dàodǐ
On earth / in the end (到底)
到底 in questions adds urgency, curiosity, or impatience: “on earth / exactly.” It can also mean “in the end” when asking about the final result.
Anchor example
你到底想说什么？
Nǐ dàodǐ xiǎng shuō shénme?
What on earth do you want to say?
HSK 3
HSK 3
1
1 structures
10
10 exercises
Lesson summary
到底 in questions adds urgency, curiosity, or impatience: “on earth / exactly.” It can also mean “in the end” when asking about the final result.
到底 in questions adds urgency, curiosity, or impatience: “on earth / exactly.” It can also mean “in the end” when asking about the final result. Pay attention to tone and position: 到底 usually appears before the part it comments on or emphasizes, while some uses can start the whole sentence. It should match the communicative purpose: estimate, emphasis, surprise, final answer, explanation, correction, certainty, warning, or contrast. Do not use it just because one Vietnamese or English translation looks similar.
Grammar pattern
到底
到底 in questions adds urgency, curiosity, or impatience: “on earth / exactly.” It can also mean “in the end” when asking about the final result.
这件事到底是谁做的？
Zhè jiàn shì dàodǐ shì shéi zuò de?
Who on earth did this?
他到底来不来，我们还不知道。
Tā dàodǐ lái bù lái, wǒmen hái bù zhīdào.
We still do not know whether he will come or not in the end.
你到底在哪里？我找了你很久。
Nǐ dàodǐ zài nǎlǐ? Wǒ zhǎo le nǐ hěn jiǔ.
Where on earth are you? I have been looking for you for a long time.
Fill in the blank:
