Expressing "after all" with "bijing"

毕竟 (bìjìng) can be used to emphasize a reason or characteristic, and is like "after all" where you might say, "he is, after all, only a child." 毕竟 is used both in spoken and written Chinese.

Basic Form

In its most basic form, you just need to add the "after all" stuff after the 毕竟, and it could be a reason or a characteristic.

Structure

毕竟 ⋯⋯

Examples

• 别 骂 他 了 ，他 毕竟 是 孩子 。Bié mà tā le, tā bìjìng shì háizi.Stop yelling at him. He's only a kid, after all.
• 毕竟 是 冬天 ，你 还是 多 穿 点 吧 。Bìjìng shì dōngtiān, nǐ háishì duō chuān diǎn ba.It's winter, after all. You'd better dress more warmly.
• 他 不知道 也 很 正常，毕竟 他 不 是 本地 人。Tā bù zhīdào yě hěn zhèngcháng, bìjìng tā bù shì běndìrén.It's not strange that he doesn't know. He's not a local, after all.
• 有的 玩笑 不 能 再 开 了，毕竟 他们 都 是 大 孩子 了 。Yǒu de wánxiào bù néng zài kāi le, bìjìng tāmen dōu shì dà háizile.Some things shouldn't be joked about anymore. After all, they're not little kids anymore.
• 我们 不太 想 搬 ，毕竟 在 这儿 住 了 好几 年 了 。Wǒmen bù tài xiǎng bān, bìjìng zài zhèr zhù le hǎojǐ nián le.We don't really want to move. After all, we've lived here for so many years.

Fuller Form

Structure

虽然 ⋯⋯ ，但 + 毕竟 ⋯⋯ ，(as a result) ⋯⋯

In this structure, the parts after 虽然 (suīrán) and 毕竟 are reasons or characteristics, and the part after (as a result) is a result or conclusion. It's a bit more complex, so pay attention to the different parts in the example sentences below.

Examples

• 虽然 他 做错 了，但 毕竟 他 还是 小，你 就 别 打 他 了 。Suīrán tā zuòcuò le, dàn bìjìng tā háishì xiǎo, nǐ jiù bié dǎ tā le.Although he made a mistake, he is, after all, still young. So stop hitting him.
• 虽然 我 穿 了 不 少 衣服，但 毕竟 是 北方 的 冬天，所以 我 还是 觉得 挺 冷 的。Suīrán wǒ chuān le bùshǎo yīfu, dàn bìjìng shì běifāng de dōngtiān, suǒyǐ wǒ háishì juéde tǐng lěng de.Although I'm dressed really warmly, it is, after all, winter in the north. I still feel quite cold.
• 虽然 我 跟 他 认识，但 毕竟 不 太 熟，还是 不要 去 麻烦 人家 了。Suīrán wǒ gēn tā rènshí, dàn bìjìng bùtài shú, háishì bùyào qù máfan rénjiā le.Although I know him, we're not close, after all. We'd better not bother him.
• 虽然 我 小时候 奶奶 对 我 不 好，但 毕竟 她 是 我 奶奶，所以 我 还是 会 照顾 她。Suīrán wǒ xiǎoshíhou nǎinai duì wǒ bù hǎo, dàn bìjìng tā shì wǒ nǎinai, suǒyǐ wǒ háishì huì zhàogù tā.Although my grandma didn't treat me well when I was little, she is my grandma, after all, so I will still take care of her.
• 虽然 你们 已经 离婚 了，但 毕竟 还有 一个 孩子 ，跟 孩子 在 一起 的 时候 别 吵架。Suīrán nǐmen yǐjīng líhūn le, dàn bìjìng hái yǒu yī ge háizi, gēn háizi zài yīqǐ de shíhou bié chǎojià.Although you are divorced, you still have a child together, after all. So don't fight when you're with the child.

Sources and further reading

Books

• Boya Chinese Upper Intermediate 1 (博雅汉语中级冲刺篇) (pp. 155) Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy
• Chinese Grammar - Broken down into 100 items - Basic and Intermediate Levels (汉语语法百项讲练 - 初中级) (pp. 127-30) Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy
• Integrated Chinese: Level 2, Part 2 (pp. 151-2) Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy
• New Practical Chinese Reader 5 (新实用汉语课本5) (pp. 92) Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy
• HSK Standard Course 5上 (pp. 82) Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy

HSK5