到底 dào dǐ
“finally; in the end; when all is said and done”
adverb, verbHSK 4 · 2021 list level 3
新HSK等级2025 HSK 3.0 syllabus level
到底 appears in the November 2025 exam syllabus in the following numbered entry. Levels refer to the listed reading and use, not every meaning.
- Entry 1139: 到底 dàodǐ — Level 4; official annotation 4 (副). PDF page 108
Separate from the HSK 2.0 and 2021 list labels above. Compare the three lists.
用法How to use 到底
到底 is an adverb used in questions to mean "exactly / on earth / after all," adding insistence or impatience. It usually comes after the subject and before the verb or question word: 你到底想说什么？ At HSK 4, focus on this question-pressing use rather than the statement meaning "in the end."
例句Example sentences
- 你到底想说什么？nǐ dào dǐ xiǎng shuō shén me?What exactly do you want to say?
- 你到底去不去？nǐ dào dǐ qù bu qù?Are you going or not? / Just tell me whether you're going.
- 我们到底什么时候出发？wǒ men dào dǐ shén me shí hou chū fā?When exactly are we leaving?
常见错误Common mistakes
-
✗你到底想去哪儿吗？
✓你到底想去哪儿？
A sentence with a question word like 哪儿 does not also take 吗.