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ChineseGrammarWiki


			
				
					
						
						
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<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_&quot;after_all&quot;_with_&quot;bijing&quot;" 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_&quot;In_the_End&quot;_with_&quot;jiujing&quot;" 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_&quot;finally&quot;_with_&quot;zhongyu&quot;" 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_&quot;After_All&quot;_with_&quot;bijing&quot;" title=
"wikilink">Expressing "After All" with "bijing"</a></li>
<li><a href=
"Expressing_&quot;In_the_End&quot;_with_&quot;jiujing&quot;" 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&amp;tag=allset-23&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=536&amp;creative=3132&amp;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&amp;tag=allset-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=217145&amp;creative=399373&amp;creativeASIN=B00112ZL5A">
→buy</a></li>
</ul>
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