Chinese word

到底

Pronunciation

Pinyindào dǐ

Meaning

  • adverbexactly

Example

你到底想要什么？nǐ dào dǐ xiǎng yào shén me

What exactly do you want?

Illustration for 到底 (exactly)

More examples

事情到底怎么回事？shì qíng dào dǐ zěn me huí shì

What exactly is going on?

Core concept

A push to reach the bottom of a question or claim, revealing the final answer or the furthest limit.

Common phrases

  • 到底怎么回事dào dǐ zěn me huí shì

    what exactly is going on

  • 到底想要什么dào dǐ xiǎng yào shén me

    what exactly do you want

  • 到底要不要dào dǐ yào bú yào

    whether to do it at all

Similar words

究竟jiū jìng: Used in a question to find out the true situation or reason.

Definition in Chinese

在疑问句中用来表示急切追问或反问，在陈述或否定句中用来强调程度的极端，常见搭配如'你到底想要什么？'或'我到底做不到'。zài yí wèn jù zhōng yòng lái biǎo shì jí qiè zhuī wèn huò fǎn wèn zài chén shù huò fǒu dìng jù zhōng yòng lái qiáng diào chéng dù de jí duān cháng jiàn dā pèi rú nǐ dào dǐ xiǎng yào shén me huò wǒ dào dǐ zuò bú dào

Word origin

到 (dào, "reach") + 底 (dǐ, "bottom") creates the image of reaching the bottom, which extends to pressing for the real answer or marking an extreme limit.

Usage tips

  • In conversation, 到底 (dàodǐ, "after all") adds pressure rather than polite curiosity, so an English translation that sounds neutral may miss its demanding tone.

Other meanings

  • after alladverb

Word lists with this word