Difference between revisions of "Expressing "in the end" with "daodi""
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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. | 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. | ||
| − | == 到底 as 毕竟 or " | + | == 到底 as 毕竟 or "In the End" == |
It is often used like [[毕竟]], 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. | It is often used like [[毕竟]], 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. | ||
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</div> | </div> | ||
| − | == 到底 as 究竟 or " | + | == 到底 as 究竟 or "On Earth" == |
到底 can be used to mean "on earth" (as in "what on earth?!") where it is used to add emphasis or urgency to a question. In this sense, 到底 is similar to [[Expressing "In the End" with "jiujing"|究竟]]. | 到底 can be used to mean "on earth" (as in "what on earth?!") where it is used to add emphasis or urgency to a question. In this sense, 到底 is similar to [[Expressing "In the End" with "jiujing"|究竟]]. | ||
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<div class="jiegou"> | <div class="jiegou"> | ||
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到底 + Question Word | 到底 + Question Word | ||
| + | </div> | ||
| + | <div class="jiegou"> | ||
到底 + Verb ＋ 不 / 没 ＋ Verb | 到底 + Verb ＋ 不 / 没 ＋ Verb | ||
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</div> | </div> | ||
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*<em>到底</em> 怎么 走？<span class="pinyin"><em>Dàodǐ</em> zěnme zǒu?</span><span class="trans">How on earth do we get there?</span> | *<em>到底</em> 怎么 走？<span class="pinyin"><em>Dàodǐ</em> zěnme zǒu?</span><span class="trans">How on earth do we get there?</span> | ||
*快 说 啊！你 男友 <em>到底</em> 是 谁？<span class="pinyin">Kuài shuō a! Nǐ nányǒu <em>dàodǐ</em> shì shéi?</span><span class="trans">Speak up! Who on earth is your boyfriend?</span> | *快 说 啊！你 男友 <em>到底</em> 是 谁？<span class="pinyin">Kuài shuō a! Nǐ nányǒu <em>dàodǐ</em> shì shéi?</span><span class="trans">Speak up! Who on earth is your boyfriend?</span> | ||
| − | *你 <em>到底</em> 说 不 说？<span class="pinyin">Nǐ <em>dàodǐ</em> shuō | + | *你 <em>到底</em> 说 不 说？<span class="pinyin">Nǐ <em>dàodǐ</em> shuō bu shuō?</span><span class="trans">Are you going to tell me or not?</span> |
| − | *你 <em>到底</em> 喜 不 喜欢 我？<span class="pinyin">Nǐ <em>dàodǐ</em> xǐ | + | *你 <em>到底</em> 喜 不 喜欢 我？<span class="pinyin">Nǐ <em>dàodǐ</em> xǐ bu xǐhuan wǒ?</span><span class="trans">Do you like me or not?</span> |
*他们 <em>到底</em> 离 没 离婚？<span class="pinyin">Tāmen <em>dàodǐ</em> lí méi líhūn?</span><span class="trans">Did they get divorced or not?</span> | *他们 <em>到底</em> 离 没 离婚？<span class="pinyin">Tāmen <em>dàodǐ</em> lí méi líhūn?</span><span class="trans">Did they get divorced or not?</span> | ||
</div> | </div> | ||
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<div class="liju"> | <div class="liju"> | ||
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<ul> | <ul> | ||
<li class="x"> 你 到底 吃 了 <strong>吗</strong> ？<span class="pinyin">Nǐ <em>dàodǐ</em> chī le <strong>ma</strong>?</span></li> | <li class="x"> 你 到底 吃 了 <strong>吗</strong> ？<span class="pinyin">Nǐ <em>dàodǐ</em> chī le <strong>ma</strong>?</span></li> | ||
<li class="o"> 你 到底 吃 了 <strong>没有</strong> ？<span class="pinyin">Nǐ <em>dàodǐ</em> chī le <strong>méiyǒu</strong>?</span><span class="trans">Have you eaten or not?</span></li> | <li class="o"> 你 到底 吃 了 <strong>没有</strong> ？<span class="pinyin">Nǐ <em>dàodǐ</em> chī le <strong>méiyǒu</strong>?</span><span class="trans">Have you eaten or not?</span></li> | ||
</ul> | </ul> | ||
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</div> | </div> | ||
