到底 dàodǐ

到底（dàodǐ）means “after all; on earth (in questions)”. In questions, "到底" presses for a definite answer: "on earth / exactly. Formation: 疑问句 + 到底（用于追问）/ 到底 + 疑问词/正反问

after all; on earth (in questions)

HSK4

Formation

疑问句 + 到底（用于追问）/ 到底 + 疑问词/正反问

Explanation

In questions, "到底" presses for a definite answer: "on earth / exactly." It appears with a question word or an affirmative-negative form. It carries a tone of impatience or eagerness to get to the bottom of things.

Examples

你到底去不去？
nǐ dàodǐ qù bu qù
Are you going or not, after all?
这件事到底是怎么回事？
zhè jiàn shì dàodǐ shì zěnme huí shì
What on earth is going on with this?

Note

Mainly used in questions; the answer sentence usually doesn't take 到底.

FAQ

到底 — what does it mean and how is it used?

after all; on earth (in questions). In questions, "到底" presses for a definite answer: "on earth / exactly." It appears with a question word or an affirmative-negative form. It carries a tone of impatience or eagerness to get to the bottom of things.

到底 — how do you form it?

疑问句 + 到底（用于追问）/ 到底 + 疑问词/正反问

到底 — any usage notes?

Mainly used in questions; the answer sentence usually doesn't take 到底.

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