<!DOCTYPE html> <html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <head> <meta name="generator" content= "HTML Tidy for HTML5 for Linux version 5.2.0" /> <title></title> </head> <body> <p>到底 (dàodǐ) literally means "to the bottom," and often is used where the speaker wants to get to the bottom of a problem or issue, emphasizing or questioning what the real reason for something is.</p> <h2 id="到底-as-毕竟-or-in-the-end">到底 as 毕竟 or "in the end"</h2> <p>It is often used like <a href="%E6%AF%95%E7%AB%9F" class="uri" title="wikilink">毕竟</a>, to mean "after all" or "in the end." When used in this way, 到底 is used to emphasize a reason or characteristic the speaker considers to be most important.</p> <h3 id="structure-1">Structure 1</h3> <div class="jiegou"> <p>到底 + Reason / Characteristic</p> </div> <h3 id="examples">Examples</h3> <div class="liju"> <ul> <li><em>到底</em> 是 个 大 老板，出手 就是 大方 。 <span class="expl">"He is a high-level boss, after all...")</span></li> <li><em>到底</em> 是 个 高手，这么 快 就 把 问题 解决 了！<span class="expl">"He is a master, after all...")</span></li> <li><em>到底</em> 还 是 孩子，有些 事情 他 不 懂 是 很 正常 的。<span class="expl">"He is a kid, after all...")</span></li> </ul> </div> <h3 id="structure-2">Structure 2</h3> <div class="jiegou"> <p>虽然 + A， 但是 + 到底 + B， C</p> </div> <p>In this structure, A and B are reasons or characteristics, and C is a result or conclusion. For this one, although it's possible to use 到底, <a href="%E6%AF%95%E7%AB%9F" class="uri" title= "wikilink">毕竟</a> is definitely the more common choice, so for examples of this usage, see <a href= "expressing_"after_all"_with_"bijing"" title= "wikilink">expressing "after all" with "bijing"</a>. <a href= "%E6%AF%95%E7%AB%9F" class="uri" title="wikilink">毕竟</a> can be placed before and after the Subject in this case, but 到底 is usually placed after the Subject.</p> <h2 id="到底-as-究竟-or-on-earth">到底 as 究竟 or "on earth"</h2> <p>到底 can be used to mean "on earth," where it is used to emphasize a question. In this sense, 到底 is similar to <a href= "Expressing_"In_the_End"_with_"jiujing"" title= "wikilink">究竟</a>.</p> <h3 id="structure">Structure</h3> <div class="jiegou"> <p>到底 + Question Word</p> <p>到底 + Verb＋不 / 没＋Verb</p> </div> <h3 id="examples-1">Examples</h3> <div class="liju"> <ul> <li>你 <em>到底</em> 怎么 了？<span class="trans">What on earth is up with you?</span></li> <li><em>到底</em> 怎么 走？<span class="trans">How on earth do we get there?</span></li> <li>快 说 啊！你 男友 <em>到底</em> 是 谁？<span class="trans">Come on! Who on earth is your boyfriend?</span></li> <li>你 <em>到底</em> 说 不 说？<span class="trans">Are you going to say it or not?</span></li> <li>你 <em>到底</em> 喜 不 喜欢 我？<span class="trans">Do you like me or not?</span></li> <li>他们 <em>到底</em> 离 没 离婚？<span class="trans">Did they get divorced or not?</span></li> </ul> </div> <p>Note that 到底 can't appear in an answer to a question. Also, 吗 can't appear in a question formed with 到底 but 没有 can be used instead:</p> <div class="liju"> <ul> <li>你 到底 吃 了 没有 ？</li> <li>你 到底 吃 了 吗 ？</li> </ul> </div> <h2 id="到底-as-终于-or-finally">到底 as 终于 or "finally"</h2> <p>到底 can be used to mean "finally." In this sense, 到底 is similar to <a href= "Expressing_"finally"_with_"zhongyu"" title= "wikilink">终于</a>.</p> <h3 id="structure-3">Structure</h3> <div class="jiegou"> <p>到底＋Verb＋了</p> </div> <h3 id="examples-2">Examples</h3> <div class="liju"> <ul> <li>天气 <em>到底</em> 暖和 起来 了。<span class="trans">It‘s finally getting warm.</span></li> <li>他 <em>到底</em> 想 明白 了。<span class="trans">He finally understood.</span></li> <li>经过 两 年 多 的 努力，我们 的 项目<em>到底</em> 成功 了。<span class="trans">Our program finally succeed after we worked on this for over two years.</span></li> </ul> </div> <h2 id="see-also">See also</h2> <ul> <li><a href= "Expressing_"After_All"_with_"bijing"" title= "wikilink">Expressing "After All" with "bijing"</a></li> <li><a href= "Expressing_"In_the_End"_with_"jiujing"" title= "wikilink">Expressing "In the End" with "jiujing"</a></li> </ul> <h2 id="sources-and-further-reading">Sources and further reading</h2> <h3 id="books">Books</h3> <ul> <li><a href= "Chinese_Grammar_-_Broken_down_into_100_items_-_Basic_and_Intermediate_Levels_(%E6%B1%89%E8%AF%AD%E8%AF%AD%E6%B3%95%E7%99%BE%E9%A1%B9%E8%AE%B2%E7%BB%83_-_%E5%88%9D%E4%B8%AD%E7%BA%A7)" title="wikilink">Chinese Grammar - Broken down into 100 items - Basic and Intermediate Levels (汉语语法百项讲练 - 初中级)</a> (pp. 127-33) <a href= "http://www.amazon.cn/gp/product/B004WA6JSQ/ref%3das_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-23&linkCode=as2&camp=536&creative=3132&creativeASIN=B004WA6JSQ"> →buy</a></li> <li><a href= "Boya_Chinese_Lower_Intermediate_2_(%E5%8D%9A%E9%9B%85%E6%B1%89%E8%AF%AD%E5%87%86%E4%B8%AD%E7%BA%A7%E5%8A%A0%E9%80%9F%E7%AF%87)" title="wikilink">Boya Chinese Lower Intermediate 2 (博雅汉语准中级加速篇)</a> (pp.183-5) <a href= "http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00112ZL5A/ref%3das_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=B00112ZL5A"> →buy</a></li> </ul> </body> </html>