (objective twa, formal ou)

  1. you (second-person singular nominative personal pronoun)

See also [edit]

Mauritian Creole personal pronouns
singular plural
1st person mo
mwa (objective)		 nou
2nd person to (informal), ou (formal)
twa (objective)		 zot
3rd person li zot, bann-la

Norwegian Bokmål [edit]

Etymology [edit]

From Old Norse tveir, from Proto-Germanic *twai, from Proto-Indo-European *dwóh₁.

Cardinal number [edit]

to

  1. (cardinal) two

Norwegian Nynorsk [edit]

Etymology [edit]

From Old Norse tveir, from Proto-Germanic *twai, from Proto-Indo-European *dwóh₁.

Cardinal number [edit]

to

  1. (cardinal) two

Old English [edit]

Etymology [edit]

From Proto-Germanic *tō, *ta (“to”), from Proto-Indo-European *de, *do (“to”). Cognate with Old Saxon tō (“to”), Old High German zuo (“to”).

Preposition [edit]

tō

  1. to, into
  2. at
  3. (grammar) used to mark the infinitive (supine) of the verb
    tō drīfenne (“to drive”)

Adverb [edit]

tō

  1. besides
  2. in addition, also, too; moreover

Descendants [edit]

Old Saxon [edit]

Etymology [edit]

West Germanic *to, whence also Old English tō and Old High German zuo

Preposition [edit]

tō

  1. to

Polish [edit]

Etymology [edit]

From Proto-Slavic *to, from Proto-Indo-European *tód

Pronunciation [edit]

Pronoun [edit]

to n

  1. (demonstrative) this (nearby, neuter)

Declension [edit]

    declension of to
singular plural
nominative to te
genitive tego tych
dative temu tym
accusative to te
instrumental tym tymi
locative tym tych
vocative – –

See also [edit]

Slovene [edit]

Etymology [edit]

From Proto-Slavic *to.

Pronunciation [edit]

Pronoun [edit]

to

  1. this (neuter)

Vietnamese [edit]

Adjective [edit]

to

  1. big, large
  2. great, considerable

Derived terms [edit]

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