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.  
  
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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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===Structure 1===
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===Structure===
  
 
<div class="jiegou">
 
<div class="jiegou">
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*<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><span class="pinyin"><em>Dàodǐ</em> háishì háizi, yǒuxiē shìqíng tā bù dǒng shì hěn zhèngcháng de.</span>
 
*<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><span class="pinyin"><em>Dàodǐ</em> háishì háizi, yǒuxiē shìqíng tā bù dǒng shì hěn zhèngcháng de.</span>
 
</div>
 
</div>
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=== Structure 2 ===
 
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<div class="jiegou">
 
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虽然 + A， 但是 + 到底 + B， C
 
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</div>
 
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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, [[毕竟]] is definitely the more common choice, so for examples of this usage, see [[expressing "after all" with "bijing"]]. [[毕竟]] can be placed before and after the Subject in this case, but 到底 is usually placed after the Subject.
 
  
 
== 到底 as 究竟 or "on earth" ==
 
== 到底 as 究竟 or "on earth" ==
  
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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 [[Expressing "In the End" with "jiujing"|究竟]].
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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]].
  
 
===Structure===
 
===Structure===
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到底 + Question Word
 
到底 + Question Word
  
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到底 + Verb＋不 / 没＋Verb
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到底 + Verb ＋ 不 / 没 ＋ Verb
  
 
</div>
 
</div>
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<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
 
*你 <em>到底</em> 怎么 了？<span class="pinyin">Nǐ <em>dàodǐ</em> zěnme le?</span><span class="trans">What on earth is up with you?</span>
 
*你 <em>到底</em> 怎么 了？<span class="pinyin">Nǐ <em>dàodǐ</em> zěnme le?</span><span class="trans">What on earth is up with you?</span>
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*<em>到底</em> 怎么 走？<span class="pinyin"><em>Dàodǐ</em> zěn me zǒu?</span><span class="trans">How on earth do we get there?</span>
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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>
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*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">Come on! Who on earth is your boyfriend?</span>
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*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>
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*你 <em>到底</em> 说 不 说？<span class="pinyin">Nǐ <em>dàodǐ</em> shuō bù shuō?</span><span class="trans">Are you going to say it or not?</span>
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*你 <em>到底</em> 说 不 说？<span class="pinyin">Nǐ <em>dàodǐ</em> shuō bù 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 bù xǐhuān wǒ?</span><span class="trans">Do you like me or not?</span>
 
*你 <em>到底</em> 喜 不 喜欢 我？<span class="pinyin">Nǐ <em>dàodǐ</em> xǐ bù xǐhuān 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>
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<ul>
 
<ul>
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<li class="o"> 你 到底 吃 了 没有 ？。<span class="expl">Have you eaten or not?</span><span class="pinyin">Nǐ <em>dàodǐ</em> chīle méiyǒu?</span></li>
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<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>
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<li class="x"> 你 到底 吃 了 吗 ？</li>
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<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><span </li>
 
</ul>
 
</ul>
 
 
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<div class="jiegou">
 
<div class="jiegou">
  
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到底＋Verb＋了
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到底 ＋ Verb ＋ 了
  
 
</div>
 
</div>
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<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
  
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*天气 <em>到底</em> 暖和 起来 了。<span class="pinyin">Tiānqì <em>dàodǐ</em> nuǎnhuo qǐlái le.</span><span class="trans">It‘s finally getting warm.</span>
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*天气 <em>到底</em> 暖和 起来 了。<span class="pinyin">Tiānqì <em>dàodǐ</em> nuǎnhuo qilái le.</span><span class="trans">The weather is finally getting warm.</span>
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*他 <em>到底</em> 想 明白 了。<span class="pinyin">Tā <em>dàodǐ</em> xiǎng míngbái le.</span><span class="trans">He finally understood.</span>
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*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>
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*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">Our program finally succeed after we worked on this for over two years.</span>
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*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>
  
  

Revision as of 04:45, 12 November 2020

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 "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 。 "He is a high-level boss, after all...")Dàodǐ shìgè dà lǎobǎn, chūshǒu jiùshì dàfāng.
  • 到底 是 个 高手，这么 快 就 把 问题 解决 了！"He is a master, after all...")Dàodǐ shìgè gāoshǒu, zhème kuài jiù bǎ wèntí jiějué le!
  • 到底 还 是 孩子，有些 事情 他 不 懂 是 很 正常 的。"He is a kid, after all...")Dàodǐ háishì háizi, yǒuxiē shìqíng tā bù dǒng shì hěn zhèngcháng de.

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？Nǐ dàodǐ zěnme le?What on earth is up with you?
  • 到底 怎么 走？Dàodǐ zěnme zǒu?How on earth do we get there?
  • 快 说 啊！你 男友 到底 是 谁？Kuài shuō a! Nǐ nányǒu dàodǐ shì shéi?Speak up! Who on earth is your boyfriend?
  • 你 到底 说 不 说？Nǐ dàodǐ shuō bù shuō?Are you going to tell me or not?
  • 你 到底 喜 不 喜欢 我？Nǐ dàodǐ xǐ bù xǐhuān wǒ?Do you like me or not?
  • 他们 到底 离 没 离婚？Tāmen dàodǐ lí méi líhūn?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 ？Nǐ dàodǐ chī le ma?
  • 你 到底 吃 了 没有 ？Nǐ dàodǐ chī le méiyǒu?Have you eaten or not?<span

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 起来 了。Tiānqì dàodǐ nuǎnhuo qilái le.The weather is finally getting warm.
  • 他 到底 想 明白 了。Tā dàodǐ xiǎng míngbai le.He finally understood.
  • 经过 两 年 多 的 努力，我们 的 项目到底 成功 了。Jīngguò liǎng nián duō de nǔlì, wǒmen de xiàngmù dàodǐ chénggōng le.After working on it for over two years, our project finally succeeded.


See also

Sources and further reading

Books


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