to

A1 Topic:Grammar & Function Words

US /tuː/ UK [tu̟ː] See IPA manual

Homophones

too /tu/ two /tu/

Freq #4

Meanings

1

prep
In the direction of; so as to reach a place.

We are walking to the shop.
2

part
Used before a verb to form the infinitive.

I want to leave now.
3

prep
Used to show the person or thing that receives an action.

I gave the book to him.
4

prep
Used to show contact with or attachment to a surface.

He fixed the notice to the wall.

Thesaurus

Word family

Derived forms finnagonnagottahaftalean-tomany-to-manymany-to-one one-to-many one-to-oneoughtasuppostausta

Related forms at lean-toset-to

From Middle English to, from Old English tō, from Proto-Germanic *tō ~ *ta, from Proto-Indo-European *de ~ *do (“to”). Cognate with Scots tae, to (“to”), North Frisian to, tö, tu (“to”), Saterland Frisian tou (“to”), Low German to (“to”), Dutch toe, te (“to”), German zu (“to”), West Frisian ta (“to”). Non-Germanic cognates include Albanian ndaj (“towards”), Irish do (“to, for”), Breton da (“to, for”), Welsh i (“to, for”), Russian до (do, “to”). Doublet of too.

to Middle English tō Old English *tō Proto-Germanic *de Proto-Indo-European

View etymology graph ->

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Grammar & Function Words

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# to

**Type:** Word
**Level:** A1
**Part of speech:** prep, part
**IPA (US):** /tuː/
**IPA (UK):** [tu̟ː]
**Frequency rank:** 4

## Meanings
1. In the direction of; so as to reach a place.
2. Used before a verb to form the infinitive.
3. Used to show the person or thing that receives an action.
4. Used to show contact with or attachment to a surface.

## Examples
- We are walking to the shop.
- I want to leave now.
- I gave the book to him.
- He fixed the notice to the wall.

## Derived Forms
- finna
- gonna
- gotta
- hafta
- lean-to
- many-to-many
- many-to-one
- one-to-many
- one-to-one
- oughta
- supposta
- usta

## Related Forms
- at
- lean-to
- set-to

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: to
- Root: tō
- Root: *tō
- Root: *de

## Etymology
From Middle English to, from Old English tō, from Proto-Germanic *tō ~ *ta, from Proto-Indo-European *de ~ *do (“to”). Cognate with Scots tae, to (“to”), North Frisian to, tö, tu (“to”), Saterland Frisian tou (“to”), Low German to (“to”), Dutch toe, te (“to”), German zu (“to”), West Frisian ta (“to”). Non-Germanic cognates include Albanian ndaj (“towards”), Irish do (“to, for”), Breton da (“to, for”), Welsh i (“to, for”), Russian до (do, “to”). Doublet of too.

## AI Etymology
To is from Middle English to, from Old English tō, from Proto-Germanic *tō ~ *ta, from Proto-Indo-European *de ~ *do (“to”). Cognate with Scots tae, to (“to”), North Frisian to, tö, tu (“to”), Saterland Frisian tou (“to”), Low German to (“to”), Dutch toe, te (“to”), German zu (“to”), West Frisian ta (“to”). Non-Germanic cognates include Albanian ndaj (“towards”), Irish do (“to, for”), Breton da (“to, for”), Welsh i (“to, for”), Russian до (do, “to”). Doublet of too. Derived formations include finna, gonna, gotta, hafta, lean-to, many-to-many, many-to-one, one-to-many.

## Topics
- Grammar & Function Words

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