Difference between revisions of "Expressing "in the end" with "daodi""

 
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{{Grammar Box}}  
 
{{Grammar Box}}  
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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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== 到底 as 毕竟 or "In the End" ==
 
 
== 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.
  
===Structure 1===
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===Structure===
  
 
<div class="jiegou">
 
<div class="jiegou">
 
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到底 ⋯⋯ ,Reason / Characteristic
到底 + Reason / Characteristic
 
 
 
 
</div>
 
</div>
  
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<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
*<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>
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*<em>到底</em> 是 个 大 老板,出手 就是 大方 。 <span class="pinyin"><em>Dàodǐ</em> shì ge dà lǎobǎn, chūshǒu jiùshì dàfang.</span><span class="trans">Look how generous he is with money. He is a high-level boss, after all....</span>
*<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>
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*<em>到底</em> 是 个 高手,这么 快 就 把 问题 解决 了!<span class="pinyin"><em>Dàodǐ</em> shì ge gāoshǒu, zhème kuài jiù bǎ wèntí jiějué le!</span><span class="trans">"He is a master, after all. Look how quickly he solved the problem.</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>
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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="pinyin"><em>Dàodǐ</em> háishì háizi, yǒuxiē shìqing tā bù dǒng shì hěn zhèngcháng de.</span><span class="trans">"He is a kid, after all. It's normal for him to not understand some things.</span>
 
</div>
 
</div>
  
===Structure 2===
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== 到底 as 究竟 or "On Earth" ==
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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]].
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===Structure===
  
 
<div class="jiegou">
 
<div class="jiegou">
虽然 + A + 但 + 到底 + B + C
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到底 + Question Word
 
</div>
 
</div>
  
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"]].
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<div class="jiegou">
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到底 + Verb + 不 / 没 + Verb
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</div>
  
==到底 as 究竟 or "on earth"==
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=== Examples ===
  
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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<div class="liju">
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*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> 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">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 bu shuō?</span><span class="trans">Are you going to tell me or not?</span>
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*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>
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*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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</div>
  
===Structure===
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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:
  
<div class="jiegou">
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<div class="liju">
 +
<ul>
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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="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>
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</ul>
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</div>
  
到底 + Question Phrase
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== 到底 as 终于 or "Finally" ==
  
</div>
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到底 can be used to mean "finally." In this sense, 到底 is similar to [[Expressing "finally" with "zhongyu"|终于]].
  
===Examples===
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=== Structure ===
  
<div class="liju">
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<div class="jiegou">
* 你 <em>到底</em> 怎么 了?<span class="trans">What on earth is up with you?</span>
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到底 + Verb + 了
* <em>到底</em> 怎么 走?<span class="trans">How on earth do we get there?</span>
 
* 内奸 <em>到底</em> 是 谁?<span class="trans">Who on earth is the mole?</span>
 
* 你最低价 <em>到底</em> 是 多少?我 不 想 跟 你 讲价! <span class="trans">Come on, give me your lowest price, I'm not in the mood for haggling</span>
 
 
</div>
 
</div>
  
Note that 到底 cannot appear in an answer to a question. Also, 吗 cannot appear in a question formed with 到底 but 没有 can be used instead:
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=== Examples ===
  
 
<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>
<ul>
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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>
<li class="o"> 到底 吃 了 没有 ?</li>
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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>
<li class="x"> 你 到底 吃 了 吗 ?</li>
 
</ul>
 
 
 
</div>
 
</div>
  
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=== Books ===
 
=== Books ===
  
* [[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) [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]
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{{Source|HSK Standard Course 4下|78, 132}}
* [[Boya Chinese Lower Intermediate 2 (博雅汉语准中级加速篇)]] (pp.183-5) [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]
+
{{Source|Chinese Grammar - Broken down into 100 items - Basic and Intermediate Levels (汉语语法百项讲练 - 初中级) |127-33}}
 +
{{Source|Boya Chinese Lower Intermediate 2 (博雅汉语准中级加速篇) |183-5}}
 +
 
 +
{{HSK|HSK4}}
 
{{Basic Grammar|到底|B2|到底|事情 <em>到底</em> 是 办 成 了 。|grammar point|ASGTVEHJ}}
 
{{Basic Grammar|到底|B2|到底|事情 <em>到底</em> 是 办 成 了 。|grammar point|ASGTVEHJ}}
 
{{Similar|Expressing "After All" with "bijing"}}
 
{{Similar|Expressing "After All" with "bijing"}}

Latest revision as of 09:17, 18 January 2021

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 。 Dàodǐ shì ge dà lǎobǎn, chūshǒu jiùshì dàfang.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!Dàodǐ shì ge gāoshǒu, zhème kuài jiù bǎ wèntí jiějué le!"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。Dàodǐ háishì háizi, yǒuxiē shìqing tā bù dǒng shì hěn zhèngcháng de."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

  • 到底 怎么 了?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?
  • 到底 说 不 说?dàodǐ shuō bu shuō?Are you going to tell me or not?
  • 到底 喜 不 喜欢 我?dàodǐ xǐ bu xǐhuan 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 dàodǐ chī le ma?
  • 你 到底 吃 了 没有dàodǐ chī le méiyǒu?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。Tiānqì dàodǐ nuǎnhuo le.The weather is finally warm.
  • 到底 想 明白 了。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