# Expressing "less than" with "不到"

<SentenceQuiz>

- 我 女儿 _不到_ 三 岁 。
  <!-- - Wǒ nǚ'ér _bùdào_ sān suì. -->
  - My daughter is not yet three years old.
- 我 昨天 睡 了 _不到_ 五 个 小时 。
  <!-- - Wǒ zuótiān shuì le _bùdào_ wǔ gè xiǎoshí. -->
  - Yesterday I slept for almost five hours.
- 这 件 衣服 花 了 _不到_ 一 百 块 。
  <!-- - Zhè jiàn yīfu huā le _bùdào_ yī bǎi kuài. -->
  - On this piece of clothing I spent less than 100 RMB.
- 我 家 到 公司 _不到_ 五 百 米 。
  <!-- - Wǒ jiā dào gōngsī _bùdào_ wǔ bǎi mǐ. -->
  - My house is less than 500 meters from the office.
- 在 美国 ，_不到_ 21 岁 不 能 喝酒 。
  <!-- - Zài Měiguó, _bùdào_ èrshí-yī suì, bù néng hējiǔ. -->
  - In the US, if you're under 21 you can't drink alcohol.
- 她 的 病 _不到_ 一个 星期 **就** 好 **了** 。
  <!-- - Tā de bìng _bùdào_ yī gè xīngqī **jiù** hǎo **le**. -->
  - Her sickness got better in less than a week.
- 他们 认识 _不到_ 两 个 月 **就** 结婚 **了** 。
  <!-- - Tāmen rènshi _bùdào_ liǎng gè yuè **jiù** jiéhūn **le**. -->
  - After knowing each other for less than two months they got married.
- 李 医生 _不到_ 55 岁 **就** 退休 **了** 。
  <!-- - Lǐ yīshēng _bùdào_ wǔshí-wǔ suì **jiù** tuìxiū **le**. -->
  - Dr. Li retired at under the age of 55.
- 爷爷 _不到_ 60 岁 **就** 去世 **了** 。
  <!-- - Yéye _bùdào_ liùshí suì **jiù** qùshì **le**. -->
  - My grandpa was less than 60 years old when he died.
- 老板 _不到_ 30 岁 **就** 有 白 头发 **了** 。
  <!-- - Lǎobǎn _bùdào_ sānshí suì **jiù** yǒu bái tóufa **le**. -->
  - My boss is less than 30 years old and already has some gray hair.

</SentenceQuiz>

<TOC>

- Level: [B1](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/B1_grammar_points) / [HSK0](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/HSK0_grammar_points)
- Similar to
- Used for: [Expressing quantity](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Expressing_quantity)
- Keywords: [不到](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/%E4%B8%8D%E5%88%B0)

</TOC>

The word 到 (dào) means "arrive," but it can also mean "to reach" or "to get to" in an abstract sense. So in this pattern, 不到 (bùdào) means "to not reach (the amount of)," or, to put it another way, "to be less than."

## Basic Pattern

### Structure

Subj. + 不到 + Number + [Measure Word] + Noun

### Examples

- 我 女儿 _不到_ 三 岁 。
  <!-- - Wǒ nǚ'ér _bùdào_ sān suì. -->
  - My daughter is not yet three years old.
- 我 昨天 睡 了 _不到_ 五 个 小时 。
  <!-- - Wǒ zuótiān shuì le _bùdào_ wǔ gè xiǎoshí. -->
  - Yesterday I slept for almost five hours.
- 这 件 衣服 花 了 _不到_ 一 百 块 。
  <!-- - Zhè jiàn yīfu huā le _bùdào_ yī bǎi kuài. -->
  - On this piece of clothing I spent less than 100 RMB.
- 我 家 到 公司 _不到_ 五 百 米 。
  <!-- - Wǒ jiā dào gōngsī _bùdào_ wǔ bǎi mǐ. -->
  - My house is less than 500 meters from the office.
- 在 美国 ，_不到_ 21 岁 不 能 喝酒 。
  <!-- - Zài Měiguó, _bùdào_ èrshí-yī suì, bù néng hējiǔ. -->
  - In the US, if you're under 21 you can't drink alcohol.

## Advanced Pattern

### Structure

When 不到 (bùdào) is put before a time or a duration of time, it needs to be followed with 就 (jiù). This shows that something (usually referring to the past) has happened earlier than expected.

Subj. + 不到 + Time + 就 + Predicate + 了

### Examples

- 她 的 病 _不到_ 一个 星期 **就** 好 **了** 。
  <!-- - Tā de bìng _bùdào_ yī gè xīngqī **jiù** hǎo **le**. -->
  - Her sickness got better in less than a week.
- 他们 认识 _不到_ 两 个 月 **就** 结婚 **了** 。
  <!-- - Tāmen rènshi _bùdào_ liǎng gè yuè **jiù** jiéhūn **le**. -->
  - After knowing each other for less than two months they got married.
- 李 医生 _不到_ 55 岁 **就** 退休 **了** 。
  <!-- - Lǐ yīshēng _bùdào_ wǔshí-wǔ suì **jiù** tuìxiū **le**. -->
  - Dr. Li retired at under the age of 55.
- 爷爷 _不到_ 60 岁 **就** 去世 **了** 。
  <!-- - Yéye _bùdào_ liùshí suì **jiù** qùshì **le**. -->
  - My grandpa was less than 60 years old when he died.
- 老板 _不到_ 30 岁 **就** 有 白 头发 **了** 。
  <!-- - Lǎobǎn _bùdào_ sānshí suì **jiù** yǒu bái tóufa **le**. -->
  - My boss is less than 30 years old and already has some gray hair.

For other similar uses of 就, see also [expressing earliness with "就."](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Expressing_earliness_with_%22jiu%22)

## See also

- [Emphasizing quantity with "都"](../A2/都.md)
- [Referring to "all" using "所有"](./所有.md)
- [Indicating a number in excess](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Indicating_a_number_in_excess)
- [Indicating the whole with "全"](./全.md)