Meaning of 到底
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- finally
- in the end
- when all is said and done
- after all
- to the end
- to the last
How to use 到底
到底 is most often used in questions to press for the real answer, like "on earth" or "exactly" in English. It can also mean "to the end" after a verb, or "after all" in statements. Example: 你到底想要什么？(Nǐ dàodǐ xiǎng yào shénme?) What on earth do you want?
到 (dào) means to arrive and 底 (dǐ) means bottom, so 到底 is reaching the bottom of something. When you get to the bottom of a question, you ask what it is really about, after all.
Common mistake: Learners often put 到底 in a yes-no question with 吗, as in 你到底去吗, which sounds wrong. Use an alternative or question-word form instead: 你到底去不去？(Nǐ dàodǐ qù bu qù?) Are you going or not?
到底 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
到 dào · to reach · 8 strokes
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底 dǐ · bottom · 8 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 到底.
Questions about 到底
What does 到底 mean?
到底 (dàodǐ) means "finally; in the end" and is used as a adverb.
How do you write 到底?
到底 is made of 2 characters: 到 (8 strokes), 底 (8 strokes). That is 16 strokes in total.
Is 到底 an HSK word?
Yes. 到底 is on the HSK 3 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 到底 and 终于?
终于 (zhōngyú) means "finally" when something you waited for happens, as in 他终于来了 (He finally came). 到底 in questions presses for the truth, and in statements it means "after all" or "in the end". You cannot use 到底 to express relief that something happened at last.
How is 到底 used to mean "to the end"?
Put it after a verb to show doing something completely. A common phrase is 坚持到底 (jiānchí dàodǐ), to persist to the end. Another is 一路走到底 (yílù zǒu dàodǐ), to go all the way.