HSK 4 · Function Words

到底 dàodǐ “after all” in Chinese

Same in Traditional

What 到底 means

  1. after all
  2. on earth (in questions)
  3. to the end
  4. finally
  5. in the end
More meanings from CC-CEDICT
  • when all is said and done
  • to the last

How to say 到底

  • Pitch chart of the fourth tone: falls from high to low, 5 to 1 on the five-level scale到dào4th tone, falling
  • Pitch chart of the third tone: dips low then rises, 2 to 1 to 4 on the five-level scale底dǐ3rd tone, dipping

到底 in a sentence

  1. 所以，你到底想说什么？

    Suǒyǐ, nǐ dàodǐ xiǎng shuō shénme?

    So what exactly are you trying to say?

    Sentence #14023286 from Tatoeba · translation adapted

  2. 问题是她到底来还是不来。

    Wèntí shì tā dàodǐ lái háishi bù lái.

    The question is whether she’s actually coming or not.

    Sentence #395681 from Tatoeba · converted to simplified characters · translation adapted

  3. 坚持到底！

    Jiānchí dàodǐ!

    See it through to the end!

    Sentence #6330915 from Tatoeba · translation adapted

How 到底 is built

Each colour is one part of the character. Parts repeat across thousands of characters, so learning them makes new words easier. See all 214 in our radicals chart.

The character 到 (dào) with each of its parts in a different colour
到dàoto reach; to arrive
  • 至arrive · zhìMeaning part
  • 刂knife form of 刀 · dāoSound part

至 hints at the meaning (arrive); 刂 (dāo) hints at the sound. Compare it with dào.

Memory aidArrive 至 gives the meaning; the knife 刂 (刀 dāo) gives the sound: to arrive.

The character 底 (dǐ) with each of its parts in a different colour
底dǐbottom; base
  • 广shelter · guǎngMeaning part
  • 氐the name of an ancient tribe · dǐSound part

广 hints at the meaning (shelter); 氐 (dǐ) hints at the sound. Compare it with dǐ.

How to write 到底

到 8 strokes · 底 8 strokes

Watch the order, then press Try writing it and draw each stroke in the grid. Each stroke is checked as you go.

到底 (dàodǐ) stroke order chart: each stroke of the characters in the order you write them
Stroke order chart for 到底 (dàodǐ). Red marks the next stroke, so you can copy it onto paper one step at a time.

Words related to 到底

Words with 到

到dào · to迟到chídào · arrive late遇到yùdào · to meet想到xiǎngdào · to think of感到gǎndào · to feel见到jiàndào · to see做到zuòdào · to accomplish直到zhídào · until得到dédào · to get收到shōudào · to receive

Words with 底

底dǐ · bottom彻底chèdǐ · thorough归根到底guīgēndàodǐ · in the final analysis

More words: Particles & Connectors

从来cónglái · always大概dàgài · roughly大约dàyuē · approximately到处dàochù · everywhere得děi · to have to底dǐ · bottom对面duìmiàn · (sitting) opposite对于duìyú · regarding

FAQs

到底 (dàodǐ) means “after all” or “on earth (in questions)”. It is an HSK 4 word.
Say it dàodǐ: dào with a 4th tone, then dǐ with a 3rd tone. Press Listen at the top of this page to hear it, or Slowly to hear each tone clearly.
Yes. 到底 is written the same way in Simplified and Traditional characters.
Add a Chinese (Simplified) pinyin keyboard to your phone or computer, type daodi with no tone marks or spaces, then choose 到底 from the suggestions. Typing daodi into this dictionary’s search box finds it too.
到底 is an HSK 4 word in the HSK 2.0 word lists.

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Sources: meaning and pinyin checked by a native Mandarin teacher against the official HSK lists. Extra meanings from CC-CEDICT (CC BY-SA 4.0). Example sentences from Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR). Character parts and stroke order from Make Me a Hanzi.