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

Appears in

Phrases (21)

See all

go to school
to attend school as a student on a regular basis

Verb + noun
listen to
to pay attention to someone or something producing sound

Verb + preposition/particle
come to a stop
to cease moving

Verb + noun
bring to a stop
to cause something or someone to cease moving or operating

Verb + noun
come to an end
to finish or conclude

Verb + noun
give thought to
to deliberately consider or reflect on something

Verb + noun

Idioms (61)

See all

back to basics
returning to the simple, fundamental principles of an activity
come to mind
to appear in one's thoughts or memory
get up to speed
to become informed or current on a topic, project, or situation
see eye to eye
To agree completely with someone.
up to no good
engaged in behavior that is mischievous, dishonest, or otherwise wrong
up to speed
fully informed about a current situation or topic and ready to proceed

Tongue twisters (3)

See all

A Tutor Who Tooted
A tutor, who tooted a flute, tried to tutor two tooters to toot. Said the two to the tutor: “Is it harder to toot, or tutor two tooters to toot?”

Keep toot, tooted and tooters distinct while maintaining the long vowel. Tutor varies by accent, so it need not begin exactly like toot.
Two Toads
Two toads tried to trot to Tedbury.

Alternate a single /t/ with the /tɹ/ cluster in tried and trot. Keep the ending of toads before moving into tried.
Windmills and the Millwheel
To the windmills said the millwheel: “As the wind wills do you still wheel?” “Yes, we still wheel when the wind wills!” To the millwheel said the windmills.

Wind here means moving air and rhymes with pinned. Contrast the vowel in will with the longer vowel in wheel, keeping the final /l/ in both.

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.

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

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Grammar & Function Words

External links

# 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

markdown

to

Meanings

Thesaurus

Appears in

Phrases (21)

Idioms (61)

Tongue twisters (3)

Etymology

Topics

External links

Keyboard Shortcuts

General

Send feedback