Meaning
见到 is a resultative compound verb meaning 'to see' or 'to meet' someone. The 到 suffix adds a sense of completion or achievement—you didn't just look, you actually saw/met the person. It's commonly used when talking about encountering people or finally seeing something you were looking for.
Usage
This is one of the most common ways to express meeting or seeing someone in everyday conversation. It's slightly more emphatic than 见 alone, stressing that the seeing actually happened. Often used in patterns like 见到你很高兴 (glad to see you) or 我昨天见到他了 (I saw him yesterday). It's neutral in register and appropriate in both casual and formal contexts.
Examples
- 01我今天在超市见到了老朋友。.I ran into an old friend at the supermarket today.
- 02见到你真是太好了！!It's so great to see you!
Characters
Common collocations
- 很高兴见到你very happy to see you
- 见到了have seen/met
- 没见到didn't see/meet
Origin
见 originally depicted a person (人) with an eye (目) emphasizing sight. 到 means 'to arrive' or 'to reach,' and when combined as a resultative complement, it indicates successful completion of the action.