Chinese word

归根到底

Pronunciation

Pinyinguī gēn dào dǐ

Meaning

  • adverbultimately

Example

归根到底，还是家人最重要。guī gēn dào dǐ hái shì jiā rén zuì zhòng yào

Ultimately, family is still what matters most.

Illustration for 归根到底 (ultimately)

More examples

一个国家的创新能力归根到底取决于教育体系和科研投入。yí gè guó jiā de chuàng xīn néng lì guī gēn dào dǐ qǔ jué yú jiào yù tǐ xì hé kē yán tóu rù

Ultimately, a country's ability to innovate depends on its education system and investment in scientific research.

Core concept

Traces a complicated matter back to its root, then states the conclusion that remains.

Common phrases

  • 归根到底在于guī gēn dào dǐ zài yú

    ultimately lies in

  • 归根到底取决于guī gēn dào dǐ qǔ jué yú

    ultimately depends on

Similar words

到底dào dǐ: In a question, strongly asks what is really happening or what the answer is.
终究zhōng jiū: Indicates an eventual result that follows from the passage of time or an unavoidable process.
最终zuì zhōng: Indicates the last stage or result in a sequence of events.

Definition in Chinese

表示通过追溯或综合各种原因后，最后达到某一根本性的结论或判断，侧重于归还到本源性的结论。biǎo shì tōng guò zhuī sù huò zōng hé gè zhǒng yuán yīn hòu zuì hòu dá dào mǒu yì gēn běn xìng de jié lùn huò pàn duàn cè zhòng yú guī huán dào běn yuán xìng de jié lùn

Word origin

归 (guī, "return") + 根 (gēn, "root") + 到底 (dàodǐ, "to the very end") presents the idea of following details and causes back to the underlying point.

Usage tips

  • In conversation, it often opens a summary after several reasons have been discussed, signaling that the next statement is the speaker's bottom-line judgment rather than another detail.

Other meanings

  • after alladverb

Opposites

Word lists with this word