| − | == 到底 as 终于 or " | + | == 到底 as 终于 or "Finally" == |
到底 can be used to mean "finally." In this sense, 到底 is similar to [[Expressing "finally" with "zhongyu"|终于]]. | 到底 can be used to mean "finally." In this sense, 到底 is similar to [[Expressing "finally" with "zhongyu"|终于]]. | ||
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<div class="jiegou"> | <div class="jiegou"> | ||
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到底 ＋ Verb ＋ 了 | 到底 ＋ Verb ＋ 了 | ||
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</div> | </div> | ||
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<div class="liju"> | <div class="liju"> | ||
| − | + | *天气 <em>到底</em> 暖和 了。<span class="pinyin">Tiānqì <em>dàodǐ</em> nuǎnhuo le.</span><span class="trans">The weather is finally warm.</span> | |
| − | *天气 <em>到底</em> 暖和 | ||
*他 <em>到底</em> 想 明白 了。<span class="pinyin">Tā <em>dàodǐ</em> xiǎng míngbai le.</span><span class="trans">He finally understood.</span> | *他 <em>到底</em> 想 明白 了。<span class="pinyin">Tā <em>dàodǐ</em> xiǎng míngbai le.</span><span class="trans">He finally understood.</span> | ||
| − | *经过 两 年 多 的 努力，我们 的 项目<em>到底</em> 成功 了。<span class="pinyin">Jīngguò liǎng nián duō de nǔlì, wǒmen de xiàngmù <em>dàodǐ</em> chénggōng le.</span><span class="trans">After working on it for over two years, our project finally succeeded.</span> | + | *经过 两 年 多 的 努力，我们 的 项目 <em>到底</em> 成功 了。<span class="pinyin">Jīngguò liǎng nián duō de nǔlì, wǒmen de xiàngmù <em>dàodǐ</em> chénggōng le.</span><span class="trans">After working on it for over two years, our project finally succeeded.</span> |
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</div> | </div> | ||
Latest revision as of 09:17, 18 January 2021
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Level
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Similar to
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Used for
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Keywords
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.
Contents
到底 as 毕竟 or "In the End"
It is often used like 毕竟, 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.
Structure
到底 ⋯⋯ ，Reason / Characteristic
Examples
- 到底 是 个 大 老板，出手 就是 大方 。 Look how generous he is with money. He is a high-level boss, after all....
- 到底 是 个 高手，这么 快 就 把 问题 解决 了！"He is a master, after all. Look how quickly he solved the problem.
- 到底 还 是 孩子，有些 事情 他 不 懂 是 很 正常 的。"He is a kid, after all. It's normal for him to not understand some things.
到底 as 究竟 or "On Earth"
到底 can be used to mean "on earth" (as in "what on earth?!") where it is used to add emphasis or urgency to a question. In this sense, 到底 is similar to 究竟.
Structure
到底 + Question Word
到底 + Verb ＋ 不 / 没 ＋ Verb
Examples
- 你 到底 怎么 了？What on earth is up with you?
- 到底 怎么 走？How on earth do we get there?
- 快 说 啊！你 男友 到底 是 谁？Speak up! Who on earth is your boyfriend?
- 你 到底 说 不 说？Are you going to tell me or not?
- 你 到底 喜 不 喜欢 我？Do you like me or not?
- 他们 到底 离 没 离婚？Did they get divorced or not?
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:
- 你 到底 吃 了 吗 ？
- 你 到底 吃 了 没有 ？Have you eaten or not?
到底 as 终于 or "Finally"
到底 can be used to mean "finally." In this sense, 到底 is similar to 终于.
Structure
到底 ＋ Verb ＋ 了
Examples
- 天气 到底 暖和 了。The weather is finally warm.
- 他 到底 想 明白 了。He finally understood.
- 经过 两 年 多 的 努力，我们 的 项目 到底 成功 了。After working on it for over two years, our project finally succeeded.
See also
Sources and further reading
Books
- HSK Standard Course 4下 (pp. 78, 132) 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. 127-33) Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy
- Boya Chinese Lower Intermediate 2 (博雅汉语准中级加速篇) (pp. 183-5) Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy
